Peropteryx leucoptera, Peters, 1867

Bonaccorso, Frank, 2019, Framily Emballonuridae (Sheath-tailed Bats), Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 9, Lyny Edicions, pp. 350-373 : 369

45. White-winged Dog-like Bat

Peropteryx leucoptera

French: Péroptère à ailes blanches / German: Weissflügel-Hundskopffledermaus / Spanish: Peróptero aliblanco

Taxonomy. Peropteryx leucoptera Peters, 1867 , “ Surinam [= Suriname ]. ”

Peropteryx leucoptera is in the subgenus Pero- nymus. It was moved by G. S. Miller, Jr. in 1907 to the genus Peronymus , but later synonymized with Peropteryx by A. Cabrera in 1958. It has been moving back and forth until molecular biology and morphology clearly placed it in the Peropteryx clade.

Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

P. l. leucoptera Peters, 1867 - from SE Colombia through Venezuela and the Guianas to NE Brazil.

P. l. cyclops Thomas, 1924 - Amazon Basin in E Peru and N Bolivia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 47-55 mm, tail 11-20 mm, ear 13-20 mm, hindfoot 7-10 mm, forearm 41-52 mm; weight 5-5-6-4 g. Dorsal fur of the White-winged Doglike Bat is chocolate-brown; venter is noticeably paler. It has distinctive white wing membranes. Membrane across forehead connects two rounded ears. Pinna is heavily ribbed on inner surface. Tragus is rounded at apex. Facial region is naked and dark brown. Eyes are large, with brown irises.

Habitat. Primary lowland rainforest and Atlantic Dry Forest restricted to low elevations. Food and Feeding. White-winged Dog-like Bats forage for insects in cluttered and open spaces in tree fall gaps.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. White-winged Dog-like Bats are crepuscular. They roost in dimly lit cave entrances, in hollows of standing trees and rotten horizontal logs, between buttresses on undersides of fallen large logs, and beneath overhanging banks. They can be seen emerging at dusk and forage in small clearings and tree gaps, flying 1-2 m aboveground.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Roosting groups of White-winged Dog-like Bats have 2-8 individuals, usually with one adult male, 1-2 adult females, and subadults and dependent young. Individuals in a roost group are individually spaced rather than clustered.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCNRed List. The Whitewinged Dog-like Bat has a large distribution. Deforestation and loss of cave and karst habitats are the main threats, but overall population is presumably relatively stable Natural history, ecology, and reproductive biology are very poorly known.

Bibliography. Brosset & Charles-Dominique (1991), Cabrera (1958), Dunlop (1998), Eisenberg (1989), Emmons & Feer (1997), Griffiths & Smith (1991), Husson (1978), Jones & Hood (1993), Lim, B.K. et at. (1999), Miller (1907), Ochoa (1984), Sanborn (1937), Simmons &Voss (1998).