Carollia sowelli, R. J. Baker, Solari & F. G. Hoffmann, 2002

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Phyllostomidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 444-583 : 536

107.

Sowell’s Short-tailed Bat

Carollia sowelli

French: Carollia de Sowell / German: Sowell-Kurzschwanzblattnase / Spanish: Carolia de Sowell

Taxonomy. Carollia sowelli R. J. Baker, Solari & F. G. Hoffmann, 2002 ,

“ Honduras, Comayagua, Cueva de Taulabe, (14°41’42" N, 87°57'07" W).”

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Gulf slope in E Mexico from San Luis Potosi and N Veracruz to Yucatan Peninsula and S Mexico (Oaxaca and Chiapas) S through Central America to W Panama.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 60-79 mm, tail 7-14 mm, ear 16-21 mm, hindfoot 12-14 mm, forearm 37-42 mm; weight 12-21 g. Sowell’s Short-tailed Batis intermediate in size between the Silky Short-tailed Bat (C. brevicaudum) and Seba’s Short-tailed Bat ( C. perspicillata ). Dorsal pelage is tricolored, long, dense, and smooth, almost like that of the Silky Short-tailed Bat, but Sowell’s Short-tailed Bat lacks dark brown tips that would make its medial light band conspicuous. It has hair on forearm but not as abundant as in Seba’s Short-tailed Bat. Its face is more elongated than the Gray Short-tailed Bat (C. subrufa ), with round warts in front of lowerlip. Principal difference between Sowell’s Short-tailed Bat and the Silky Shorttailed Bat is based on order of nucleotides in the mitochondrial cytochrome-b.

Habitat. Tropical rainforest and deciduous forests from sea level up to 2400 m. Sowell’s Short-tailed Bat is particularly abundant in early stages of secondary forests and plantations.

Food and Feeding. Sowell’s Short-tailed Bat is frugivorous, but it sometimes eats insects. In Mexico, it feeds primarily from wild figs ( Ficus sp., Moraceae ), but it is reported that all species of Carollia eat fruits from species of Piper (Piperaceae) , Cecropia (Urticaceae) , Vismia (Hypericaceae) , and Solanum (Solanaceae) .

Breeding. Sowell’s Short-tailed Bat has a bimodal reproduction pattern. Pregnant and lactating females were found in March—July. Pregnant females also were reported in February—April and July-September.

Activity patterns. Sowell’s Short-tailed Bats roost in caves, hollow trees, rock crevices, and human structures. It has also been reported to roost under banana leaves ( Musa sp.).

Movements, Home range and Social organization. In Mexico, Sowell’s Short-tailed Bat roosted with other species: e.g. Davy’s Naked-backed Bat ( Pteronotus davyi), the Common Mustached Bat (P. parnellii), Peters’s Ghost-faced Bat ( Mormoops megalophylla), the Common Vampire Bat ( Desmodus rotundus ), the Mexican Greater Funnel-eared Bat ( Natalus stramineus), Pallas’s Long-tongued Bat ( Glossophaga soricina ), and Myotis sp. Female colonies of Sowell’s Short-tailed Bat are separated from male colonies.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red Lust.

Bibliography. Baker et al. (2002), LaVal & Rodriguez-Herrera (2002), Miller et al. (2015b), Pine (1972), Tellez (2014a).

Figures

103. Ben Keith's Short-tailed Bat (Carollia benkeithi), 104. Chestnut Short-tailed Bat (Carollia castanea), 105. Gray Short-tailed Bat (Carollia subrufa), 106. Manu Short-tailed Bat (Carolia manu), 107. Sowell’s Short-tailed Bat (Carollia sowelli), 108. Silky Short-tailed Bat (Carollia brevicaudum), 109. Hernandez’s Short-tailed Bat (Carollia monohernandez), 110. Seba’s Short-tailed Bat (Carollia perspicillata), 111. Behn' ’ s Big-eared Bat (Glyphonycteris behnii), 112. Davies’s Big-eared Bat (Glyphonycteris daviesi), 113. Tricolored Big-eared Bat (Glyphonycteris sylvestris), 114. Niceforo’s Big-eared Bat (Trinycteris nicefori), 115. Least Big-eared Bat (Neonycteris pusilla), 116. Hairy Little Fruit Bat (Rhinmophylla alethina), 117. Fischer's Little Fruit Bat (Rhinophylla fischerae), 118. Dwarf Little Fruit Bat (Rhinophylla pumilio)

Distribution. Gulf slope in E Mexico from San Luis Potosi and N Veracruz to Yucatan Peninsula and S Mexico (Oaxaca and Chiapas) S through Central America to W Panama .