Animal Diversity Web U of M Museum of Zoology ADW Home ADW Home ADW Home University of Michigan Help About Aninal Names Teaching Special Topics About Us




Structured Inquiry Search — preview

Home -> Kingdom Animalia -> Phylum Chordata -> Subphylum Vertebrata -> Class Mammalia -> Order Chiroptera -> Family Phyllostomidae -> Subfamily Stenodermatinae -> Species Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum

Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum
visored bat



2009/11/22 04:59:57.791 US/Eastern

By Jordan Zylstra

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Phyllostomidae
Subfamily: Stenodermatinae
Genus: Sphaeronycteris
Species: Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum

Geographic Range

Columbia, Venezuala, to the Amazonian region of Peru and Brazil (Nowak, 1997; Murcielagos, 1982).

Biogeographic Regions:
neotropical (native ).

Habitat

Elevation
2240 m (high)
(7347.2 ft)


Venezualan specimens were collected in many different habitats, but mostly in moist, open areas of the forest (Nowak, 1997). One specimen was found in cavity in the ground (Murcielagos, 1982). Venezuelan samples were taken at up to 2240 m (Eisenberg, 1989).

These animals are found in the following types of habitat:
tropical .

Terrestrial Biomes:
forest ; rainforest .

Physical Description

Mass
17 g (average)
(0.6 oz)


Length
56 to 58 mm; avg. 57 mm
(2.2 to 2.28 in; avg. 2.24 in)


Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum has a total length of approximately 56-58 mm and a forearm length of about 40 mm. There is no external tail and the dorsum is cinnamon brown. The underparts are brownish white with individual hairs on the back whitish. The side of the face has fleshy outgrowths. A hornlike growth on the nose is larger on males than on females. Under the chin is a fold of skin that can be rolled over the face. The bat is similar in appearance to Centurio but with less extreme facial outgrowths and a third lower molar (Nowak, 1997).

Some key physical features:
endothermic ; bilateral symmetry .

Behavior

There is no literature regarding the behavior of this species.

Key behaviors:
motile .

Food Habits

Unknown food habits, but the stomach contents of an examined specimen resembled yellowish fruit pulp (Murcielagos, 1982).

Primary Diet:
herbivore (frugivore ).

Ecosystem Roles

Not much is known, but because they are frugivores it might be assumed that they disperse some fruit seeds.

Key ways these animals impact their ecosystem:
disperses seeds.

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

None known

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

None known

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List: [link]:
Lower Risk - Least Concern.

US Federal List: [link]:
No special status.

CITES: [link]:
No special status.

S. toxophyllum is not listed on either the IUCN or U.S. ESA sites.

Other Comments

This species has not been widely seen nor studied so there is very little literature on it.

For More Information

Find Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum information at

Contributors

Jordan Zylstra (author), University of Michigan.
Ondrej Podlaha (editor), University of Michigan.

References

"CITES" (On-line). Accessed November 19, 2001 at http://www.cites.org/eng/resources/fauna.shtml.

1982. "Murcielagos De Venezuela II: Phyllostomidae-Stenodermatinae" (On-line). Accessed 8 October, 2001 at http://www.redpav-fpolar.info.ve/fagro/v12_34/v124m009.html.

Eisenberg, J. 1989. Mammals of the Neotropics. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Nowak, R. 1997. "Walker's Mammals of the World Online 5.1" (On-line). Accessed 8 October, 2001 at http://www.press.jhu.edu/books/walkers_mammals_of_the_world/chiroptera/chiroptera.phyllostomidae.sphaeronycteris.html.

2009/11/22 04:59:58.701 US/Eastern

To cite this page: Zylstra, J. 2002. "Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed November 27, 2009 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Sphaeronycteris_toxophyllum.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.

Other formats: OWL

Home  ¦  About Us  ¦  Special Topics  ¦  Teaching  ¦  About Animal Names  ¦  Help

Structured Inquiry Search — preview