Centurio senex
wrinkle-faced bat

Centurio senex is a neotropical species found in various Central and South American countries, dependent on the season. These countries include Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia, Panama, and the republics of Trinidad and Tobago (Snow et al., 1980).

These bats primarily inhabit dense forested areas, either tropical or deciduous, although they are occasionally found in less dense areas (Fenton et al., 1992). Within these forests they live in both moist and dry areas, and from lowlands (Venezuela) to altitudes of 1400 meters (Costa Rica). However, they are most common at altitudes less than 1000 meters (Eisenberg, 1989).

These bats are very peculiar looking, mostly because of the complex folds and flaps of skin around their faces. Folds of naked skin surrounding the nose and mouth of the broad, flat face give the bats a "wrinkled" appearance. Males have additional skin folds on the face which contain scent glands. Wrinkle-faced bats have a total of 28 teeth. Fur coloration ranges from gray to various shades of brown on the body, with a white "beard" around the bottom of the face. The underside of the body is lighter, there is a white spot on each shoulder, and there are white horizontal stripes on the wings that are more noticeable in males (Reid, 1997). Forearm length varies from 41-47 mm (Nowak, 1997). Although C. senex is classified under the "leaf nosed" family, this species does not have a leaf nose. In fact, the nose is greatly reduced in size, while the eyes are quite large. The ears are yellow and the tragus is of moderate length. The tail is covered with hair but does not extend beyond the uropatagium. Females on average are slightly larger in body size (Snow et al., 1980).

This species is nocturnal, active from dusk into the middle of the night (Reid, 1997). During the day, the bats may roost by themselves or in groups of 2 to 3 individuals, usually under the leaves of a tree. It is uncommon to see more than 10-12 individuals in the same tree. The sexes roost separately during the non-reproductive months. While roosting, the bats can pull folds of skin on their chins completely over their faces, and translucent areas in the skin folds and wings are placed over the eyes in order for the bat to detect light and movement around it (Nowak, 1997).

These animals are exclusively frugivorous. Most wrinkle-faced bats prefer overripe fruit, such as soft bananas and mangos, which they suck on. However, they may also eat unripe fruit, depending on the availability of food resources. Small protuberances between the lips and the gums filter juice when these animals feed on mushy fruit (Nowak, 1997). The morphology of these bats allows them to temporarily store fruit pulp in their mouths (Snow et al., 1980).

Foods eaten include: mangos, bananas, pawpaws and other tropical fruits.

Although the species is not endangered, it is still quite uncommon within the areas it inhabits.

Ttwo subspecies are recognized: Centurio senex senex and C. s. greenhalli. The latter subspecies is found mainly in Trinidad (Snow et al., 1980).