Micronycteris schmidtorum Sanborn, 1935

Simmons, Nancy B. & Voss, Robert S., 1998, The mammals of Paracou, French Guiana, a Neotropical lowland rainforest fauna. Part 1, Bats, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 237, pp. 1-219 : 77-79

Micronycteris schmidtorum Sanborn

VOUCHER MATERIAL: 2 males (AMNH *267853; MNHN *1995.818); see table 25 for measurements.

IDENTIFICATION: Characters distinguishing Micronycteris schmidtorm from other congeneric species were summarized in the preceding account for M. brosseti and will not be repeated here. Ascorra et al. (1991a) reviewed M. schmidtorum but referred some specimens to this species that we subsequent­ ly reidentified as either M. sanborni (Simmons, 1996b) or M. brosseti (see above). Simmons (1996b) provided a summary of measurements of Micronycteris schmidtorum sensu stricto from throughout its known geographic range. No subspecies are currently recognized (Simmons, 1996b).

Although our voucher material generally agrees with previous descriptions of Micronycteris schmidtorum, Paracou specimens have pale gray ventral fur rather than the pale buff venters seen in specimens from other localities. Because we did not find any other consistent differences, and because other congeners with pale ventral fur (e.g., M. brosseti and M. minuta ) exhibit similar chromatic variability, we conclude that this represents normal intraspecific variation.

In addition to characters discussed previously, we found that tibia length was helpful for distinguishing Micronycteris schmidtorum from sympatric species in the hand, at least at Paracou. Whereas both M. schmidtorum and M. homezi have long tibias (15.3– 15.8 mm), the lower leg is consistently short­ er (12.8–14.6 mm) in M. brosseti , M. megalotis , M. microtis , and M. minuta .

FIELD OBSERVATIONS: Our two examples of Micronycteris schmidtorum were both taken in ground­level mistnets in well­drained primary forest.