14.

Saint Vincent Big-eared Bat

Micronycteris buriri

French: Micronyctére de Saint-Vincent / German: St.-Vincent-GroRohrblattnase / Spanish: Micronicterio de Saint Vincent

Taxonomy. Micronycteris buriri P. A. Larsen et al, 2011,

“ Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Vincent; St. Andrew Parish: Vermont Nature Trail, Parrot Lookout; 2.3 km N, 1.75 km E Vermont (13°13'20.2"N, 61°12’43.4"W). Collected at 496 m in elevation.” This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Saint Vincent I, S Lesser Anulles.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 66-72 mm, tail 12-18 mm, ear 19-25 mm, hindfoot 10-13 mm, forearm 36-4-39-5 mm. Greatest lengths of skulls are 20-7-21-7 mm. Recently described Saint Vincent Big-eared Bat is a relatively large species of dark-bellied Micronycteris, with long dorsal fur. Hairs are bicolored, with basal white bands and darker tips. Ventral hairs are unicolored in juveniles and have narrow white bases in adults. Tips of hairs are snuff brown to bister, and overall color is medium brown. Ears are large, rounded attips, furred at anterior margin, and joined at bases by low band with shallow notch in middle. Rostrum is elongated, and nasal bones are inflated. Basisphenoid pits are shallow. I' have smooth distal margins and are large and not bilobed. I? are small and convergent medially at their tips. Lower incisors are high and hypsodont, and upper and lower incisors have prominent cingula. P* is slightly larger than P°. There is moderately developed parastyle in M*. Wear can affect relative size of premolars, particularly lower post-canine series, but it is generally possible to distinguish that P, is smaller than the other two premolars.

Habitat. Forests and banana plantations from sea level to 646 m elevation.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Saint Vincent Big-eared Bat has been found in sea caves.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Restricted distribution of Saint Vincent Big-eared Bat to the small island of Saint Vincent might be conservation concern.

Bibliography. Larsen et al. (2011), Vaughan & Hill (1996).