Abstract
Abstract: Thyropteridae is a family of bats endemic to the Neotropical region, and Thyroptera devivoi is the only species in the family that occurs exclusively in forest patches within savannas of northern South America and north of the Brazilian Cerrado. Primary data on the species are still scarce. Therefore, in this study our objective was to fill knowledge gaps on geographical distribution, roost-use, and echolocation for the species. We observed a T. devivoi colony of 15 individuals living under a dead palm leaf. The bats used the leaf as a roost for at least four days. After capturing one individual, we confirmed the species identification via skull size and the oblong shape of the adhesive disk. The new record reinforces the association of this species with non-forested formations, and its occurrence mainly in savannas. Echolocation calls of T. devivoi are consistent with those known for the genus, with multiharmonic, low intensity and high frequency pulses. Despite these new data, more studies are certainly needed to enhance distribution data for the species, as well as to clarify the biological and ecological requirements of the species.
Highlights
The Neotropical region has a rich and unique bat fauna, with six endemic families (Gardner 2008). Among those families exclusive of the Neotropics, the Thyropteridae, known as Disk-winged bats, are peculiar bats distinguished by the presence of adhesive suction pads near the thumbs and ankles, which allows bats to attach to smooth surfaces of leaves that are used as roosts (Riskin & Fenton 2001, Wilson 2007)
The other species are Thyroptera lavali Pine et al 1993, an Amazonian species occurring in northern South America (Solari et al 2004), and the recently described Thyroptera wynneae Velazco et al (2014), known only by four specimens collected in the forests of Peru and southeastern Brazil (Hoppe et al 2014, Velazco et al 2014)
The collected T. devivoi specimen was distinguished from the other species of the genus by the presence of oval-shaped adhesive suction pads, forearm greater than 35 mm, Greatest Length of Skull (GLS) greater than mm and less than mm, bicolored ventral hairs with darker bases and light brown tips, and calcaneus without obvious dermal projections (Pine 1993, Gregorin et al 2006, Velazco et al 2014, Díaz et al 2016) (Table 1, Figure 3)
Summary
The Neotropical region has a rich and unique bat fauna, with six endemic families (Gardner 2008). Among those families exclusive of the Neotropics, the Thyropteridae, known as Disk-winged bats, are peculiar bats distinguished by the presence of adhesive suction pads near the thumbs and ankles, which allows bats to attach to smooth surfaces of leaves that are used as roosts (Riskin & Fenton 2001, Wilson 2007) These insectivorous leaf-roosting bats may spend at least half of their lives in the roost, but most Thyroptera roost data involves the young, still-furled leaves of Heliconia species (Findley & Wilson 1974, Riskin & Fenton 2001, Vonhof & Fenton 2004, Montero & Gillian 2015).
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