Carollia
Encyclopedia
Carollia is a genus of bat
s often referred to as the short-tailed fruit bats. Along with the genus, Rhinophylla
, Carollia makes up the subfamily Carolliinae
of family Phyllostomidae, the leaf-nosed bats. Currently, nine species of Carollia are recognized, with a number having been described since 2002. Members of this genus are found throughout tropical regions of Central
and South America
but do not occur on Caribbean
islands other than Trinidad and Tobago
. Bats of the genus Carollia often are among the most abundant mammals in neotropical ecosystem
s and play important roles as seed dispersers, particularly of pioneer plants such as those of the genera Piper
, Cecropia
, Solanum
, and Vismia
. Carollia are primarily frugivorous, however C. perspicillata, C. castanea and C. subrufa are known to feed on insects.
Genus Carollia - Short-tailed leaf-nosed bats
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
s often referred to as the short-tailed fruit bats. Along with the genus, Rhinophylla
Rhinophylla
Rhinophylla is a genus of South American bats in the family Phyllostomidae. It contains the following species:* Hairy Little Fruit Bat * Fischer's Little Fruit Bat...
, Carollia makes up the subfamily Carolliinae
Carolliinae
Carolliinae is a subfamily of bats.-Classification:Subfamily Carolliinae*Genus: Carollia - Short-tailed Leaf-nosed Bats**Benkeith's short-tailed Bat, Carollia benkeithi**Silky Short-tailed Bat, Carollia brevicauda...
of family Phyllostomidae, the leaf-nosed bats. Currently, nine species of Carollia are recognized, with a number having been described since 2002. Members of this genus are found throughout tropical regions of Central
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
and South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
but do not occur on Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
islands other than Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is an archipelagic state in the southern Caribbean, lying just off the coast of northeastern Venezuela and south of Grenada in the Lesser Antilles...
. Bats of the genus Carollia often are among the most abundant mammals in neotropical ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
s and play important roles as seed dispersers, particularly of pioneer plants such as those of the genera Piper
Piper (genus)
Piper, the pepper plants or pepper vines , are an economically and ecologically important genus in the family Piperaceae...
, Cecropia
Cecropia
Cecropia is a Neotropical genus presently consisting of sixty-one recognized species with a highly distinctive lineage of dioecious trees....
, Solanum
Solanum
Solanum, the nightshades, horsenettles and relatives, is a large and diverse genus of annual and perennial plants. They grow as forbs, vines, subshrubs, shrubs, and small trees, and often have attractive fruit and flowers. Many formerly independent genera like Lycopersicon or Cyphomandra are...
, and Vismia
Vismia
Vismia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Hypericaceae. Like many members of the Hypericaceae, these plants contain xanthonoids.Species include:*Vismia baccifera*Vismia guianensis*Vismia jefensis*Vismia micrantha...
. Carollia are primarily frugivorous, however C. perspicillata, C. castanea and C. subrufa are known to feed on insects.
Genus Carollia - Short-tailed leaf-nosed bats
- Benkeith's Short-tailed BatBenkeith's Short-tailed BatBenkeith's Short-tailed Bat, Carollia benkeithi, is a bat species from South America. It is found in Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. C. benkeithi was named by Dr. Robert Baker of Texas Tech University, after Ben E Keith, who donated $5 million to the university.C. benkeithi very closely resembles...
, Carollia benkeithi - Silky Short-tailed BatSilky Short-tailed BatThe Silky Short-tailed Bat, Carollia brevicauda, is a bat species from South and Central America. It is found in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Panama, Peru, Suriname, Mexico and Venezuela.-References:...
, Carollia brevicauda - Chestnut Short-tailed BatChestnut Short-tailed BatThe Chestnut Short-tailed Bat, Carollia castanea, is a bat species from South and Central America....
, Carollia castanea - Colombian Short-tailed BatColombian Short-tailed BatThe Colombian Short-tailed Bat, Carollia colombiana is a bat species from Colombia.. A specimen identified as C. colombiana has been proven to be a C. castanea , calling the definition of C. colombiana into question.-Further reading:**...
, Carollia colombiana - Manu Short-tailed BatManu Short-tailed BatThe Manu Short-tailed Bat, Carollia manu, is a bat species found in Peru and Bolivia.- External links :*...
, Carollia manu - Mono's Short-tailed BatMono's Short-tailed BatMono's Short-tailed Bat, Carollia monohernandezi, is a bat species from South America. It is found in Colombia and Panama. Specimens have been collected in habitats ranging from dry to tropical rain forest at elevations ranging from 30 to 2,660m....
, Carollia monohernandezi - Seba's Short-tailed BatSeba's Short-tailed BatSeba's Short-tailed Bat, Carollia perspicillata, is a common and widespread bat species from South and Central America.C. perspicillata dwells in both moist evergreen and dry deciduous forests, usually below 1,000 meters altitude, typically roosting in groups of 10-100 bats in caves, hollow trees,...
, Carollia perspicillata - Sowell's Short-tailed BatSowell's short-tailed batSowell's short-tailed bat, Carollia sowelli, is a common bat species in the family Phyllostomidae. It is found from San Luis Potosi through Central America to west Panama. The species is named after American philanthropist James N. Sowell....
, Carollia sowelli - Gray Short-tailed BatGray Short-tailed BatThe Gray Short-tailed Bat is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.-References:...
, Carollia subrufa