Chiroderma improvisum R. J. Baker &amp; Genoways 1976
Creators: name: Wilson, Don E.
name: Mittermeier, Russell A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Chiroptera
Phyllostomidae
Chiroderma
Chiroderma improvisum

description: 143. Guadeloupean Big-eyed Bat <i>Chiroderma improvisum</i> <b>French:</b> Chiroderme de Guadeloupe / <b>German:</b> Guadeloupe-GrofRaugenfledermaus / <b>Spanish:</b> Quirodermo de Guadalupe <b>Taxonomy.</b> Chiroderma improvisum R. J. Baker &amp; Genoways, 1976, “ Guadeloupe: Basse-Terre; 2 km. S, 2 km. E Baie-Mahault,” Lesser Antilles. This species is monotypic. <b>Distribution.</b> Lesser Antilles in St. Kitts, Montserrat, and Guadeloupe Is. <b>Descriptive notes.</b> Head—body 85-87 mm (tailless), ear 21-21-5 mm, hindfoot 15-17 mm, forearm 57-3-58-4 mm; weight 34-35 g. Dorsal fur of the Guadeloupean Big-eyed Bat is dark brownish. Dorsal hairs are tricolored, with grayish brown bases, buff middles, and brown tips. Thin white median dorsalstripe extends from interscapular region to rump. Head has thin, inconspicuous, white supraocular and subocular stripes. Rostrum is relatively short. Ears are yellowish at bases, and distal one-half and tips are blackish. Tragus is small, ¢.33% of ear length, and yellowish. Noseleaf tip is simple or notched and blackish. Underparts are grayish. Wing membranes are blackish. Uropatagium is hairy and well developed, with notch near level of knees. Proximal two-thirds of forearm is hairy. Tail is absent. Skull has deep notch on nasal region due to greatly reduced nasal bones. Postorbital processes are well developed. Paraoccipital processes are prominent. Palate is relatively broad, without median post-palatal process. Sagittal crest is well developed. Mandible has prominent angular and coronoid processes. I' are in contactat tips. P, is small, and crown is c.33% height of P,. M,is massive, longer than M, and with five well-defined cusps. Dental formula for species of Chirodermais 12/2, C1/1,P 2/2, M 2/2 (x2) = 28. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 26 and FN = 48, with nine pairs of submetacentric or metacentric, two pairs of subtelocentric, and one pair of acrocentric autosomes. X-chromosome is subtelocentric, and Y-chromosome has minute second arm. <b>Habitat.</b> Open field adjacentto riparian forest (Guadeloupe); dry evergreen and deciduous rainforests, secondary forest, and grazed and cultivated plots (Montserrat); and peri-urban area (Saint Kitts), from sea level up to elevations of 355 m. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> There is no specific information available for this species, but the congeneric Brazilian Big-eyed Bat (C. doriae) and the Hairy Big-eyed Bat (C. villosum) are granivores, specialized on eating seeds of Ficus (Moraceae). <b>Breeding.</b> No information. <b>Activity patterns.</b> No information. <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> No information. <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. The Guadeloupean Big-eyed Bat is known from seven specimens,it has a restricted distribution, and its habitat is threatened by landscape conversion. It was thought to be extirpated on Montserrat Island because no records were made between 1985 and 2004, following hurricane and volcano activity. In 2005, it was again recorded on Montserrat. <b>Bibliography.</b> Baker &amp; Genoways (1976), Beck et al. (2016), Jones &amp; Baker (1979, 1980), Larsen, R.J. et al. (2007), Pierson et al. (1986).
description: Published as part of <i>Don E. Wilson &amp; Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Phyllostomidae, pp. 444-583 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions</i> on page 553, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6458594