Mormoopidae
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| Mustached Bats Fossil range: Pleistocene to Recent |
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The family Mormoopidae contains bats known generally as moustache bats, ghost-faced bats, and naked-backed bats. They are found in Central and South America, from Southern Mexico to Southeastern Brazil.
They are distinguished by the presence of a leaf-like projection from their lips, instead of the nose-leaf found in many other bat species. In some species, the wing membranes join over the animal's back, making it appear hairless. The tail projects only a short distance beyond the membrane that stretches between the hind legs. They are brownish in colour, with short, dense fur[1]. Their dental formula is:
| 2.1.2.3 |
| 2.1.3.3 |
Mormoopid bats roost in caves and tunnels in huge colonies that may include hundreds of thousands of members, producing enough guano to allow commercial mining. Living in a tropical part of the world, they do not hibernate, as some other bats do. They feed on insects found close to, or on, bodies of water[1].
[edit] Classification
The family consists of two genera, containing around 13 species.
- Genus Mormoops
- Genus Pteronotus
[edit] References
- ^ a b (1984) in Macdonald, D.: The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File, 805. ISBN 0-87196-871-1.
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