Mormopterus minutus G. S. Miller 1899
Creators: name: Wilson, Don E.
name: Mittermeier, Russell A.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Chiroptera
Molossidae
Mormopterus
Mormopterus minutus

description: 8. Least Little Mastiff Bat <i>Mormopterus minutus</i> <b>French:</b> Molosse de Cuba / <b>German:</b> Kuba-Mastino-Fledermaus / Spanish: Mormoéptero de Cuba <b>Other common names:</b> Little Goblin Bat, Little Goblin Mastiff Bat <b>Taxonomy.</b> Nyctinomus minutus G. S. Miller, 1899, “ Trinidad, Cuba.” This species is monotypic. <b>Distribution.</b> Endemic to C &amp; E Cuba. <b>Descriptive notes.</b> Head-body 46-48 mm, tail 22-34 mm, ear 8-11 mm, hindfoot 5-6 mm, forearm 28-33 mm; weight 4-8 g. The Least Little Mastiff Bat is the smallest species of the New World Mormopterus. Fur is dense and short (3—4 mm), with brownish gray dorsal pelage and paler ventral pelage. Face lacks fur except for sparse layer of fine hairs. Snout is triangular and elongated, with more prominent upperlips sloping toward lower lips. Ears are small and pointed at tips and almost meet on forehead. Wings are dark brown, with hairs extending from body for ¢. 5 mm on dorsal and ventral surfaces of skin membrane. Males have large gular sac on throat. Profile of skull is relatively flat and straight from nares to occiput. Lacrimal and postorbital processes are well developed. Hard palate is anteriorly emarginated, and basisphenoid pits are poorly developed, with median ridge. I* is more substantial than in other species of Mormopterus. Dental formules 1172, C 1/1, P 1/2, M 5/5 (22) = 28. <b>Habitat.</b> Dry forests and seasonally flooded grasslands, with widely separated dense patches of palms. <b>Food and Feeding.</b> The Least Little Mastiff Bat is an aerial insectivore that primarily eats hymenopterans and, to a lesser extent, homopterans. It locates insects with echolocation in flight, being able to change echolocation style based on the environment it is in. It consumes an average of c. 1 g of insects/night or ¢.20% of its body weight/night. <b>Breeding.</b> Pregnant Least Little Mastiff Bats are recorded in April-July, with peak in May. Lactation occurs in June-July, and young appear learning to fly in July. <b>Activity patterns.</b> Least Little Mastiff Bats leave roosts in a bimodal pattern, with most flying out and in within 30 minutes of sunset and sunrise. They usually finish feeding c.30 minutes before returning to roosts. Second feeding boutis typically shorter, with fewer individuals. Activity is curtailed at temperatures below 20°C. During the day, they roost in dry dead leaves of the palm Copernicia gigas (Arecaceae) and urban buildings. Call repertoire is variable, but typical echolocation calls during search phase have long duration (c.10 milliseconds) and narrow frequency band (less than 4 kHz bandwidth), with average peak frequency of 43 kHz. <b>Movements, Home range and Social organization.</b> The Least Little Mastiff Bat normally does not fly too far from its roost, but maximum distance is ¢. 10 km. Colonies are estimated to contain up to 3000 individuals. <b>Status and Conservation.</b> Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. The Least Little Mastiff Bat faces continuing decline in extent and quality ofits habitat, but colony size can be large, and it adapts to human-modified environments. It might warrant future classification as Near Threatened. <b>Bibliography.</b> Mancina (2015), Mancina, Echenique-Diaz et al. (2007), Miller (1899a), Mora et al. (2011), Silva-Taboada (1979).
description: Published as part of <i>Don E. Wilson &amp; Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Molossidae, pp. 598-672 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions</i> on page 623, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6418279