Anoura caudifer (E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1818)

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Phyllostomidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 444-583 : 519

63.

Tailed Tailless Bat

Anoura caudifer

French: Anoura des tunnels / German: Geschwanzte Langnasenfledermaus / Spanish: Anoura de cola corta

Other common names: Lesser Tailless Bat

Taxonomy. Glossophaga caudifer E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1818 ,

“ Rio de Janeiro,” Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The species caudifer was transferred to the genus Lonchoglossa and then to Anoura . Some authors, such as C. O. Handley,Jr. in 1984, spelled the species name as caudifera but according to the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, the correct form is caudifer . Previous uses of this name could include taxa like A. aequatoris , A. cadenai , or A. luismanueli , which are now considered distinct species. Some authors have discussed affinities of these small species as part of a generic taxon called Lonchoglossa. Monotypic.

Distribution. Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, N, W, S & SE Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and NW Argentina resulting in arc-type distribution surrounding central part of Amazon Basin. Records from Paraguay are suspicious.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 46-64 mm, tail 4-5 mm, ear 8-17 mm, hindfoot 7-9 mm, forearm 33-39 mm; weight 8-13 g. The Tailed Tailless Bat is small compared with most of its congeners, slightly larger than the Ecuadorian Tailless Bat ( A. aequatoris ) and Luis Manuel’s Tailless Bat (A. luismanueli ). Pelage is dark brown; dorsal hairs are gray at bases, with the tip dark brownish, ventral hairs brownish, unicolored. Fur is dense, soft, and silky and extends to dorsal and ventral sides, over part of plagiopatagium and up to middle of forearm. As in other species of Anoura , muzzle is elongated, and lower jaw protrudes slightly beyond upper lip. Noseleaf is small but well defined, taller than wide, and attached to upper lip. Deep groove divides lower lip medially. Tail membrane is semicircular and reduced, with very short calcars, and has fringe of sparse hairs. Deep sulcus in anterior face of C!, together with large P,, makesit distinguishable from other species of Anoura . Dental formula for all species of Anoura is12/0,C1/1,P 3/3, M 3/3 (x2) = 32. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 30 and FN = 56.

Habitat. Wide variety of habitats including primary forest, lightly disturbed forests, agriculturalfields, and urban areas from sea level up to elevations of ¢. 1500 m.

Food and Feeding. The Tailed Tailless Bat mainly eats nectar and pollen and occasionally gleans large insects (Thysanoptera, Hymenoptera , Coleoptera , and Lepidoptera ). A large variety of plant families are represented in diets, including Bombacaceae , Bromeliaceae ( Vriesea morrenii), Campanulaceae ( Burmeistera sodiroana, B. succulenta, and B. truncata), Fabaceae ( Bauhinia rufa ), Lythraceae , Malvaceae , Marcgraviaceae ( Marcgravia coniacea), Melastomataceae ( Meriania pichinchensis), Myrtaceae , Passifloraceae ( Passiflora mucronata), and Rubiaceae . In Ecuador, it prefers nectar from small flowers compared with Geoffroy’s Tailless Bat (A. geoffroyz).

Breeding. It has been suggested that the Tailed Tailless Bat has asynchronous reproduction, with reproductive and lactating individuals present in August-November. Pregnant females and births were found in September-November, and juveniles appeared in October-November.

Activity patterns. The Tailed Tailless Bat is nocturnal. In a fragment of Atlantic Forest in Brazil, peak captures occurred in the fourth hour after dark; activity started one hour after sunset. No differences of captures were found in dry and wet seasons. Roosts include various natural and man-made structures such as caves, rock crevices, foliage, hollow tress, and tunnels.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. In a mark-recapture study in Brazil, Tailed Tailless Bats seemed to be highly nomadic based on lack of recaptured individuals, although marked individuals might have become familiar with mist nets and avoided recapture. They form nursing colonies and harems of 5-100 individuals. In roosts, they will associate with other bats such as Seba’s Short-tailed Bat ( Carollia perspicillata ), the Common Big-eared Bat ( Micronycteris microtis ), Geoftroy’s Tailless Bat, Handley’s Tailless Bat ( A. cultrata ), and Parnell’s Common Mustached Bat ( Pteronotus parnellii).

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Despite the recent split of some populations into separate species, the Tailed Tailless Bat has a wide distribution and seems locally common.

Bibliography. Aguiar & Marinho-Filho (2004), Albuja (1999), Barquez et al. (1999), Brosset & Charles-Dominique (1991), Esbérard et al. (2005), Griffiths & Gardner (2008a), Handley (1984), Muchhala & Jarrin-Valladares (2002), Oprea et al. (2009), Reis & Peracchi (1987), Ruschi (1953), Sazima (1976), Trajano (1996), Wilson (1979), Zortéa (2003).

Figures

63. Tailed Tailless Bat (Anoura caudifer), 64. Ecuadorian Tailless Bat (Anowra aequatoris), 65. Cadena’s Tailless Bat (Anowra cadenai), 66. Tube-lipped Tailless Bat (Anoura fistulata), 67. Luis Manuel’s Tailless Bat (Anoura luismanueli), 68. Peruvian Tailless Bat (Anowra javier), 69. Handley’s Tailless Bat (Anoura cultrata), 70. Broad-toothed Tailless Bat (Anowra latidens), 71. Geoffroy’s Tailless Bat (Anoura geoffroy), 72. Tschudi’s Tailless Bat (Anoura peruana), 74. Godman’s Long-tailed Bat (Choeroniscus godmani), 75. Lesser Long-tailed Bat (Choeroniscus minor), 76. Greater Long-tailed Bat (Choeroniscus periosus), 77. Mexican Long-tongued Bat (Choeronycteris mexicana), 78. Capixaba Nectarfeeding Bat (Dryadonycteris capixaba), 79. Banana Bat (Musonycteris harrisoni), 80. Pale Brown Long-tongued Bat (Lichonycteris degener), 81. Dark Long-tongued Bat (Lichonycteris obscura), 82. Ega Long-tongued Bat (Scleronycteris ega)

Distribution. Colombia , Venezuela , the Guianas, N, W, S & SE Brazil , Ecuador , Peru , Bolivia , and NW Argentina resulting in arc-type distribution surrounding central part of Amazon Basin. Records from Paraguay are suspicious.