130.

Talamancan Yellow-shouldered Bat

Sturnira mordax

French: Sturnire de la Talamanca / German: Talamanca-Gelbschulterfledermaus / Spanish: Sturniro de Talamanca

Taxonomy. Sturnirops mordax G. G. Goodwin, 1938,

“El Sauce Peralta, a farm on the Atlantic railroad,less than halfway from San Jose to Limon, probably about 1000 feet [= 350 m] elevation,” Cartago Province, Costa Rica.

Sturnira mordax was formerly included in the genus or subgenus Sturnirops . Monotypic.

Distribution. From NW Costa Rica (Cordillera de Guanacaste) to Cordillera Central of W Panama.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 70-75 mm (tailless), ear 15-19 mm, hindfoot 13-15 mm, forearm 43-49-4 mm; weight 24-31 g. The Talamancan Yellow-shouldered Bat is medium-sized and stocky. Upperparts are usually reddish brown, occasionally gray-brown; adult males sometimes have deep red shoulder patches. Fur is long (7-9 mm) and thick. Noseleafis short and simple. Muzzle is comparatively elongated. Legs are densely haired, but feet are only lightly haired. Tail membrane is well haired and greatly reduced. I' in contact at tips is diagnostic.

Habitat. Evergreen montane forest, forest edges, and also dry forest and deciduous forests at elevations of is 600-2900 m. Distribution of the Talamancan Yellow-shouldered Bat is restricted to mountains in Costa Rica and western Panama.

Food and Feeding. The Talamancan Yellow-shouldered Bat is strongly frugivorous. It might eat pollen and nectar. Diets include fruits of Centropogon (Campanulaceae), Anthurium (Araceae), Cecropia (Urticaceae), and Musa (Musaceae) . Some insects have also been found in its diet. Two genera of bat flies (Megistopoda and Trichobius) are known from this species.

Breeding. Pregnant Talamancan Yellow-shouldered Bats have been recorded in April, and lactating females have been reported in May. They might be polyestrous.

Activity patterns. Talamancan Yellow-shouldered Bats are nocturnal.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. The Talamancan Yellow-shouldered Bat is dependent upon very fragile habitat, but no specific threats have been identified.

Bibliography. Gardner (1977b), LaVal & Fitch (1977), Matson & McCarthy (2004), McCarthy, Albuja & Alberico (2006), McCarthy, Matson etal. (2005), Reid (2009), Rodriguez-Herrera & Pineda (2008), Wilson (1979).