Cuban Funnel-eared Bat
Encyclopedia
The Cuban Funnel-eared Bat (Chilonatalus micropus) is a species of bat
in the family Natalidae
. It is one of two species within the genus Chilonatalus
. It is found in Colombia
, Cuba
, the Dominican Republic
, Haiti
, and Jamaica
.
, which is quite thick, but they lack a true nose leaf. All species in this family, however, have a hairy protuberance on the tip of the snout that resembles a nose leaf. The eyes are not prominent. The oval nostrils are set close together and are located near the margin of the lip.
One special characteristic of natalids is a peculiar structure on the face or muzzle of adult males. This structure is commonly known as the "natalid organ." It is made up of sensory cells, but it could actually be involved in glandular functions. There is not enough known about this structure to comment upon it further, but it seems to be found solely in the Natalidae.
All funnel-eared bats have long, slender wings and legs that are quite fragile. The thumbs are also very short, but possess their own flight membranes. In addition, the second finger lacks bony phalanges. The tail is about as long as or longer than the legs and is completely enclosed in the tail membrane, the uroplagium.
This species has many special characteristics which set it apart from the others in the family. Chilonatalus micropus is the smallest and most delicate bat in the New World
. The lower lip of this species is reflected outward. It also possesses a small, horizontal cutaneous projection on the other side. This structure looks much like a second lower lip.
Chilonatalus micropus has a very dense and long coat. Coat color varies depending on its location on the body. Dorsally, the fur is pale yellowish brown at the hair base with tips that are either reddish or chestnut-brown. Ventrally, the hair is pale yellowish-brown throughout.
The dental formula is (3/3, 1/1, 3/3, 3/3). These bats have a well-developed "W" tooth pattern. The 3rd incisor is separated from the other two. The canine is small but well developed and is noticeably set apart from the other teeth. The premolars are all in close contact with the other teeth and the molars are approximately equal in size and form.
There seems to be no sexual dimorphism
.
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,...
in the family Natalidae
Natalidae
The family Natalidae, or funnel-eared bats are found from Mexico to Brazil and the Caribbean islands. The family has three genera, Chilonatalus, Natalus and Nyctiellus. They are slender bats with unusually long tails and, as their name suggests, funnel-shaped ears. They are small, at only 3.5 to...
. It is one of two species within the genus Chilonatalus
Chilonatalus
The genus Chilonatalus of funnel-eared bats is found in South America and the Antilles. It has two species....
. It is found in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, and Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
.
Physical description
All natalids have large, funnel-shaped ears, with glandular papillae on the surface of the external ear. They also have a short, triangular tragusTragus
The tragus is a small pointed eminence of the external ear, situated in front of the concha, and projecting backward over the meatus. Its name comes from the Greek: tragos, goat, and is descriptive of its general covering on its under surface with a tuft of hair, resembling a goat's beard...
, which is quite thick, but they lack a true nose leaf. All species in this family, however, have a hairy protuberance on the tip of the snout that resembles a nose leaf. The eyes are not prominent. The oval nostrils are set close together and are located near the margin of the lip.
One special characteristic of natalids is a peculiar structure on the face or muzzle of adult males. This structure is commonly known as the "natalid organ." It is made up of sensory cells, but it could actually be involved in glandular functions. There is not enough known about this structure to comment upon it further, but it seems to be found solely in the Natalidae.
All funnel-eared bats have long, slender wings and legs that are quite fragile. The thumbs are also very short, but possess their own flight membranes. In addition, the second finger lacks bony phalanges. The tail is about as long as or longer than the legs and is completely enclosed in the tail membrane, the uroplagium.
This species has many special characteristics which set it apart from the others in the family. Chilonatalus micropus is the smallest and most delicate bat in the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
. The lower lip of this species is reflected outward. It also possesses a small, horizontal cutaneous projection on the other side. This structure looks much like a second lower lip.
Chilonatalus micropus has a very dense and long coat. Coat color varies depending on its location on the body. Dorsally, the fur is pale yellowish brown at the hair base with tips that are either reddish or chestnut-brown. Ventrally, the hair is pale yellowish-brown throughout.
The dental formula is (3/3, 1/1, 3/3, 3/3). These bats have a well-developed "W" tooth pattern. The 3rd incisor is separated from the other two. The canine is small but well developed and is noticeably set apart from the other teeth. The premolars are all in close contact with the other teeth and the molars are approximately equal in size and form.
There seems to be no sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism
Sexual dimorphism is a phenotypic difference between males and females of the same species. Examples of such differences include differences in morphology, ornamentation, and behavior.-Examples:-Ornamentation / coloration:...
.