Fraternal fruit-eating bat

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Fraternal fruit-eating bat

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Phyllostomidae
Genus: Artibeus
Species:
A. fraterculus
Binomial name
Artibeus fraterculus
Anthony, 1924
Synonyms

Artibeus jamaicensis fraterculus Cabrera, 1958

The fraternal fruit-eating bat (Artibeus fraterculus) is a species of

Phyllostomidae that is found in drier habitats in Ecuador and Peru. It was formerly considered to be a subspecies of the Jamaican fruit bat, but was raised to species level in 1978. The smallest species in the group of large Artibeus (a group that also includes the Jamaican fruit bat, flat-faced fruit-eating bat, and great fruit-eating bat
), it has a forearm length of 52–59 mm (2.0–2.3 in), a total length of 64–76 mm (2.5–3.0 in), and a weight of 30–55 g (1.1–1.9 oz).

It is a generalist frugivore, feeding on a variety of fruit and supplementing its diet with insects. It breeds in both the wet and dry season, with parturition (birth of young) peaking in February and May. The only known predator is the barn owl, although it may also be hunted by other birds of prey and the spectral bat. It is parasitized by species of streblid bat flies, mites, and protozoans.

The fraternal fruit-eating bat is listed as being a species of

heavy metal poisoning
in some areas.

Taxonomy and systematics

The fraternal fruit-eating bat was first described in 1924 by Harold Elmer Anthony on the basis of a specimen collected at an altitude of 2,000 ft (610 m) in Portovelo, el Oro, Ecuador. It was subsequently considered a subspecies of Jamaican fruit bat (Artibeus jamaicensis), until it was raised to species level again by Karl Koopman in 1978 on the basis of morphological data.[2]

The generic name Artibeus is from the

specific name fraterculus means "little brother" in Modern Latin, referring to the fact that the fraternal fruit-eating bat is the smallest species in the group of large Artibeus. In English, the species is also known as the western artibeus, while it is known as the murciélago frutero fraternal or murciélago frutero del suroccidente in Spanish.[2]

The fraternal fruit-eating bat is one of 12 species in the genus Artibeus. Within the genus, it was historically considered to be part of the Jamaican fruit bat complex. Instead, studies of

sister to the hairy fruit-eating bat, and these two species form a sister clade to the Honduran fruit-eating bat.[3] It diverged from other species around 2.3 million years ago, after the closure of the Panamian land bridge. The species is considered to be representative of a historical connection between bats on the west Andean slope and Middle America, as it is most closely related to species that are now restricted to Middle America.[2][4]

Description

The fraternal fruit-eating bat is the smallest species of large Artibeus (a group that also includes the Jamaican fruit bat,

color morphs. It has soft velvety fur, which is short on the back. The dorsal fur is dark gray to dark brown. The fur on the underside is pale and appears frosted due to the silvery-gray tip of each hair.[2]

The head is large with a relatively big

dental formula is 2.1.2.22.1.2.3, with a total of 30 teeth.[2]

The fraternal fruit-eating bat's facial lines are faint and hardly visible, and some individuals have lower stripes that are unnoticeable. Contrastingly, Anderson's fruit bats have thin, clearly visible facial lines, while the great fruit-eating bat has prominent facial lines. The flat-faced fruit-eating bat also has conspicuous facial lines.[2]

Ecology

Diet

The fraternal fruit-eating bat is mainly a

Muntingia calabura, Psidium guajava, Syzygium jambos, Iochroma arborescens, Solanum crinitipes, Styrax subargentea, Cecropia obtusifolia, and Cecropia polystachya. It also supplements its diet with insects.[2]

Breeding

The fraternal fruit-eating bat is a seasonal breeder which breeds twice a year in both the wet and dry season. Although it gives birth in both seasons, it peaks during February and May. Pregnant females have also been reported in October and November, while lactating females have been reported in July and November. During the dry season, males with descended gonads and females with developed nipples have been reported in September.[2]

Predation

The only known predator of the fraternal fruit-eating bat is the barn owl. However, it may also be predated by other species of owls and the bat falcon. Another possible predator is the spectral bat.[2]

Parasites

The fraternal fruit-eating bat is parasitized by the streblid bat flies Aspidoptera phyllostomatis, Megistopoda aranea, Metelasmus pseudopterus, Speiseria ambigua, Strebla guajiro, and Trichobius joblingi and the mite Periglischrus iheringi. It is also parasitized by the protozoan Trypanosoma cruzi.[2]

Echolocation

The starting

kHz and the ending frequency is 59.18–84.09 kHz, with a duration of 1.61 milliseconds.[2]

Distribution and habitat

The fraternal fruit-eating bat is found in

Amazonas departments. In Ecuador, it is found in the central and southern coastal areas, and in the southwestern foothills of the Andes.[2]

It inhabits forests, disturbed habitats, and agricultural and urban areas. It is most frequently found in mangrove forests, arid scrubland, and deciduous and semideciduous forests. It is also uncommonly found in wetter habitats. It has been recorded in humid montane scrub in Loja, Ecuador. It occurs at elevations between 0–2,145 m (0–7,037 ft).[2]

Throughout most of its range, the fraternal fruit-eating bat is

roosts in hollow trees, shrubs, caves, termite mounds, bridges, churches, houses, gardens, and mines. The number of individuals roosting together can range from nine to hundreds of bats.[2]

Status

The fraternal fruit-eating bat is listed as being a species of

heavy metal poisoning may be a localized threat to the species.[1][2]

References

  1. ^
    doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T2127A21998872.en
    . Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. ^
    ISSN 0076-3519
    .
  3. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.156929
    .
  4. ISBN 978-1-4614-7396-1
    , retrieved 2021-10-10
  5. ^ Patten, Donald Richard (1971). "A review of the large species of Artibeus (Chiroptera: Phyllostomatidae) from western South America" (PDF). Texas A&M University Publishing.
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