Choeronycteris mexicana Tschudi 1844
Creators: name: Wilson, Don E.
name: Mittermeier, Russell A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Chiroptera
Phyllostomidae
Choeronycteris
Choeronycteris mexicana

description: 77. Mexican Long-tongued Bat <i>Choeronycteris mexicana</i> <b>French:</b> Choéronyctére du Mexique / <b>German:</b> Langschnauzenfledermaus / <b>Spanish:</b> Coeronicterio de Mexico <b>Taxonomy.</b> Choeronycteris mexicana Tschudi, 1844, “Mejico [= Mexico].” This species is monotypic. <b>Distribution.</b> SW USA (from S California, S Arizona, SW New Mexico, and extreme S Texas) S throughout most of Mexico (including Baja California Peninsula and Marias Is, but not Gulf slope lowlands and Yucatan Peninsula) S to El Salvador and Honduras. <b>Descriptive notes.</b> Head-body 81-103 mm, tail 6-12 mm, ear 3-7 mm, hindfoot 10-13 mm, forearm 39-45 mm; weight 20 g. The Mexican Long-tongued Bat is medium-sized, with generally grayish to brownish pelage and elongated muzzle. Tail is relatively short, about one-third the length of naked uropatagium and about one-half the length of femur. Rostrum is elongated, accounting for 40-50% of length of cranium, and zygomata are incomplete. Dental formulais12/0.C1/1,PM 2/3. M 3/5 (x2) = 30 teeth. <b>Habitat.</b> Tropical deciduous and subdeciduous forests, arid lands, and pine and pineoak forests, known from elevations of 300-3600 m. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> The Mexican Long-tongued Bat eats nectar and pollen. Stomach contents from Mexico contained pollen grains from Lemaireocereus sp. (Cactaceae), Ipomoea sp. (Convolvulaceae), Agave sp. (Asparagaceae), and Myrtillocactus sp. (Cactaceae). It reportedly eats nectar and pollen of the shaving brush tree (Pseudobombax ellipticum, Malvaceae). <b>Breeding.</b> The Mexican Long-tongued Bat has been variously reported to be monoestrous or as having a bimodal reproduction pattern. In general, pregnant and lactating females are found in March—July, but pregnant females have also been found in February—April and again in July-September. In Mexico, pregnant females have been found mainly in February-March and September. <b>Activity patterns.</b> The Mexican Long-tongued Bat is nocturnal. Its activity pattern coincides with night-blooming plants. It roosts in cave entrances and abandoned mines and has been found in basements of abandoned houses and hollow trees. <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> Mexican Long-tongued Bats apparently have latitudinal migrations. They have been found flying near columnar cacti fruits with long-nosed bats (Leptonycteris spp.). In the northern part ofits distribution, Mexican Long-tongued Bats share roosts with Cave Myotis (Myotis velifer), Big Brown Bats (Eptesicus fuscus), Townsend's Big-eared Bats (Plecotus townsendir), and Mexican Free-tailed Bats (Tadarida brasiliensis). In the southern part ofits distribution, it shares roosts with other long-tongued bats (Glossophaga spp.). <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. The Mexican Long-tongued Bat is considered endangered on the Mexican list of threatened species. <b>Bibliography.</b> Arroyo-Cabrales et al. (1987), Gardner (1977b), Goodwin (1946), Ortega &amp; Arita (2014a), Phillips (1971), SEMARNAT (2010), Solari (2018e), Tschudi (1844), Villa (1967), Wilson (1979), Wilson &amp; Ruff (1999).
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 pages 523-524, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6458594