Peropteryx macrotis (Wagner, 1843)

Bonaccorso, Frank, 2019, Emballonuridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 350-373 : 368-369

42 . Lesser Dog-like Bat

Peropteryx macrotis

French: Péroptère des cavernes / German: Kleine Hundskopffledermaus / Spanish: Peróptero menor

Taxonomy. Emballonura macrotis Wagner, 1843 ,

“ Mato Grosso.” Restricted by D. .

Carter and P. G. Dolan in 1978 to “Cuyabâ (Cuiabâ), Mato Grosso, Brazil.” Subspecies trinitatis and phaea formerly included in P. macrotis are now subspecies within P. trinitatis . Monotypic.

Distribution. Widely distributed from S Mexico (Michoacan and S Veracruz) throughout Central and South America to NE & E Peru, N & E Bolivia, N Paraguay, and S Brazil.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 42-53 mm, tail 11-15 mm, ear 14—16 mm, hindfoot 7—10 mm, forearm 38-3—48-2 mm; weight 4—7 g. The Lesser Dog-like Bat is sexually dimorphic, with females larger than males. Dorsal hairs are 6—9 mm and brown, gray, or reddish; underparts of similar colors are slightly lighter. Wings terminate at attachment point on each ankle. Tail is about one-third length of body. Outward-opening, glandular wing-sac occurs on upper edge of antebrachial membrane. Skull has sharp angle between inflated rostrum and braincase. Cranium has long, slender postorbital process, with undivided basisphenoid pit. Upper and lower incisors are small and simple, and lower incisors are trifid. Dental formula of all species of Peropteryx is I 1/3, C 1/1, P 2/2, M 3/3 (x2) = 32.

Habitat. Tropical deciduous forests, but less commonly semiarid thorn scrub and evergreen forests, and also towns, croplands, and grasslands from sea level to elevations of c.1000 m.

Food and Feeding. Diet of the Lesser Dog-like Bat contains small beetles and flies. In areas of human setdement, it forages for insects above roads and near streetlights.

Breeding. Female Lesser Dog-like Bats are seasonal polyestrous, giving birth usually to one young twice a year. Gestation lasts 4—4-5 months. Females are reproductively active in dry (January-June) and wet seasons (July—December) in Central America and in both seasons in South America. Pregnant females are reported in January, September, and October in the Caatinga ecoregion of Brazil; February and March in Guatemala; April on Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico; July in Colombia; and August in Peru. Lactating females have been collected in January in Brazil and August on the Yucatan Peninsula. Individuals with juvenile pelage are found in late July in the Yucatan.

Activity patterns. Lesser Dog-like Bats are crepuscular. Roosting shelters include limestone, coral, and granite cave entrances; natural bridges; rock piles or culverts; hollow trees; bell towers; churches; and pre-Columbian ruins. They emerge and begin to forage at dusk. They remain alert in day roosts.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Colonies of Lesser Dog-like Bats usually include 10—15 individuals consisting of a single adult male, several breeding age females, and their offspring. Scent emitted from wing sacs of males might be used in courtship displays. Predators include owls and carnivorous Woolly False Vampire Bats ( Chrotopterus auritus ). The Lesser Dog-like Bat has endoparasites and ectoparasites. Nematodes were found in specimens in Trinidad, and human bedbugs (Cimex hemipterus), engorged with blood, were collected along posterior surface of the tail base of a Lesser Dog-like Bat in Colombia.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCNRed List. The Lesser Dog-like Bat presumably has large and stable overall population throughout its large distribution and occurs in many protected reserves. In Mexico, it is given special protection.

Bibliography. Arata & Vaughn (1970), Arita (1996), Arita & Vargas (1995), Arroyo-Cabrales & Alvarez (1990), Benedict (1957), Bradbury & Vehrencamp (1976a, 1976b), Carter & Dolan (1978), Davis et al. (1964), Goodwin (1946), Goodwin & Greenhall (1961), Graham (1987), Handley (1976), Hatt (1938), Jones (1966), Jones, Smith & Genoways (1973), Jones, Smith &Turner (1971), Lopez-Forment (1976), Marinkelle (1967), Mûrie (1935), Myers et al. (1983), Rick (1968), Starrett & Casebeer (1968), Tuttle (1970), Willig (1983,1985a), Yee (2000).

Figures

On following pages: 40. Lesser Ghost Bat (Diclidurus scutatus); 41. Isabelline Ghost Bat (Diclidurus isabella); 42. Lesser Dog-like Bat (Peropteryx macrotis); 43. Greater Dog-like Bat (Peropteryx kappleri); 44. Trinidad Dog-like Bat (Peropteryx trinitatis); 45. White-winged Dog-like Bat (Peropteryx leucoptera); 46. Pale-winged Dog-like Bat (Peropteryx pallidoptera); 47. Thomas's Shaggy Bat (Centronycteris centrali); 48. Common Shaggy Bat (Centronycteris maximiliani); 49. Proboscis Bat (Rhynchonycteris naso); 50. Greater Sac-winged Bat (Saccopteryx bilineata}; 51. Lesser Sac-winged Bat (Saccopteryx leptura); 52. rosted Sac-winged Bat (Saccopteryx canescens); 53. Antioquian Sac-winged Bat (Saccopteryx antioquensis); 54. Amazonian Sac-winged Bat (Saccopteryx gymnura).

Distribution. Widely distributed from S Mexico (Michoacan and S Veracruz) throughout Central and South America to NE & E Peru, N & E Bolivia, N Paraguay, and S Brazil.