Ipanema bat

The Ipanema bat (Pygoderma bilabiatum), is a bat species of order Chiroptera and family Phyllostomidae. It is found in South America, specifically in northern Argentina, Bolivia, southeastern Brazil and Paraguay.[1] It is monotypic within its genus.[2]

Ipanema bat
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Phyllostomidae
Genus: Pygoderma
Peters, 1863
Species:
P. bilabiatum
Binomial name
Pygoderma bilabiatum
(Wagner, 1843)

Description

The Ipanema bat is a medium-sized bat which is brown-furred overall, with the exception of its white-furred shoulders.[3] The fur of its back is a darker shade of brown than that of its chest.[3] It has less fur on its shoulders and upper chest than on the rest of its body, particularly in males.[3][4] Its rostrum is shorter and more square-shaped than other species of its subfamily, Stenodermatinae [3][5] It has a large nose and no tail, with roundish ears having a small, 4–5 mm (0.16-0.2 in) tragus.[3]

Size varies based on sex and geographical location. Females tend to be larger than males.[5][6][4] The skulls of Ipanema bats from Argentina and Bolivia are bigger than those of their counterparts in Paraguay and Brazil.[6] P. bilabiatum typically has two molars.[3][7] However, some females have a third molar (usually in the mandibular jaw) not seen in males.[3][7] This may be correlated with the larger jaw size of females.[7]

While both males and females have glands below the jaw and surrounding the eyes, the glands in males are generally larger.[4] Males also have forelimb swellings, which are not seen in females.[5] The size and presence of such swellings varies geographically.[5] Additionally, forelimb swellings appear to be correlated with development of the males' eye glands.[5] Due to the dimorphism of forelimb swellings, It is thought that they could be correlated with mating behaviors.[5]

Range and Habitat

The Ipanema Bat resides in northern Argentina, southeastern Brazil, Paraguay, and Bolivia.[8][6] Their preferred habitats are tropical forests, subtropical forests, and secondary forests.[9] Although atypical, they are sometimes found in the coastal shrublands of Brazil.[9] This suggests that perhaps P. bilabiatum can expand its habitat into dryer, more sparsely vegetated areas.[9]

Diet

P. bilabiatum is frugivorous, specializing in fruit that is easily digested.[4] These fruits are usually very ripe and fleshy, with few seeds.[4] The fruit choices of the Ipanema bat are diverse, including the fruits of Lucuma caimito, Miconia brasiliensis, and trees of the genus Celtis, as well as Maclura tinctoria, Solanum granuloso-leprosum, and Ficus enormis.[3][4][10][11] Some may also feed on nectar.[4]

Behavior

Migration

Migration patterns may be influenced by rainfall amount and/or temperature. P. biliabatum appears to prefer regions with a minimum annual rainfall of 1500 mm (59 in) and moderate temperatures of 16-23 °C (61-73 °F)[8] Food availability and foraging capabilities seem to be an important factor in the timing and distance traveled during migration[8] Females and males migrate differently.[8] Males tend to linger in lower elevations, while females reside at intermediate and high elevations.[8]

Reproduction

P. bilabiatum usually reproduces in either the fall or the winter.[4] It is thought that they give birth during the later end of the dry period and wean their young at the beginning of the wet period.[11] This strategy coordinates birth with the highest amount of fruit attainability.[11] Females only carry one fetus at a time.[4] Additionally, nipples have been found on females, but it is unclear whether or not they are involved in lactation.[4]

References
  1. Barquez, R. & Diaz, M. (2008). "Pygoderma bilabiatum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008. Retrieved 13 September 2009.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  2. "Morcego-de-Ipanema (Pygoderma bilabiatum)". FAUNA DIGITAL DO RIO GRANDE DO SUL (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2020-07-10.
  3. Webster, W.D. and R. Owen. 1984. Pygoderma bilabiatum. Mammalian Species, 220: 1-3.
  4. Myers, P. 1981. Observations on Pygoderma bilabiatum (Wagner). Z. SAUGETIERKD, 46(3): 146-151.
  5. Tavares, V. D. C. and A. Tejedor. 2009.The forelimb swellings of Pygoderma bilabiatum (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae). Chiroptera Neotropical, 15(1): 411-416.
  6. Owen, R.D. and W.D. Webster. 1983. Morphological variation in the Ipanema bat, Pygoderma bilabiatum, with description of a new subspecies. Journal of Mammalogy, 64:146-149.
  7. Dick, C. 2002. Variation in the Dental Formula of the Ipanema Bat, Pygoderma bilabiatum. The Southwestern Naturalist, 47(3): 505-508.
  8. Esbérard, C. E. L., I. P. de Lima, P. H. Nobre, S. L. Althoff, T. Jordão-Nogueira, D. Dias, F. Carvalho, M.E. Fabián, M.L. Sekiama, and A.S. Sobrinho. 2011. Evidence of vertical migration in the Ipanema bat Pygoderma bilabiatum (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae: Stenodermatinae). Zoologia (Curitiba), 28(6): 717-724.
  9. Oprea, M., P. Mendes, T. Vieira, V. Pimenta, D. Brito, and A. Ditchfield. 2007. Mammalia, Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae, Phyllostomus hastatus and Pygoderma bilabiatum: first occurrence in the Brazilian coastal shrubland ecosystem. Check List, 3(3): 175-179.
  10. Cáceres, N. C. and M.O. Moura. 2003, Fruit removal of a wild tomato, Solanum granulosoleprosum Dunal (Solanaceae), by birds, bats and non-flying mammals in an urban Brazilian environment. Revista Brasileira de Zoologia, 20(3): 519-522.
  11. Farias, D. 2014. Reports on the diet and reproduction of the Ipanema fruit bat, Pygoderma bilabiatum in a Brazilian forest fragment. Chiroptera Neotropical, 3(1): 65-66.
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