Chrotopterus auritus

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	PHYLLOSTOMIDAE

Scientific Name:

Chrotopterus auritus

Species Authority:

(Peters, 1856)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Big-eared Wooly Bat, Woolly False Vampire Bat

Taxonomic Notes:

Simmons and Voss (1998) discussed problems with previously recognized subspecies.

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Least Concern ver 3.1
Year Published:	2008
Assessor/s:	Barquez, R., Perez, S., Miller, B. & Diaz, M.
Reviewer/s:	Medellín, R. (Chiroptera Red List Authority) & Schipper, J. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)
Contributor/s:
Justification: This species is listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, it occurs in a number of protected areas, and because it is unlikely to be declining at nearly the rate required to qualify for listing in a threatened category.

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Veracruz (Mexico) south to the Guianas, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, and N Argentina (Simmons 2005). Also Paraguay.
Countries:	Native: Argentina; Belize; Bolivia, Plurinational States of; Brazil; Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador; El Salvador; French Guiana; Guatemala; Guyana; Honduras; Mexico; Nicaragua; Panama; Paraguay; Peru; Suriname; Venezuela
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Very common. Thesey bats exist in low population density areas and form complex social groups that tend to stay together for several years. Colonies can consist of one to seven individuals, but typically contain three to five individuals. (Hill and Smith, 1984; Kunz and Racy, 1998; Medellin, 1989; Nowak, 1999). Rare in Mexico. Not so common in Central America.
Population Trend:	Stable

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Carnivore, dense forest. These bats tend to live near streams and other moist areas in forested lowlands, tropical rainforests, tropical deciduous forests, and cloud forests. They have been reported to roost in hollow trees, caves, and even Mayan ruins. (Medellin, 1989; Nowak, 1994). There is little known about the mating system of C. auritus (Altringham, 1996; Hill and Smith, 1984). Big-eared woolly bats have low reproduction rates, typically having just one offspring per litter. Females have only been reported to be reproductively active during the second half of the year. Pregnant females, however, have been observed from April until July. This is consistent with a monestrous cycle, varying geographically. One female taken into captivity gave birth to a single young after 99 days. They have a maximum gestation period of 220 days and a maximum weaning time of nine months. The age of reproductive maturity is between one and two years. (Kunz and Racy, 1998; Medellin, 1989; Nowak, 1994). Big-eared woolly bats are not exclusively carnivores. In fact, they have a flexible foraging strategy that allows them to eat insects and fruit in addition to extensive consumption of small vertebrates like bats, opossums, mice, birds, lizards, and frogs. They have a diet similar to that of Vampyrum spectrum and Trachops cirrhosus. Big-eared woolly bats have significant seasonal diet changes. In the wet season they eat more insects because they are more abundant. However, age and sex do not have any effect on what they eat. (Altringham, 1996; Hill and Smith, 1984; Kunz and Racey, 1998)
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

Carnivore, dense forest. These bats tend to live near streams and other moist areas in forested lowlands, tropical rainforests, tropical deciduous forests, and cloud forests. They have been reported to roost in hollow trees, caves, and even Mayan ruins. (Medellin, 1989; Nowak, 1994). There is little known about the mating system of C. auritus (Altringham, 1996; Hill and Smith, 1984). Big-eared woolly bats have low reproduction rates, typically having just one offspring per litter. Females have only been reported to be reproductively active during the second half of the year. Pregnant females, however, have been observed from April until July. This is consistent with a monestrous cycle, varying geographically. One female taken into captivity gave birth to a single young after 99 days. They have a maximum gestation period of 220 days and a maximum weaning time of nine months. The age of reproductive maturity is between one and two years. (Kunz and Racy, 1998; Medellin, 1989; Nowak, 1994).
Big-eared woolly bats are not exclusively carnivores. In fact, they have a flexible foraging strategy that allows them to eat insects and fruit in addition to extensive consumption of small vertebrates like bats, opossums, mice, birds, lizards, and frogs. They have a diet similar to that of Vampyrum spectrum and Trachops cirrhosus. Big-eared woolly bats have significant seasonal diet changes. In the wet season they eat more insects because they are more abundant. However, age and sex do not have any effect on what they eat. (Altringham, 1996; Hill and Smith, 1984; Kunz and Racey, 1998)

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	No major threats throughout its range.

Major Threat(s):

No major threats throughout its range.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	Habitat conservation. In Mexico is listed as threatened under NOM - 059 - SEMARNAT - 2001 (Arroyo-Cabrales pers. comm.). Found in protected areas.

Conservation Actions:

Habitat conservation. In Mexico is listed as threatened under NOM - 059 - SEMARNAT - 2001 (Arroyo-Cabrales pers. comm.). Found in protected areas.

Citation:	Barquez, R., Perez, S., Miller, B. & Diaz, M. 2008. Chrotopterus auritus. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 21 May 2013.
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