The pygmy fruit-eating bat, Artibeus phaeotis, is a bat

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,...

 of the family Phyllostomidae. The specific name phaeotis is of Greek

Greek language

Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...

 derivation, coming from the word phaios meaning dusky, referring to their dusky gray coloration.

Biogeography

The pygmy fruit-eating bat is a small mammal residing in the southern parts of North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

 and northern 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...

. Pygmy fruit eating bats have been found at altitudes as high as 1200 m; however, they are much more commonly found at lower altitudes.

Ecology

Artibeus phaeotis is a species of bat that is native to tropical deciduous forest in Central America. They are flying mammals that are primarily frugivorous as their common name implies, however they will also eat pollen and insects. Populations of fruit bats are low in density but they are widespread in their regions and evenly dispersed.

Morphology/Physiological Attributes

A. phaeotis are identified by their uniform dark brown, or pale grayish brown fur that reaches to the base of the forearms. The fur is soft and moderately thick. Pygmy fruit-eating bats have moderately sized ears that are round, brown, and usually have a white edge. They are very small mammals and they have a small body size of about 51-60mm and a weight between 8 and 15 grams.

Behaviour

A. phaeotis is nocturnal and they modify leaves to form roosts for the daytime. They make ‘tents’ by modifying banana or palm leaves and take refuge underneath them.

Reproduction and Development

The reproductive pattern of A. phaeotis is characterized as seasonal. They are known to have a gestation period of 112–120 days that can be stretched longer due to dormancy.