Visored bat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Visored bat |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Sphaeronycteris
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| Species: |
toxophyllum
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The visored bat (Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum) is a special type of bat that lives in warm, tropical parts of South America. It's the only species in its group, called Sphaeronycteris. Even though it has some unique features, scientists think it's related to other bats like the little white-shouldered bat and the wrinkle-faced bat.
Contents
What Does the Visored Bat Look Like?
Visored bats are small, usually about 52 to 63 millimetres (2.0 to 2.5 in) long from head to body. Their fur is greyish-brown, getting lighter towards their front. Their belly is grey or brownish-white. They have white spots on each shoulder and just below their ears.
They have a round head with a short, hairless nose area and a wide mouth. Their eyes are big and golden-brown. Their ears are shaped like triangles and have a small, narrow part called a tragus.
The most unique thing about these bats is their "visor." This is a special growth above their nose. No other bat species has anything like it!
The Visor and Neck Fold
The visor is a hard growth located above and behind their horseshoe-shaped nose-leaf. In female bats, it's a smaller, ridge-like shape. It sits above the center of each eye and connects to a central ridge behind the nose-leaf.
In adult male bats, the visor is much bigger. It can be four times larger than in females and stretches all the way to the outer corners of their eyes. Male visored bats also have a large fold of skin on their neck. They can pull this skin up over their face like a mask when they are sleeping. This neck fold is much smaller in females and doesn't seem to have a purpose for them.
Where Do Visored Bats Live?
Visored bats are found in several countries in South America. You can find them all over Venezuela, in eastern Colombia, and across the eastern Amazon basin. They also live in nearby areas like eastern Ecuador and Peru, western Brazil, and northern Bolivia.
These bats live in many different types of forests. This includes warm tropical rainforests and cooler mountain cloud forests. They can be found from sea level up to 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) high along the eastern slopes of the Andes mountains. While they prefer dense forests, they have also been seen in human-made areas like pastures and cities.
Visored Bat Biology and Life Cycle
Not much is known about the lives of visored bats. This is because they seem to be quite rare, and only a few have ever been found by scientists.
They are nocturnal, which means they are active at night. They usually live alone or in pairs. Some have been found resting in underground caves or hollows. Others have been found roosting in fig trees.
Visored bats eat only fruit. They reproduce twice each year. These breeding times happen at the beginning and end of the rainy season.
See also
In Spanish: Sphaeronycteris toxophyllum para niños
