Western round-eared bat
Western round-eared bat
Main page
460190

Western round-eared bat

logo
Community Hub0 subscribers
What are your thoughts?
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Be the first to start a discussion here.
Western round-eared bat

The western round-eared bat (Lophostoma occidentale) is a bat species found only on the Pacific coast of northwestern Ecuador.

It was described as a new subspecies of the white-throated round-eared bat in 1978 by Davis and Carter. As the white-throated round-eared bat was in the genus Tonatia at the time, the western round-eared bat had a trinomen of Tonatia silvicola occidentalis. In 2011, it was recognized as a full species. In the same publication, it was established that Lophostoma aequatorialis was a junior synonym of L. occidentale. Its species name "occidentalis" is Latin for "western."

Its forearm length is 51.2–56.8 mm (2.02–2.24 in). Its dorsal fur is long and dark brown, while the fur around its throat is whitish. It has white or pale gray patches of fur behind its ears.

It is found in South America, where its range includes Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru. It has been documented at elevations of 300–979 m (984–3,212 ft).

As of 2016, it was evaluated as a near-threatened species by the IUCN. Its population has likely declined by 20-25% in the last three generations due to habitat destruction.

See all
User Avatar
No comments yet.