Mimon crenulatum
striped hairy-nosed bat

M. crenulatum is native to Southern Mexico, Panama, Trinidad, and the northern and central regions of South America. In South America, its range extends from Columbia and Venezuela southward to Bolivia and east into southeastern Brazil. Its geographic range is part of the Neotropical region. There have been no reported attempts to introduce M. crenulatum into other regions or continents of the world. (Nowak, 1994; Walker, 1975)

M. crenulatum is a terrestrial mammal, found at elevations of up to 600 m above sea level. The species inhabits the tropical region of Southern Mexico, Central America and northern South America. It lives within forests. M. crenulatum is riparian and can frequently be found near streams and other moist places of these forests. It prefers the multistratal evergreen forests of the tropics, but can also be found in dry deciduous forests. These bats roost within hollow trees, and has been spotted in decayed tree stumps within the forests of Ecuador and Panama. (Eisenberg, 1989; Nowak, 1994)

M. crenulatum can be identified based upon its color pattern. When young young, its dorsal fur ranges in color from mahogany-brown to blackish-brown. As it gets older, its dorsal fur develops yellow, orange, and red tones. The exact age at which this color change occurs is not known. The ventral fur of M. crenulatum ranges from white to a rusty shade. Usually M. crenulatum has a whitish or yellow-orange patch of fur behind its ear, as well as a pale-colored line of fur along its spine. However, these features are occasionally absent. The fur of M. crenulatum is medium in its length. (Nowak, 1994; Walker, 1975)

The facial features of M. crenulatum can also be used in identification. It has a v-shaped notch in front of its lower lip, which is bordered by wart-like bumps. Like other members of the genus Mimon, M. crenulatum has an elongated nose leaf. Additionally its ears are separated, pointy, and directed forward. (Findley, 1993; Walker, 1975)

Thee small bats weigh around 12 g. The head to body length of M. crenulatum ranges from 50 to 75 mm. Its tail length ranges from 10 to 25 mm and its forearm length ranges from 48 to 57 mm. (Nowak, 1994)

Little is known regarding the lifespan of M. crenulatum. Members of the Phyllostomidae have a lifespan of approximately 20 years in the wild. It is not known how long members of either M. crenulatum or Phyllostomidae can survive in captivity. (Grzimek, 1998)

M. crenulatum is nocturnal, and therefore roosts during the day and becomes active at night. It usually roosts in hollow tree stumps and humid, rotting logs. Occasionally M. crenulatum will roost in a building. It is gregarious and lives in a small family group in which individuals roost together. Close relatives of the species M. bennettii usually roost in groups of 2 to 4 individuals, but have been seen roosting in groups as large as 20 individuals. Roosts can be identified by their very batty odor. M. crenulatum also forages during the day. It is an insectivore that catches its food off of vegetation by gleaning. (Emmons, 1990; Grzimek, 1998; Reid, 1997)

Home Range

There is no known information regarding the home range of M. crenulatum.

There is no known information regarding the communication behavior of M. crenulatum. Members of the family Phyllostomidae, along with most bats, use low frequency sounds for social interactions and high frequency sounds for echolocation. These low frequency sounds are important in mother-offspring interactions. Echolocation is its primary mode of collecting sensory information, and therefore this could play some role in communication. (Fenton, 1985)

M. crenulatum is primarily an insectivore. Its diet includes beetles, spiders, small lizards, flies and moths. M. crenulatum catches insects from vegetation by gleaning. (Eisenberg, 1989; Emmons, 1990; Reid, 1997)

No predators have been identified for M. crenulatum or its close relative M. bennettii.

M. crenulatum has a minimal role in the ecosystem. It functions to regulate the level of insect populations since it is an insectivore. (Walker, 1975)

M. crenulatum does not pose a negative economic threat for humans.

M. crenulatum is of little economic importance to humans. It does, however, control some pest populations. (Emmons, 1990; Reid, 1997)

Although M. crenulatum spans a large geographical area, its population is not very dense in any single location. However, its local rarity does not make M. crenulatum an endangered species. (Emmons, 1990)

There are three subspecies of M.crenulatum. These are M. crenulatum crenulatum, M. crenulatum longifolium, and M. crenulatum keenani. (Emmons, 1990)

Although M. crenulatum spans a large geographic range, its population has a low density in any particular area. This rarity is possibly the reason for the little information that is known regarding M. crenulatum. The same is true for its closest relative M. bennettii. (Emmons, 1990)