Pteronotus parnellii (Gray)

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 : 45

Pteronotus parnellii (Gray)

VOUCHER MATERIAL: 6 females (AMNH *267283, *267401, *267406, *267851; MNHN *1995.865, *1995.866) and 13 males (AMNH *267282, *267284, *267285, *267286, *267288, *267289, *267399, *267400, *267405, *269115; MNHN *1995.867, *1995.868, *1995.869); see table 10 for measurements. One individual of unknown sex (MNHN 1995.864) was found dead.

IDENTIFICATION: Descriptions and measurements of Pteronotus parnelli from the Guianas and elsewhere were provided by Husson (1962, 1978), Smith (1972), and Brosset and Charles­Dominique (1990). Smith (1972) recognized two subspecies on the South American mainland: P. p. fuscus (northeastern Colombia and northern Venezuela) and P. p. rubiginosus (southern Central America, Trinidad, and throughout Amazonia). Guianan specimens referred to P. p. rubiginosus are characerized by relatively large size (forearm length 58.3–67.0 mm, maxillary toothrow length 9.0–9.9 mm) and dark pelage ( Husson, 1962, 1978; Smith, 1972; Brosett and Charles­Dominique, 1990).

Our voucher material conforms to Smith’s (1972) description of Pteronotus parnellii rubiginosus , although many of the Paracou specimens are slightly larger than those previously reported from the Guianas.

FIELD OBSERVATIONS: All of the 18 individuals of Pteronotus parnellii that we captured at Paracou were taken in ground­level mistnets; additionally, two specimens were found dead under a concrete bridge. Seven individuals were netted in well­drained primary forest, five in swampy primary forest, three in creekside primary forest, two in manmade clearings, and one over a roadside puddle.