Rhinophylla fischerae, D. C. Carter, 1966

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Phyllostomidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 444-583 : 540

117.

Fischer's Little Fruit Bat

Rhinophylla fischerae

French: Rhinophylle de Fischer / German: FischerKleinfruchtfledermaus / Spanish: Rhindéfilo de Fischer

Taxonomy. Rhinophylla fischerae D. C. Carter, 1966 ,

“ 61 mi. [= 98 km] SE Pucallpa, about 180 m, Loreto, Peru.”

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Amazon Basin of Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Ecuador, and Peru.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 44-48 mm (tailless), ear 9-13 mm, hindfoot 8-9 mm, forearm 29-3-32-3 mm; weight 6-5-7 g. Dorsal fur of Fischer’s Little Fruit Bat varies from grayish to reddish brown. Ears are brown, with whitish bases. Tragusis ¢.33% of ear length, broad, and brownish. Noseleaf is simple and uniformly brown, with base fused to upperlip. Chin has triangular central protuberance bordered by longitudinal fleshy pads. Uropatagium is conspicuously hairy, with fringe of hairs extending 2-3 mm beyond edges of membrane. Tail is absent. Rostrum is relatively short, less than 30% the length of braincase. Zygomatic arches are absent. Palate is relatively broad, short, and V-shaped posteriorly. Sagittal crest is imperceptible. Mandible has small angular process. Condyle is level with tooth row orslightly below. [' is bilobed, without lateral cingular style and much larger than I. P° peg-ike. P, slightly trilobed. Chromosomal complement in southern Colombian individuals has 2n = 34 and FN = 56, with ten pairs of biarmed metacentric and submetacentric, two pairs of subtelocentric, three pairs of acrocentric, and one pair of very small chromosomes. Individuals from eastern Amazonia of Brazil have 2n = 38 and FN = 68, with twelve pairs of biarmed metacentric and submetacentric, four subtelocentric, and two acrocentric chromosomes. In both cases, X-chromosome is metacentric, and Y-chromosome is acrocentric.

Habitat. Primary and secondary tropical humid forests of the Amazon.

Food and Feeding. There are no studies on the diet of Fischer's Little Fruit Bat, but the other two species of Rhinophylla are frugivorous.

Breeding. In Peru, a pregnant Fischer’s Little Fruit Bat was captured in March and another one in August. One young is born per pregnancy.

Activity patterns. There are no studies focused on ecology of Fischer's Little Fruit Bat, but studies on vertical stratification of bat communities suggest that it forages below 10 m.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Fischer's Little Fruit Bat has a wide distribution, and it occurs in several protected areas and relatively undisturbed sites in Amazonia.

Bibliography. Baker & Bleier (1971), Carter (1966), Gomes et al. (2010), Hice et al. (2004), Rex et al. (2011).

Figures

103. Ben Keith's Short-tailed Bat (Carollia benkeithi), 104. Chestnut Short-tailed Bat (Carollia castanea), 105. Gray Short-tailed Bat (Carollia subrufa), 106. Manu Short-tailed Bat (Carolia manu), 107. Sowell’s Short-tailed Bat (Carollia sowelli), 108. Silky Short-tailed Bat (Carollia brevicaudum), 109. Hernandez’s Short-tailed Bat (Carollia monohernandez), 110. Seba’s Short-tailed Bat (Carollia perspicillata), 111. Behn' ’ s Big-eared Bat (Glyphonycteris behnii), 112. Davies’s Big-eared Bat (Glyphonycteris daviesi), 113. Tricolored Big-eared Bat (Glyphonycteris sylvestris), 114. Niceforo’s Big-eared Bat (Trinycteris nicefori), 115. Least Big-eared Bat (Neonycteris pusilla), 116. Hairy Little Fruit Bat (Rhinmophylla alethina), 117. Fischer's Little Fruit Bat (Rhinophylla fischerae), 118. Dwarf Little Fruit Bat (Rhinophylla pumilio)

Distribution. Amazon Basin of Colombia , Venezuela , Brazil , Ecuador , and Peru .