Peropteryx macrotis
lesser dog-like bat

Lesser dog-like bats are found from southern Mexico to Central and South America. They can be found in Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama, Columbia, Venezuela, Brazil, and the northern parts of Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. They are not known to live south of northern Paraguay. There are three named subspecies: Peropteryx macrotis macrotis, Peropteryx macrotis phaea, and Peropteryx macrotis trinitatus. (Yee, 2000)

Peropteryx macrotis is generally found in tropical deciduous forest, below 1000 meters. Individuals have been found above 1,000 meters in elevation but only in very small numbers and it is likely that these were incidental occurrences. Individuals are occasionally collected in semi-arid thorn scrub and evergreen forests but this too is likely incidental. They have been recorded in grasslands and urban and agricultural areas in Mexico. (IUCN, 2008; NatureServe, 2007; Yee, 2000)

Fur color in lesser dog-like bats varies geographically and ranges from brown to gray to reddish on the dorsal section and lighter on the ventral side. They can be distinguished from similar species by a wing sac on the antebrachial membrane. The appearance of their faces are somewhat dog-like and their ears are long. Their ears are separate at the base, not connected by a membrane as is the case for related species. Their fur is roughly 6 to 9 mm in length. The tail is about one-third the length of the body. The dental formula is 1/3, 1/1, 2/2, 3/3, with 32 teeth total. Wings attach at the ankle. Lesser dog-like bats are the smallest members of the genus Peropteryx. (Nowak and Walker, 1999; Yee, 2000)

Information about the lifespan of Peropteryx macrotis is unavailable.

Lesser dog-like bats maintain small colonies of 10 to 15. Colonies roost in rock crevices, shallow caves (limestone and coral), the hollows and undersides of fallen logs, and rock piles. All members of the genus Peropteryx cling to horizontal or vertical surfaces when resting. Although sometimes found hanging upside down from horizontal surfaces, they are more commonly seen clinging to a vertical surface by spreading their wings and legs. Colonies of P. macrotis are often found sharing roosting areas with other bat species, including Peropteryx kappleri, Saccopteryx bilineata, Glossophaga soricina, Glossophaga longirostris, Carollia perspicillata, Diphylla ecaudata, Myotis nigricans, and Myotis keaysi. There is also a single report of roost-sharing with a colony of Desmodus rotundus. Roosts are sometimes exposed so lesser dog-like bats tend to stay alert while roosting. (Nowak and Walker, 1999; Yee, 2000)

Home Range

Information about the home range of Peropteryx macrotis is unavailable.

Information on the specifics of communication and perception of Peropteryx macrotis is unavailable. They hear and see well and use echolocation to navigate and find food. Males have wing glands and the scents secreted by these glands may be important in harem formation and defense and mating success. (Nowak and Walker, 1999; Yee, 2000)

Lesser dog-like bats are insectivorous. Their diet consists mainly of small beetles and flies. In human-occupied areas insects are often hunted near street lights. (Yee, 2000)

Lesser dog-like bats are preyed on by owls and big-eared woolly bats (Chrotopterus auritus), which are common predators on smaller bats. Lesser dog-like bats are vigilant and readily abandon roosts when threatened. (Yee, 2000)

Lesser dog-like bats help to control insect pests and vectors of disease through their insectivory. They act as prey for owls and larger bats. Lesser dog-like bats are also host to both internal and external parasites, including nematodes and bed bugs (Cimex). (Nowak and Walker, 1999; Wilson and Reeder, 2005; Yee, 2000)

Lesser dog-like bats do not directly negatively impact humans. However, populations of lesser dog-like bats host bed bugs (Cimex) which can also infest human habitations that are nearby. (Yee, 2000)

Humans benefit from lesser dog-like bats because they eat large quantities of insects, including agricultural pests and vectors of disease. (Yee, 2000)

Lesser dog-like bats are not considered endangered as a species. Populations are large, wide-spread, and stable. No known threats are listed, but deforestation does impact populations negatively. (IUCN, 2008)

The species name "macrotis" is Latin and means "long ears". In Spanish, the common name of this bat is "murcielago orejudo de sacos alares", translated as long-eared sac-winged bats. (Nowak and Walker, 1999; Yee, 2000)