Cuban Flower Bat
Encyclopedia
The Cuban Flower Bat also called Poey's Flower Bat, is a species of bat
in the family Phyllostomidae. It is found in Cuba
, the Dominican Republic
, and Haiti
.
between the legs, since they lack a calcar
. The snout is relatively long and narrow and bears a simple, rather rudimentary, nose leaf. The tongue is also long, with a hairlike structures forming a brus at the top, which helps the bat to feed on nectar from flowers.
Cuban flower bats have been reported as flying no faster than 6.7 km/h (4.2 mph), and the shape of the wings would suggest that they have difficulty hovering in place. Unlike other related bats, their echolocation calls are typically less than 50 kHz, and relatively long, lasting up to 7 seconds. In more enclosed spaces, like many bats, the calls are modified to shorter, frequency modulated sounds.
, Hispaniola
, Isla de la Juventud, and surrounding smaller islands. On Hispaniola, it has been reported from both Haiti
and the Dominican Republic
. It inhabits evergreen forest and scrubland at elevations up to 1700 metres (5,577.4 ft). There are two generally recognised subspecies, although these are sometimes considered to be wholly separate species:
, the Buffy Flower Bat
and various moustached bat
s. During the night, Cuban flower bats feed primarily on seeds and flower pollen
from a wide range of plants, although they do also eat some flying insects. They are typically gregarious animals, flying in groups of up to thirty individuals during the night. The main predators of Cuba flower bats include Barn Owl
s, Stygian Owl
s, and Cuban boas.
Females come into oestrus once a year, probably around December. The gestation period is unknown, but is likely to be around six months. The mother gives birth to a single, hairless infant, weighing around 5 gram (0.17636981052556 oz).
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
in the family Phyllostomidae. It is found in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, and Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
.
Description
The Cuban Flower Bat is a medium-sized bat, with a wingspan of 29 to 35 cm (11.4 to 13.8 in), and a body weight of 15 to 29 g (0.529109431576679 to 1 oz). The males are significantly larger than the females. Both sexes have silky, uniformly greyish-white fur. They have a relatively short tail, no more than 18 millimetre (0.708661417322835 in) long, and only a narrow patagiumPatagium
*In bats, the skin forming the surface of the wing. It is an extension of the skin of the abdomen that runs to the tip of each digit, uniting the forelimb with the body.*The patagium of a bat has four distinct parts:...
between the legs, since they lack a calcar
Calcar
The calcar, also known as the calcaneum , is the name given to a spur of cartilage arising from inner side of ankle and running along part of outer interfemoral membrane in bats , this is to help spread the interfemoral membrane , which is part of the wing membrane between the tail and the hind...
. The snout is relatively long and narrow and bears a simple, rather rudimentary, nose leaf. The tongue is also long, with a hairlike structures forming a brus at the top, which helps the bat to feed on nectar from flowers.
Cuban flower bats have been reported as flying no faster than 6.7 km/h (4.2 mph), and the shape of the wings would suggest that they have difficulty hovering in place. Unlike other related bats, their echolocation calls are typically less than 50 kHz, and relatively long, lasting up to 7 seconds. In more enclosed spaces, like many bats, the calls are modified to shorter, frequency modulated sounds.
Distribution and habitat
The Cuban Flower Bat is endemic to CubaCuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, Hispaniola
Hispaniola
Hispaniola is a major island in the Caribbean, containing the two sovereign states of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The island is located between the islands of Cuba to the west and Puerto Rico to the east, within the hurricane belt...
, Isla de la Juventud, and surrounding smaller islands. On Hispaniola, it has been reported from both Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
and the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
. It inhabits evergreen forest and scrubland at elevations up to 1700 metres (5,577.4 ft). There are two generally recognised subspecies, although these are sometimes considered to be wholly separate species:
- Phyllonycteris poeyi poeyi - Cuba and Isla de la Juventud
- Phyllonycteris poeyi obtusa - Hispaniola
Behaviour and ecology
Like most bats, the Cuban Flower Bat is nocturnal. It spends the day in colonies of several thousand individuals in narrow, blind-ending cave galleries. Such caves are often shared with other species of bat, including the Cuban Fruit-eating BatCuban Fruit-eating Bat
The Cuban Fruit-eating Bat is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is found in Bahamas, Cayman Islands, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, and Turks and Caicos Islands.-Source:...
, the Buffy Flower Bat
Buffy Flower Bat
The Buffy Flower Bat is a species of bat in the leaf-nosed bat family, Phyllostomidae. It is monotypic within the genus Erophylla. It is found in the Bahamas, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, and Jamaica.-References:...
and various moustached bat
Pteronotus
Pteronotus is a genus of bats. Seven extant species have been recognized, as well as one relatively recently extinct species-References:...
s. During the night, Cuban flower bats feed primarily on seeds and flower pollen
Pollen
Pollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
from a wide range of plants, although they do also eat some flying insects. They are typically gregarious animals, flying in groups of up to thirty individuals during the night. The main predators of Cuba flower bats include Barn Owl
Barn Owl
The Barn Owl is the most widely distributed species of owl, and one of the most widespread of all birds. It is also referred to as Common Barn Owl, to distinguish it from other species in the barn-owl family Tytonidae. These form one of two main lineages of living owls, the other being the typical...
s, Stygian Owl
Stygian Owl
The Stygian Owl, Asio stygius is a medium-sized dusky colored owl. It has yellow eyes, a black beak, a dark blackish facial disk, and white eyebrows. Its underparts are a dingy buff color with dark brown barring and streaks...
s, and Cuban boas.
Females come into oestrus once a year, probably around December. The gestation period is unknown, but is likely to be around six months. The mother gives birth to a single, hairless infant, weighing around 5 gram (0.17636981052556 oz).