(Carollia perspicillata)
Location: Central and South America
Habitat: tropical rainforests, tropical deciduous forests, temperate rainforest and temperate forests of moist evergreens or dry deciduous trees
This species of bat is known by many names including the Seba’s short-tailed bat, leaf-nosed bat, New World fruit bat, short-tailed fruit bat or the New World leaf-nosed bat. Bats are amazing animals for many reasons, but mostly because they are the only mammal that flies. The order name Chiroptera means “hand-winged”. Their wings are modified forelimbs with a flight surface that is covered with a skin membrane, which is supported by four fingers. This skin membrane extends down the side of the bat’s body and attaches to the hind legs. There is another skin membrane called the uropatagium, which runs between the hind legs and includes the tail.
Bats are divided into two suborders. There are the “Megabats” or Megachiroptera, which are herbivorous or specifically frugivorous. Some are called “flying foxes”. The second group is “Microbats” or Microchiroptera. Seba’s short-tailed fruit bat falls into this category. This group varies in what they eat. They can be herbivores, carnivores, frugivores and some feed exclusively on blood. There are many differences between these two groups. Microbats have complex and sometimes large external ears, while megabats have simple external ears. Microbats can use echolocation to search for food, while megabats cannot. Megabats use their eyesight and sense of smell for finding their food.
This specific microbat is frugivorous. They mainly eat fruit, but they also find pollen and insects to be a tasty treat. They typically forage for food near the ground. Like all fruit eating animals, fruit bats are vital to the ecosystems in which they live. Since they eat fruit, they spread seeds through their defecation, which helps generate new growth of plants.
Seba’s short-tailed fruit bats usually roost in groups of 10-100 individuals. They prefer to roost in caves, hollow trees and tunnels. They can also be found in rock crevasses, in buildings and under leaves. They usually form harem groups with one male and many females, as well as bachelor groups with adult and subadult males. When there is a food shortage, bats may become slow and sluggish. In the winter, these bats hibernate in caves.
This species of fruit bat is common and widespread throughout their range.
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REFERENCES
Fleming, Theodore H. Bat Conservation International, Inc. “The Short-tailed Fruit Bat Carollia
perspicillata”. http://www.batcon.org/batsmag/v19n4-04.html
Hamlett, Lori. Nashville Zoo at Grassmere. “Short-tailed leaf-nosed bat”. http://www.nashvillezoo.org/bats.htm
Mulheisen, M. 1999. "Carollia perspicillata" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed November 22, 2004 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Carollia_perspicillata.html.
