Rhogeessa gracilis, G. S. Miller, 1897

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Vespertilionidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 716-981 : 860

217.

Slender Yellow Bat

Rhogeessa gracilis

French: Rhogeessa gracile / German: Schlanke Gelbfledermaus / Spanish: Rogesa gracil

Taxonomy. Rhogeessa gracilis G. S. Miller, 1897 ,

“Piaxtla, Puebla,” Mexico.

See R. alleni . Monotypic.

Distribution. W & S Mexico (Zacatecas and Jalisco to Oaxaca).

Descriptive notes. Head-body c.46 48 mm, tail 36-43 mm, ear 17- 5-18 mm, hindfoot 6-7 mm, forearm 32-7-33- 5 mm; weight 3-4 g. Dorsal fur is tricolored, with grayish-brown bases, pale-buff centers, and light ocherous-buff tips; ventral fur bicolored, with dark grayish-brown bases and pinkish-butfftips. Ears long and broad, differentiating it from congeners; tragus slender, tapering to a point. Wing membranes thin, semi-transparent, and sparsely furred on side of body; uropatagium sparsely furred until knee; calcar slightly shorter than free margin of uropatagium. Skull narrow with steep slope on forehead; braincase moderately inflated; sagittal and occipital crests present but poorly developed. I, nearly as large as I; lingual surface of cingulum of C' is smooth and regular. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 30.

Habitat. Coniferous forests, and less frequently xeric shrubland and deciduous rainforests. Bats were captured in pine and pine-oak forests, arid areas, and very arid tropical forests; also, over a mountain stream in pine-oak forest and one over an arroyo in an oak forest. Altitudinal range is 600-2000 m, with most records from above 1000 m.

Food and Feeding. Insectivorous.

Breeding. A pregnant female was captured in May, and subadult females in July.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Widely distributed, but considered rare.

Bibliography. Arroyo-Cabrales & Baker (2014d), Baird et al. (2008, 2009), Jones, J.K. (1977), LaVal (1973a), Miller (1897), Simmons (2005), Solari (2019h), Watkins et al. (1972).

Figures

202. Canyon Bat (Parastrellus hesperus), 203. Tricolored Bat (Perimyotis subflavus), 204. Van Gelder’s Bat (Bauerus dubiaquercus), 205. Pallid Bat (Antrozous pallidus), 206. Black-winged Little Yellow Bat (Rhogeessa tumida), 207. Yucatan Yellow Bat (Rhogeessa aenea), 208. Bickham’s Yellow Bat (Rhogeessa bickhami), 209. Menchu’s Yellow Bat (Rhogeessa menchuae), 210. Ecuadorian Little Yellow Bat (Rhogeessa velilla), 211. Tiny Yellow Bat (Rhogeessa minutilla), 212. Genoways’s Yellow Bat (Rhogeessa genowaysi), 213. Thomas's Yellow Bat (Rhogeessa io), 214. Northern Little Yellow Bat (Rhogeessa parvula), 215. Least Yellow Bat (Rhogeessa mira), 216. Allen’s Yellow Bat (Rhogeessa alleni), 217. Slender Yellow Bat (Rhogeessa gracilis), 218. Husson’s Yellow Bat (Rhogeessa hussoni), 219. Western Barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus), 220. Caspian Barbastelle (Barbastella caspica), 221. Arabian Barbastelle (Barbastella leucomelas), 222. Eastern Barbastelle (Barbastella darjelingensis), 223. Japanese Barbastelle (Barbastella pacifica), 224. Beijing Barbastelle (Barbastella beijingensis)

Distribution. W & S Mexico (Zacatecas and Jalisco to Oaxaca).