Phyllostomidae
Author
Don E. Wilson
Author
Russell A. Mittermeier
text
2019
2019-10-31
Lynx Edicions
Barcelona
Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats
444
583
book chapter
http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6458594
adeeb71f-7f8d-4e00-bc9f-35089363f76e
978-84-16728-19-0
6458594
95.
Handley’s Nectar Bat
Lonchophylla handleyi
French:
Lonchophylle de Handley
/
German:
Handley-Nektarfledermaus
/
Spanish:
Loncéfilo de Handley
Taxonomy.
Lonchophylla handleyi Hill, 1980
,
“[cave of] Los Tayos,
Morona Santiago Province
,
Ecuador
.”
This species is monotypic.
Distribution.
E
Ecuador
and E
Peru
.
Descriptive notes.
Head—body 66-83 mm, tail 5-6 mm, ear 17-18 mm, hindfoot 10-14 mm, forearm 43-48 mm; weight 16-21 g. Handley’s Nectar Bat is one of the largest species of
Lonchophylla
. Females are slightly larger than males. Fur is soft and medium long. Dorsal fur is pale orange to light cinnamon-brown, with hair bases distinctly paler; venter is paler than dorsum, with unicolored hairs. Snoutis relatively long and slender; noseleaf is short and pointed, and base is broad, without free edges. Wings are attached to ankles; thumb are short (5-4-6-3 mm); caudal membrane is short (8=11-4 mm) in middle, with furred rim; tail is short, reaching middle of membrane; and calcaris shorter than foot. I' are much longer than I?, which are bordered by spaces.
Habitat.
Eastern Andean lowlands and foothills at elevations of500-1200 m. Handley’s Nectar Bat inhabits primary and secondary tropical humid forests, gallery forests, and areas near cultivated areas, such as banana plantations; one individual was caught at the edge of an avocado orchard in second growth humid forest.
Food and Feeding.
No information.
Breeding.
In
Ecuador
, pregnant Handley’s Nectar Bats were recorded in May, and a male with inguinaltestes (
3 mm
x
2
mm) was captured in August.
Activity patterns.
Handley’s Nectar Bat is nocturnal. It is associated with large caves.
Movements, Home range and Social organization.
Colonies of 50-200 individuals have been found in caves of
Morona Santiago Province
,
Ecuador
. In these caves, Handley’s Nectar Bat roosted with other species of bats such as the Common Vampire Bat (
Desmodus rotundus
), Pallas’s Long-tongued Bat (
Glossophaga soricina
), and Seba’s Short-tailed Bat (
Carollia perspicillata
).
Status and Conservation.
Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Nevertheless, Handley’s Nectar Bat is uncommon and poorly known. A conservation plan for its shelters is necessary because most records come from caves, some of them close to human activity.
Bibliography.
Griffiths & Gardner (2008b), Hill (1980a), Tirira (2017), Tuttle (1970).