Balantiopteryx io

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	CHIROPTERA	EMBALLONURIDAE

Scientific Name:

Balantiopteryx io

Species Authority:

Thomas, 1904

Common Name/s:

English

–

Thomas's Sac-winged Bat

Taxonomic Notes:

B. io and B. infusca are sister species with a strong support in molecular analysis. These species have allopatric distributions separately by approximately 1,500 km. And B. io is not the sister species to parapatrically B. plicata (Lim et al. 2003).

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Vulnerable A2c ver 3.1
Year Published:	2008
Assessor/s:	Lim, B., Miller, B., Reid, F., Arroyo-Cabrales, J., Cuarón, A.D. & de Grammont, P.C.
Reviewer/s:	Medellín, R. (Chiroptera Red List Authority) & Schipper, J. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)
Contributor/s:
Justification: Listed as Vulnerable because, although the species is still reasonably widely distributed, it is dependent upon a highly fragile habitat. The species is estimated to have lost >30% of its habitat in the last ten years and remaining populations are severely fragmented.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species occurs on the Atlantic versant from southern Veracruz and Oaxaca (Mexico) to east central Guatemala and Belize (Simmons 2005). It occurs from lowlands to 500 m (Reid 1997).
Countries:	Native: Belize; Guatemala; Mexico
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	This bat is locally common (Reid 1997). The population is declining. In the Maya Mountains (Bladden Drainage), in Belize, colonies were observed in continuous forest setting (McCarthy pers. comm.).
Population Trend:	Decreasing

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species can be found in semideciduous or evergreen forest. It roosts in rather dark recesses of large, limestone caves. Groups may number 50 or more, with individuals widely and evenly spaced, often roosting in crevices on the ceiling of high chambers. Activity starts well after sunset, later than related species, and, as a result, flight and foraging behaviour are difficult to observe. Pregnant females have been recorded between March and July (Arroyo-Cabrales and Jones 1988; Reid 1997).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

This species can be found in semideciduous or evergreen forest. It roosts in rather dark recesses of large, limestone caves. Groups may number 50 or more, with individuals widely and evenly spaced, often roosting in crevices on the ceiling of high chambers. Activity starts well after sunset, later than related species, and, as a result, flight and foraging behaviour are difficult to observe. Pregnant females have been recorded between March and July (Arroyo-Cabrales and Jones 1988; Reid 1997).

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	Habitat loss and vandalism in the caves. Tourism in caves in Belize (800 people by day) and Yucatan (Miller pers. comm.). Very threatened in Belize (Miller pers. comm.). In Mexico it has been evaluated as vulnerable because of 45% habitat loss in the last 10 years (Cuaron and de Grammont pers. comm.).

Major Threat(s):

Habitat loss and vandalism in the caves. Tourism in caves in Belize (800 people by day) and Yucatan (Miller pers. comm.).
Very threatened in Belize (Miller pers. comm.). In Mexico it has been evaluated as vulnerable because of 45% habitat loss in the last 10 years (Cuaron and de Grammont pers. comm.).

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Avoid habitat destruction. It is found in some protected areas in Mexico (Arroyo-Cabrales pers. comm.).

Conservation Actions:

Avoid habitat destruction. It is found in some protected areas in Mexico (Arroyo-Cabrales pers. comm.).

Citation:	Lim, B., Miller, B., Reid, F., Arroyo-Cabrales, J., Cuarón, A.D. & de Grammont, P.C. 2008. Balantiopteryx io. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 19 May 2013.
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