Thomas's sac-winged bat (''Balantiopteryx io'') is a species of

sac-winged bat Emballonuridae is a family (biology), family of microbats, many of which are referred to as sac-winged or sheath-tailed bats. They are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. The earliest fossil records are from ...

in the family

Emballonuridae Emballonuridae is a family of microbats, many of which are referred to as sac-winged or sheath-tailed bats. They are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. The earliest fossil records are from the Eocene. Desc ...

. It is found in

Belize Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

, and

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Taxonomy

Oldfield Thomas Michael Rogers Oldfield Thomas (21 February 1858 – 16 June 1929) was a British zoologist. Career Thomas worked at the Natural History Museum, London, Natural History Museum on mammals, describing about 2,000 new species and subspecies for ...

named this bat in 1904. It is presumed that he named it after the Io found in Greek mythology, who was cursed by Hera to be eternally chased, because bats seem to be “flighty.” ''Balantiopteryx io'' is a sister species of '' Balantiopteryx infusca'' and has no recognised subspecies.Gardner, Alfred L. ''Mammals of South America''. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2008, p. 194.

Appearance

It is the smallest species when compared to others in the genus ''Balantiopteryx,'' and lacks the white trim that is characteristic of '' Balantiopteryx plicata''. The males weigh about 3.7 g, while the females weigh about 5 g.

Biology and behavior

Thomas's sac-winged bat prefers to live in caves near the entrance, but there have been instances where they have been found deeper in the caves where it is darker. It has also been found in railroad tunnels. It likes to stay about nine inches or more away from the others when hanging on the ceiling. Groups of fifty or more of these bats can be found in a colony.Lim, Miller, Reid, Arroyo-Cabrales, Cuarón, and de Grammont 2008 It feeds on insects after sunset, so observing the bats is difficult.Nowak, Ronald M. ''Walker's Bats of the World''. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, 1994, p. 96 There is not much data available for this species’ courting rituals, but what is known is that the female usually has one fetus, and the pregnant females can be found in March, April, May, and June.

Conservation

The bat is considered “vulnerable” according to the IUCN redlist, and the population is decreasing. This assumption comes from the evidence of

habitat destruction Habitat destruction (also termed habitat loss or habitat reduction) occurs when a natural habitat is no longer able to support its native species. The organisms once living there have either moved elsewhere, or are dead, leading to a decrease ...

, and it has been estimated that about 30% of the bats’ natural habitat has been destroyed by human causes such as vandalism, fires in caves, and tourism.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1832181 Balantiopteryx Bats of Central America Bats of Mexico Mammals described in 1904 Taxa named by Oldfield Thomas Taxonomy articles created by Polbot