Glossophaga longirostris, G. S. Miller, 1898

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Phyllostomidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 444-583 : 512-513

52.

Miller's Long-tongued Bat

Glossophaga longirostris

French: Glossophage de Miller / German: Miller-Blutenfledermaus / Spanish: Glosofago de Miller

Other common names: Greater Long-tongued Bat

Taxonomy. Glossophaga longirostris G. S. Miller, 1898 ,

“Santa Marta Mountains (near Santa Marta), Colombia.”

Seven subspecies have been previously recognized, but three (campestris, elongata, and major ) are considered synonymous of nominate subspecies based on morphometric and molecular data. Four subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

G.l.longirostrisG.S.Miller,1898—N&EColombin,NVenezuela,includingsomeoffshoreIs,SWGuyana,andNBrazil(Roraima);alsoonAruba,Curacao,Bonaire,Margarita,andTrinidadIs.

G.l.maricelaeSoriano,Farinas&Naranjo,2000—Venezuela(MéridaState).

G.l.reclusaWebster&Handley,1986—upperMagdalenaValley,WColombia.

G. l. rostrata G. S. Miller, 1913 — St. Vincent, Grenadines, Grenada, and Tobago Is.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 51-75 mm, tail 4-11 mm, ear 12-17 mm, hindfoot 9-15 mm, forearm 35-41 mm; weight 10-17 g. Females are larger than males in many measurements, but males are usually heavier. Miller's Long-tongued Batis the largest species of Glossophaga , although wide range in measurements reflects variation among subspecies. Fur is bicolored, with hair tips darker than paler bases. Pelage is dark brown dorsally and is lighter brown ventrally but darker on chest and throat. Some individuals occasionally have small random patches of white fur, and albinism was been reported. Length of fur is ¢. 7 mm on middle of back. Muzzle is narrow and elongated. Lengths of rostrum and braincase are about equal. Upper incisors are noticeably and equally procumbent, with tips of I' and I? even, and lower incisors are well developed, usually spaced evenly.

Habitat. Arid and semiarid environments including coastal areas, thorn forest, deciduous and evergreen forests, savannas, and gallery forests from sea level up to ¢. 650 m. The subspecies maricelae occurs up to elevations of ¢. 2000 m in Venezuela. Miller's Long-tongued Bat is usually associated with streams or water sources.

Food and Feeding. Miller's Long-tongued Batis the primary seed disperser and flower pollinator of columnar cacti Stenocereus griseus , Subpilocereus repandus , and Pilosocereus tillianus. It also eats pollen of these cacti and fruit from the mulberry tree Chlorophora tinctonial ( Moraceae ). In semiarid shrub habitats of Merida, fruit and pollen comprise up to 99% of total annual diet. It occasionally eats insects.

Breeding. Reproductivestrategy is polyestrous and bimodal, with two reproductive peaks in December-April andJune-October. Gestation is estimated at c.3 months, with female body weight increasing by 25%. Lactating females have been found in every month except February, andjuveniles have been found in every month except April. Females have one young at a time, and young are weaned at the beginning of or during wet seasons.

Activity patterns. On patches of xeric vegetation in the Venezuelan Andes, seasonal asynchrony among food plants and scarcity of flowers or fruit per plant might force Miller’s Long-tongued Bat to use a solitary foraging strategy. It roosts in caves, rock crevices, tree hollows, tunnels, culverts, and buildings.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Colony size of Miller’s Long-tongued Bats is usually lesser than 20 individuals and roosting typically occurs near entrances of caves. It has been found sharing roosts with other bat species such as the Lesser Doglike Bat ( Peropteryx macrotis), Peters’s Ghost-faced Bat ( Mormoops megalophylla ), Davy’s Naked-backed Bat ( Pteronotus davyr), Wagner's Lesser Mustached Bat (P. personatus), the Little Big-eared Bat ( Micronycteris megalotis ), the Greater Spear-nosed Bat ( Phyllostomus hastatus ), Pallas’s Long-tongued Bat ( Glossophaga soricina ), the Southern Longnosed Bat ( Leptonycteris curasoae ), and Seba’s Short-tailed Bat ( Carollia perspicillata ).

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCNRed List. Some subspecies have isolated and restricted distributions that could result in conservation challenges.

Bibliography. Baker (1979), Griffiths & Gardner (2008a), Lim & Lee (2018), Miller (1913b), Soriano et al. (2000), Sosa & Soriano (1996), Webster & Handley (1986), Webster et al. (1998).

Figures

47. Insular Single-leat Bat (Monophyllus plethodon), 48. Leach’s Single-leat Bat (Monophyllus redmani), 49. Commissaris’s L. ong-tongued Bat (Glossophaga commissaris), 50. Western Long-tongued Bat (Glossophaga morenoi), 51. Gray's Long-tongued Bat (Glossophaga leachii), 52. Miller's Long-tongued Bat (Glossophaga longirostris), 53. Pallas’s Long-tongued Bat (Glossophaga soricina), 54. Southern LLong-nosed Bat (Leptonyctenis curasoae), 55. Greater Long-nosed Bat (Leptonycteris nivalis), 56. Lesser Long-nosed Bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae), 57. Antillean Fruit-eating Bat (Brachyphylla cavernarum), 58. Cuban Fruit-eating Bat (Brachyphylla nana), 59. Jamaican Flower Bat (Phyllonycteris aphylla), 60. Cuban Flower Bat (Phyllonycteris poeyi), 61. Brown Flower Bat (Erophylla bombifrons), 62. Buffy Flower Bat (Erophylla sezekorni)

Subspecies and Distribution. G.l.longirostrisG.S.Miller,1898—N&EColombin,NVenezuela,includingsomeoffshoreIs,SWGuyana,andNBrazil(Roraima);alsoonAruba,Curacao,Bonaire,Margarita,andTrinidadIs. G.l.maricelaeSoriano,Farinas&Naranjo,2000—Venezuela(MéridaState). G.l.reclusaWebster&Handley,1986—upperMagdalenaValley,WColombia. G. l. rostrata G. S. Miller, 1913 — St. Vincent , Grenadines , Grenada , and Tobago Is.