Hsunycteris thomasi
Creators: name: Wilson, Don E.
name: Mittermeier, Russell A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Chiroptera
Phyllostomidae
Hsunycteris
Hsunycteris thomasi

description: 86. Thomas's Nectar Bat <i>Hsunycteris thomasi</i> <b>French:</b> Lonchophylle de Thomas / <b>German:</b> Thomas-Nektarfledermaus / <b>Spanish:</b> Sunicterio de Thomas <b>Other common names:</b> Thomas's Small Nectar Bat <b>Taxonomy.</b> Lonchophylla thomas J. A. Allen, 1904, “Cuidad [sic] Bolivar,” Venezuela. Hsunycteris thomas: 1s considered paraphyletic to H. pattoni, but no formal subdivisions (subspecies) have been recognized. It is also a nomenclatural matter because both genetic lineages are found in Bolivar State near type locality. Monotypic. <b>Distribution.</b> C &amp; E Panama, Colombia, Venezuela (mostly S of Orinoco River), the Guianas, Amazonian Brazil, E Ecuador, E Peru, and Bolivia. <b>Descriptive notes.</b> Head-body 45-56 mm, tail 4-11 mm, ear 11-18 mm, hindfoot 7-11 mm, forearm 29-7-34-3 mm; weight 5-10 g. Thomas’s Nectar Bat is among the smaller species in the subfamily. Dorsal pelage is dark brown to clove-brown, with hairs 5-7 mm and basal two-thirds whitish. Ventral coloris similar to dorsum but slightly paler; it generally darkens from abdomen to neck, and hairs are indistinctly bicolored. Ears and wing membranes are blackish brown, and wings attach to ankles. Tail membraneis only sparsely haired. Muzzle is elongated, with lower jaw extending slightly beyond upperjaw. Spear of noseleaf is relatively large (c. 5 mm tall). Forearms are naked. Rostrum is narrow and about as long as braincase. Rostrum is only slightly inflated above M', lateral outlines are gently convex, and postorbital region is inflated, typically lacking lateral projections. In palatal view, obvious gaps occur between I' and I°. I' is more than double the height of I’. Lower incisors are small but always present. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 30-36 and FN = 34-48, which suggests an accelerated chromosomal evolution. <b>Habitat.</b> Rainforest in lowlands and foothills up to elevations of ¢. 1300 m. Thomas's Nectar Bat prefers evergreen forests but can be found in clearings, apparently because of availability of floral resources in gardens and plantations. In French Guiana, it was caught primarily in ground-level (0-2 m) mist nets and rarely in canopy nets, suggesting thatit typically flies in lower foreststrata. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> Thomas’s Nectar Bats from south-eastern Peru fed mostly on pollen and insects. Pollen of Caryocar villosum (Caryocaraceae), seeds of Vismia sp. (Hypericaceae), and beetles remains were found in stomachs of Brazilian specimens. It might feed on banana flowers. <b>Breeding.</b> Pregnant Thomas’s Nectar Bats have been found in February and June-October, lactating females in January-March and October, and subadults in January-February. <b>Activity patterns.</b> Thomas’s Nectar Bat roosts in tree hollows and hollow logs and on undersides of buttresses offallen trees. <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> Small colonies of males and females numbering up to four individuals have been found to roosting together. <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List (as Lonchophylla thomas). <b>Bibliography.</b> Allen (1904), Baker et al. (1982), Davalos &amp; Jansa (2004), Griffiths &amp; Gardner (2008b), Handley (1976), Nogueira, Dias &amp; Peracchi (2007), Parlos et al. (2014), Ribeiro et al. (2003), Simmons &amp; Voss (1998 Velazco et al. (2017), Woodman (2007), Woodman &amp; Timm (2006).
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 528, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6458594