Platyrrhinus vittatus (Peters, 1859)

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Phyllostomidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 444-583 : 566

175.

Greater Broad-nosed Bat

Platyrrhinus vittatus

French: Grand Sténoderme / German: GrofRe Breitnasenfledermaus / Spanish: Platirrino grande

Taxonomy. Artibeus vittatus Peters, 1859 ,

“Puerto Cabello,” Carabobo, Venezuela.

The name Vampyrops was proposed to include species in Artibeus and Platyrhinus [sic], so those uses remained as synonyms of Vampyrops. E. R. Hall and K. R. Kelson in 1959 used the combination P. vittatus for the first time, and Vampyrops was suggested to be a junior synonym, without further comment. The genus remained in use until A. L.. Gardner and C. S. Ferrell in 1990 concluded that Platyrrhinus was the earliest available name for the genus. P. M. Velazco in 2005 suggested existence of northern and southern populations of P. vittatus that were qualitatively and morphometrically distinguishable. He restricted P. vittatus to the northern distribution and described the southern population as P. albericoi. Monotypic.

Distribution. Central America from Costa Rica and Panama S into South America in N & W Colombia, N Venezuela, and NW Ecuador.

Descriptive notes. Head-body-100 mm (tailless), ear 23-25 mm, hindfoot 13-17 mm, forearm 56-7-61-9 mm; weight 60-65 g. Greatest lengths of skulls are 30-6— 32-8 mm. Greater Broad-nosed Bat is large. Dorsal pelage is dark blackish brown, with wide brilliant white stripe extending from between ears to rump. Dorsal fur is longer than 8 mm. Ventral pelage is brown, paler than dorsum, and bicolored, with grayish white terminal band that gives ventral fur a frosted appearance. There are four facial stripes: medial stripes extend to side of each eye from rhinarium to between ears on top of head; paler lateral stripes extend from corners of mouth to base of each ear. Wings are covered with pale buff to white hairs adjacent to flanks and extending beyond elbow along proximal two-thirds to three-fourths of forearm. Wing and uropatagium are blackish brown. Posterior edge of uropatagium is Uor Vshaped and sparsely fringed with 4-6 mm hairs. Inferior border of horseshoe is completely free, and there are well-marked folds in pinna. Skull is large and robust, with broad rostrum. I' are large and well developed, with crowns strongly convergent, and I* are small with relatively straight crowns. M' mesostyle is absent, but M* metastyle is present; one accessory cuspulid occurs on anterolingual cristid of P,. cuspulid occurs between metaconid and protoconid on M,. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 30 and FN = 56.

Habitat. Mainly humid tropical and subtropical forests at elevations of 900-2000 m (more frequently below 1500 m).

Food and Feeding. The Greater Broad-nosed Bat is frugivorous and does not regularly use other food sources as do other phyllostomids. It reportedly eats fruits from Cecropia sp. ( Urticaceae ), Ficus yoponensis and Ficus sp. ( Moraceae ), Piper epigynium ( Piperaceae ), Acnistus arborescens, and Solanum umbellatum (both Solanaceae ).

Breeding. Pregnant Greater Broad-nosed Bats were captured in April-June, some with embryos having 18:6-42 mm crown-rump lengths. A lactating female was found in July. Reproductive males with small testes have been collected in June-August. All these reports were from Costa Rica, but no seasonal specifications were given.

Activity patterns. The Greater Broad-nosed Bat is nocturnal. It roosts under roots on canyon walls and stream banks and in caves.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Greater Broad-nosed Bat has been found roosting in mixed-species colonies with Geoffroy’s Tailless Bat ( Anoura geoffroyi ).

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Alberico et al. (2000), Baker (1973), Davis et al. (1964), Gardner (1977b, 2008c), Gardner & Carter (1972a), Gardner & Ferrell (1990), Gardner et al. (1970), Hall & Kelson (1959), Lee et al. (2010), Lobova et al. (2009), McDonough et al. (2011), Munoz (1990), Ortega & Alarcon (2008), Peters (1859), Sanborn (1955), Velazco (2005), Velazco & Gardner (2009), Velazco & Patterson (2008), Velazco & Solari (2003).

Figures

165. White-lined Broad-nosed Bat (Platyrrhinus lineatus), 166. Short-headed Broad-nosed Bat (Platyrrhainus brachycephalus), 167. Heller's Broad-nosed Bat (Platyrrhinus helleri), 168. Matapalo Broad-nosed Bat (Platyrrhinus matapalensis), 169. Recife Broad-nosed Bat (Platyrrhinus recifinus), 170. Guianan Broad-nosed Bat (Platyrrhinus guianensis), 171. Incan Broad-nosed Bat (Platyrrhinus incarum), 172. Slender Broad-nosed Bat (Platyrrhinus angustirostris), 173. Brown-bellied Broad-nosed Bat (Platyrriunus fuscrventris), 174. Alberico’s Broad-nosed Bat (Platyrrhinus albericoi), 175. Greater Broad-nosed Bat (Platyrrhinus vittatus), 176. Choco Broad-nosed Bat (Platyrrhinus chocoensis), 177. Thomas’s Broad-nosed Bat (Platyrrhinus dorsalis), 178. Bufty Broad-nosed Bat (Platyrrhinus infuscus), 179. Darien Broad-nosed Bat (Platyriunus aquilus), 180. Eldorado Broad-nosed Bat (Platyrrhinus aurarius), 181. Ismael’s Broad-nosed Bat (Platyrrhinus ismaeli), 182. Quechuan Broad-nosed Bat (Platyrrhinus masu), 183. Shadowy Broad-nosed Bat (Platyrrhinus umbratus), 184. Western Broad-nosed Bat (Platyrrhinus nitelinea), 185. Velvety Fruit-eating Bat (Enchisthenes hart), 186. Honduran White Bat (Ectophylla alba)

Distribution. Central America from Costa Rica and Panama S into South America in N & W Colombia , N Venezuela , and NW Ecuador .