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
66.
Tube-lipped Tailless Bat
Anoura fistulata
French:
Anoura a longues lévres
/
German:
Rohrenlippen-Langnasenfledermaus
/
Spanish:
Anoura de labio largo
Other common names:
Long-lipped Bat
,
Long-lipped Tailless Bat
Taxonomy.
Anoura fistulata Muchhala, Mena & Albuja, 2005
,
Condor Mirador of the Cordillera del Condor,
1750 m
,
Zamora Chinchipe Province
,
Ecuador
.
This species is monotypic.
Distribution.
Andean slopes in
Ecuador
and E slopes of Andes in
Colombia
,
Peru
, and
Bolivia
.
Descriptive notes.
Head-body 57-67 mm, tail +
7 mm
, ear 12-17 mm, hindfoot 7-12 mm, forearm 35-40 mm; weight 9-17 g. The Tube-lipped Tailless Bat has dense, silky, long fur, with two colored bands: terminal band dark brown and basal band white to cream. Ventral hairs are paler than dorsal hairs. Snout has many long vibrissae. Its unusually long tongue (6-8 cm), with distal patches of hair-like papillae, and conspicuously longer lower lip (extending 3-3—-4-8 mm beyond upper lip) distinguish the Tube-lipped Tailless Bat from other species of
Anoura
. Its size is intermediate between that of the smaller Tailed Tailless Bat (
A. caudifer
) and the larger Geoffroy’s Tailless Bat (
A. geoffroyi
). Along with size, the Tube-lipped Tailless Bat can be distinguished from Geoffroy’s Tailless Bat by its conspicuously longer lower lip and obvious tail that protrudes slightly from uropatagium. The Tube-lipped Tailless Bat has a wide uropatagium, with an inverted V-shaped margin and sparse fringe of hairs along this margin. Because of confusion about its diagnostic characteristics, some geographical records could actually represent Tailed Tailless Bats or Ecuadorian Tailless Bats (
A. aequatoris
).
Habitat.
Montane cloud forests at elevations of 1300-1890 m on eastern slopes and 2000-2275 m on western slopes, secondary forests, and disrupted open areas with grass and shrubs.
Food and Feeding.
L.ong snout and tongue of the Tube-lipped Tailless Bat indicatesit specializes on nectar, particularly from flowers with deep (
Centropogon
nigricans,
Campanulaceae
) or large (
Aphelandra
acanthus,
Acanthaceae
;
Markea
sp.,
Solanaceae
;
Marcgravia
coriacea, Macgraviaceae;
Meriania
sp.,
Melastomataceae
;
Pitcairnia
brongniartiana,
Bromeliaceae
) corollas. Lepidopteran and remains of other unidentified insects have also been found in diets. Research on feeding habits in a cloud forest in
Ecuador
showed that Tube-lipped Tailless Bats visit A. acanthus less regularly than Geoffroy’s Tailless Bats. Long tongue of the Tube-lipped Tailless Bat suggests a strong coevolution with C. nigricans as its sole pollinator.
Breeding.
No information.
Activity patterns.
The Tube-lipped Tailless Bat is nocturnal. Its only known roost is a cave at Numbala (Palanda Canton,
Zamora Chinchipe Province
,
Ecuador
), but roosts might also include hollow trees or crevices.
Movements, Home range and Social organization.
No information.
Status and Conservation.
Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. There is not enough information about immediate threats to populations of Tube-lipped Tailless Bats to assessits conservation risks.
Bibliography.
Aguirre,
Mamani
et al. (2010), Aguirre, Tarifa et al. (2018), Calderén-Acevedo & Muchhala (2018), Gérate-Bernardo & Carrasco-Rueda (2011), Griffiths & Gardner (2008a), Mantilla-Meluk & Baker (2008), Mantilla-Meluk, Siles & Aguirre (2014), Muchhala (2006a), Muchhala & Thomson (2009), Muchhala, Caiza et al. (2008), Muchhala,
Mena
& Albuja (2005), Solari (2018d), Teran & Aguirre (2007a).