Peters's disk-winged bat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Peters's disk-winged bat |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Thyroptera
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| Species: |
discifera
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The Peters's disk-winged bat (Thyroptera discifera) is a small bat species. You can find it mainly in South and Central America. It belongs to a special group of bats called Thyropteridae, known as disk-winged bats.
These bats have a very cool feature: circular, suction-cup-like disks. These disks are found at the base of their thumbs and on their hind feet. They use these sticky disks to hold onto young, unfurling banana or heliconia leaves. This helps them roost safely, staying dry from rain and hidden from predators. Peters's disk-winged bats look very much like another bat, Thyroptera tricolor. However, T. tricolor has a lighter belly and two small bumps on its calcar (a cartilage spur near the foot).
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About Peters's Disk-Winged Bats
What Do They Look Like?
Bats in the Thyropteridae family do not have a noseleaf. Instead, they have small bumps, or warts, above their nostrils. These are small bats with long, thin snouts. T. discifera is the tiniest bat in its family. It has thick lips, small eyes, and fairly large ears. These ears stretch from its eyes to the edge of its mouth.
The tragus, a small flap of cartilage in the ear, is present. The front part of their ears is covered in hair. Their whole body is also covered in fine, long hairs. These hairs are usually a reddish-brown color. As mentioned, they have suction disks on their feet and at the base of their thumbs.
How Big Are They?
The head and body of these bats are about 37 to 47 millimeters (about 1.5 to 1.8 inches) long. Their tail measures about 24 to 33 millimeters (about 0.9 to 1.3 inches).
What Do They Eat?
Peters's disk-winged bats mostly eat insects.
Where Do They Live?
Their Home Range
Peters's disk-winged bats live from Peru up to northern South America. They have also been found in Nicaragua and as far south as Bolivia. You can also find them in eastern Brazil, including the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado regions. Their known range has grown by over 1,000 kilometers (about 620 miles) to the east!
Their Habitat
These bats live in lowland forests. This includes secondary forests (forests that have grown back after being cut down) and semi-deciduous forests (forests where some trees lose their leaves). They also live in rainforests and the dry forests around them. Sometimes, they are even found in small farm areas and banana plantations.
Are They at Risk?
Many types of bats live together in the Amazon lowlands. It can be hard to know exactly how many Peters's disk-winged bats there are. Because they live in a specific, smaller area, these bats might be at risk of disappearing.
