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Lonchorhina auritaTomes's sword-nosed bat

By Brian Long

Geographic Range

Lonchorhina aurita, also known as Tome's Long Eared Bat, is found from southern Mexico through Central America and into South America, south to Peru and Southern Brazil (Lassieur and Wilson 1989).

Habitat

Lonchorhina aurita is found primarily in forested habitats, but may also sometimes be found in agricultural areas (Lassieur and Wilson 1989).

Physical Description

Lonchorhina aurita varies from 53-67mm in length. It has a skull no longer than 22.7mm in length. This bat's pelage is a shade of brown. Its fur covers the dorsal sides of the forearms, and the ears and noseleaf ventrally (Lassieur and Wilson 1989). The dental formula of L. aurita is 2/2 1/1 2/3 3/3 =34 (Lassieur and Wilson 1989).

  • Range mass
    10 to 16 g
    0.35 to 0.56 oz

Reproduction

Lonchorhina aurita mates either at the end of the rainy season or at the begining of the dry season (Fleming, et al. 1972). They then gestate through part of the dry season, usually through February and March, and give birth at the onset of the rainy season (Lassieur and Wilson 1989).

  • Key Reproductive Features
  • gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate)
  • sexual

Behavior

This species lives in large dense groups, which may reach up to 500 individuals. Lonchorhina aurita may roost with other species of bats, but they do not come out into the open until complete darkness even if the other bats leave earlier (Lassieur and Wilson 1989). L. aurita have exceptional perception ability and do not often fly into nets, but instead stop in front of them and may even land on them (Lassieur and Wilson 1989).

Communication and Perception

Food Habits

Lonchorhina aurita is an insectivorous species. In one instance, a member of this species was found with fruit in its digestive system (Fleming, et al 1972). L. aurita has teeth that are chisel shaped which is indicative of an insectivorous diet.

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

This species is insectivorous and may therefore be beneficial to farmers and other agriculturalists who have insect pest problems.

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

None known at this time.

Conservation Status

(www.cites.org)

Contributors

Brian Long (author), University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, Phil Myers (editor), Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor.

Glossary

Neotropical

living in the southern part of the New World. In other words, Central and South America.

World Map

bilateral symmetry

having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves. Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends. Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.

chemical

uses smells or other chemicals to communicate

endothermic

animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature. Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities. Convergent in birds.

forest

forest biomes are dominated by trees, otherwise forest biomes can vary widely in amount of precipitation and seasonality.

motile

having the capacity to move from one place to another.

native range

the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.

rainforest

rainforests, both temperate and tropical, are dominated by trees often forming a closed canopy with little light reaching the ground. Epiphytes and climbing plants are also abundant. Precipitation is typically not limiting, but may be somewhat seasonal.

scrub forest

scrub forests develop in areas that experience dry seasons.

sexual

reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female

tactile

uses touch to communicate

References

Fleming, T., E. Hooper, D. Wilson. 1972. Three Central American bat Communities: Structure, Reproductive Cycles, and Movement Patterns. Ecology, 53: 555-569.

Lassieur, S., D. Wilson. 26 October 1989. Lonchorhina aurita. Mammalian Species, 347: 1-4.

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