206.

Aztec Fruit-eating Bat

Artibeus aztecus

French: Dermanure azteque / German: Azteken-Fruchtvampir / Spanish: Artibeo azteca

Taxonomy. Artibeus aztecus K. Andersen, 1906,

“Tetela del Volcan, Morelos, Mexico.”

Artibeus aztecus is placed in Dermanura by some authors but reassigned to Artibeus (subgenus Dermanura) according to reinterpretation of molecular results. Three subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

A.a.aztecusK.Andersen,1906—highlandssurroundingMexicanPlateauandSMexico(fromSinaloaandNuevoLeontoOaxaca).

A.a.majorW.B.Davis,1969—highlandsfromSCentralAmerica(CostaRicaandPanama).

A. a. minor W. B. Davis, 1969 — highlands from S Mexico to N Central America (Chiapas to Honduras).

Descriptive notes. Head—body 59-75 mm (tailless), ear 15-20 mm, hindfoot 11-14 mm, forearm 41-49 mm; weight 15-33 g. The Aztec Fruit-eating Bat is the largest species in the smallsize group in subgenus Dermanura . Dorsal fur is charcoal-brown to blackish; ventral fur is slightly paler, with faintly frosted tips; and dorsal fur is long (9-10 mm) and soft. Narrow whitish facial stripes are inconspicuous or absent. Ears and noseleaf are dark brown, and ears lack prominent white edging. Tail membrane is very short, narrow (less than 6-5 mm), deeply incised (V-shaped), and well haired dorsally, with conspicuous fringe of hairs on posterior border. Dental formulais12/2,C1/1,P2/2,M 2/2 (x2) = 28. I' are distinctly bilobated. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 30-31 and FN = 56, with Y,, Y, chromosome system (X-autosome fusion). X-chromosome is subtelocentric, and Y, and Y, chromosomes are acrocentric.

Habitat. Pine, pine-oak, and montane cloud forests; mango and banana plantations; tropical deciduous forest close to coniferous highland forests ( Sinaloa), and relatively dry valley near Comayagua (Honduras), at elevations of 600-3300 m in Mexico (more commonly above 1000 m).

Food and Feeding. In central Mexico, the Aztec Fruit-eating Bat eats wild figs ( Ficus spp., Moraceae), capuli cherries ( Prunus serotine, Rosaceae), cypress ( Cupressus sp., Cupressaceae), and Mexican hawthorn ( Crataegus mexicana, Rosaceae).

Breeding. Reproductive pattern of the Aztec Fruit-eating Bat is bimodal polyestry, with at least two birth periods per year in February-March and August-September. Pregnant females have been found with single embryos in March-April and July-August and lactating females at the end of August and in September. A juvenile male was captured in June and a young female carried by its mother in September. Young are precocial.

Activity patterns. Daytime roosts ofAztec Fruit-eating Bats have been reported on ventral surfaces of banana leaves, in small crevices and caves, and on rock outcroppings and limestone sinks. Aztec Fruit-eating Bats have been captured early in the evening; activity diminished by 22:00 h and increased again in early morning. They are locally uncommon, even in favorable habitat.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as [Least Concern on The UICNRed List (as Dermanura azteca). The Aztec Fruit-eating Bat has a wide distribution and presumably large population. It occurs in protected areas,is tolerant to some degree of habitat modification, and is unlikely to be declining at a rate to justify a threatened status. No major threats have been identified.

Bibliography. Andersen (1906b), Davis (1969), LaVal & Rodriguez-Herrera (2002), Lopez & Ayala (2014), Reid (2009), Sanchez-Hernandez et al. (2016), Solari (2016d), Webster & Jones (1982a).