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Pteronotus parnellii
Parnell's mustached bat


By Gabriel Gam

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Mormoopidae
Genus: Pteronotus
Species: Pteronotus parnellii

Geographic Range

Pteronotus parnellii is found from southern Mexico to northern Brazil (Herd 1983).

Biogeographic Regions
nearctic (Native ); neotropical (Native )

Habitat

Range elevation
0 to 3000 m
(0.00 to 9842.52 ft)

P. parnellii lives in edge habitats (Estrada 2001). These habitats range from humid to arid (Herd 1983). They also live in moist areas in forest (Gray 1843). They range in elevation from coastal lowland areas to 3000 m.

Habitat Regions
tropical ; terrestrial

Terrestrial Biomes
forest ; rainforest ; scrub forest

Physical Description

Range mass
10 to 20 g
(0.35 to 0.70 oz)

Range length
73 to 102 mm
(2.87 to 4.02 in)

Pteronotus parnellii have tufts of hair sticking out of the sides of their muzzles, hence the name "Parnell's Mustached Bat". Members of this species have long and narrow wings, and their wing aspect ratio is greater than most bats. Both their ears and tragus are narrow and pointed, and they have a furless chin. Their dental formula is i2/2 c1/1 p2/3 m3/3. During their annual molt, which takes place from May to July, their coat turns from a dark brown/blackish color to a brilliant orange/fulvous. The male is usually slightly larger than the female (Estrada 2001).

Other Physical Features
endothermic ; bilateral symmetry

Development

P. parnellii is born immobile with closed eyes and naked skin, but with good hearing (Herd 1983).

Reproduction

Average number of offspring
1

Average time to weaning
2-3 months

The females are monestrous. The timing of pregnancy varies from region to region, but pregnancies generally take place from January to July (Gray, 1843). Males and females roost together only around the time of mating (Gray, 1843; Herd, 1983).

Key Reproductive Features
gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); fertilization (Internal ); viviparous

Behavior

They leave their roost shortly after sunset and remain in flight for about 5-7 hours (Herd 1983). They usually roost individually within large caves or similar chambers (Gray 1843). They usually fly near the ground, often following natural depressions.

Key Behaviors
nocturnal ; colonial

Food Habits

P. parnellii eats moths, butterflies, and beetles (Herd 1983).

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

This species feeds on insects that are sometimes injurious to humans. It has also served as a model in the study of echolocation.

Positive Impacts
research and education; controls pest population

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

P. parnellii may carry rabies, Histoplasma, Scopulariopsis, mites, or bat flies, which are hazardous to humans (Herd 1983).

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List [Link]
Lower Risk - Least Concern

US Federal List [Link]
No special status

CITES [Link]
No special status

Other Comments

Their echolocation pulse is emitted from the mouth (Herd 1983).

For More Information

Find Pteronotus parnellii information at

Contributors

Gabriel Gam (author), University of Michigan, Ondrej Podlaha (editor), University of Michigan.

References

Estrada, A., R. Coates-Estrada. 2001. "Bat species richness in live fences and in corridors of residual rain forest vegetation at Los Tuxtlas, Mexico" (On-line). Accessed October 9, 2001 at http://www.csa3.com/htbin/ids52/procskel.cgi.

Hall, E., K. Koopman, J. Smith. 1997. "Naked-backed Bats, Moustached Bats, or Leaf-lipped Bats" (On-line). Accessed October 10, 2001 at http://www.press.jhu.edu/books/walkers_mammals_of_the_world/chiroptera/chiroptera.mormoopidae.pteronotus.html.

Herd, R. 1983. Pteronotus parnellii. Mammalian Species, 209: 1-5.

To cite this page: Gam, G. 2002. "Pteronotus parnellii" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed February 12, 2012 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Pteronotus_parnellii.html

Disclaimer: The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students. ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control.

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