Wildlife Conservation Society's Neotropical Bat Information System

Taxonomy

Species ID	050190
Name	Northern Ghost Bat
Other Common Names
Category	05 Mammals
Phylum
Subphylum
Class	Mammalia
Subclass	Theria
Suborder	Microchiroptera
Family	Emballonuridae
Genus	Diclidurus
Species	albus
Subspecies
References	1, 2, 3, 6, 7
Scientific Synonyms	Diclidurus virgo

Comments

2* does not show albus, only virgo 3* includes virgo under albus 7* Koopman lists D. a. virgo as occuring in Middle America, Columbia, north Venezuela, and Trinidad; and D. a. albus as presumably northeastern Peru, southern Venezuela, Guianas, Amazonian and eastern Brazil.

Status

Status Code	Status Translation	References
88	IUCN-1994 Least Concern	12
32	Insufficient information, uncertain	4

Comments on Status

4* high flying and roosting makes them difficult to detect

Distribution

COUNTRY	References
Belize	11

DISTRICT	References
Cayo	8, 10, 11
Orange Walk	11
Stann Creek	2, 9, 11
Toledo	11

Administrative Unit	Occurrence	Abundance	Temporal	References
El Pilar	Recorded vocalization.	Common	March	11
BFREE - Private Reserve	Recorded vocalization.	Common	November	11
Temash-Sarstoon National Park	Recorded vocalization.	Common	January	11
Gallon Jug	Recorded vocalization.	Common	April	11
Gallon Jug	Recorded vocalization.	Common	February	11
Gallon Jug	Recorded vocalization.	Common	January	11
Gallon Jug	Recorded vocalization.	Common	July	11
Gallon Jug	Recorded vocalization.	Common	May	11
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	Recorded vocalization.	Common	June	11
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	Recorded vocalization.	Fairly common	July	9
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	Recorded vocalization.	Fairly common	June	9
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	Recorded vocalization.	Fairly common	May	9
Blue Hole National Park	Recorded vocalization.	Fairly common	November	10
Private land, see comments	Collected as voucher.	Unknown, insufficient data		8
Town or Village, see comments.	Recorded vocalization.	Common	December	11
Town or Village, see comments.	Recorded vocalization.	Common	October	11

Hydrologic Unit Distribution	References
Macal River	11
Bladen Branch	11
Temash River	11
Sarstoon River	11
North Stann Creek	9
Roaring Creek	8

ELEVATION Association	References
1-200 m	11
1-200 m	8, 9, 10, 11
201-400 m	11

QUAD Distribution	References
17 30' to 17 45'; 89 00' to 89 15'	11
17 15' to 17 30'; 88 45' to 89 00'	8
17 00' to 17 15'; 89 00' to 89 15'	11
17 00' to 17 15'; 88 45' to 89 00'	11
17 00' to 17 15'; 88 30' to 88 45'	10
16 45' to 17 00'; 88 15' to 88 30'	9, 11
16 30' to 16 45'; 88 30' to 88 45'	11
15 50' to 16 00'; 88 50' to 89 15'	11

Holdridge Life Zone Distribution	References
Subtropical moist	8, 11
Subtropical wet	11
Tropical moist-transition to Subtropical	9, 10, 11
Tropical wet-transition to Subtropical	11

Comments on Distribution

8* Roaring Creek near Belmopan. FMNH#58120. 11* Readily detected acoustically and wide spread throughtout Belzie, but has been overlooked by those uisng mist nets.

Graphics

Belize distribution map
Vocal signature using Anabat system
Vocal signature using Anabat system
Vocal signature with call parameters using Anabat system

Acoustic information

Calls can be mistaken for molossids if veiwed out of context, or only a few pusles are recorded (11).

   

Vocal signature files in Anabat format that can be downloaded as refernece files.

Dicalb.01# Dicalb.02# Dicalb.03#

 Habitat Associations

HABITAT	References
TERRESTRIAL	9

Forest Type Associations	Seral Stage	Canopy Closure	References
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species; Chiquebul-Bullhoof Forest	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	11
Transitional Broadleaf Forest Poor in Lime-loving Species	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	11
Lowland broadleaf moist evergreen seasonal forests over poor soils.	all stages	71-100%	11, GJBATS, BWM_GJB
Marsh and Swamp Communities	all stages	71-100%	11, GJBATS, BWM_GJB
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species: Sapote-Silion forest.	all stages	71-100%	11, GJBATS, BWM_GJB
Lowland broadleaf moist evergreen seasonal forest over limestone, northwestern variant.	all stages	71-100%	11, GJBATS, BWM_GJB
Marsh and Swamp Communities	all stages	71-100%	11, BWM_GJB, GJ_BATS
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species: Sapote-ramon-spice forest.	all stages	71-100%	11, GJBATS
Lowland broadleaf rain forests over moderately lime-rich alluvium.	all stages	Canopy unknown	11
Transitional Broadleaf Forest Poor in Lime-loving Species	all stages	Canopy unknown	11
Marsh and Swamp Communities	all stages	Canopy unknown	11
URBAN, human settlement.	all stages	Canopy unknown	11
This serves to update Wright et al. for urban or agricultural areas devoid of native vegetation.	all stages	71-100%	11
Broadleaf Forest with Few Lime-loving Species	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	11
Freshwater swamp forest (permanently waterlogged), typical variant.	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	11
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	11
Montane scrub forest over volcanics.	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	11
Cohune Palm Forest	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	11
URBAN, human settlement.	Disturbed	0-40%	10
Lowland broadleaf moist evergreen seasonal forests over poor soils.	all stages	71-100%	9
Transitional Broadleaf Forest Poor in Lime-loving Species	all stages	71-100%	9, 11
Agriculture, no native vegetation.	all stages	71-100%	8, 11
Broadleaf Forest w/Occasional Lime-loving Species; Cohune-Banak forest.	Disturbed	0-40%	8, 10

 

Food Habits

Trophic

Aerial insectivore

References on Trophic Level

6

Lifestage	Food Item Consumed	Part of Food Item
Adult	Lepidoptera	Adult stage
Immature	Mother's milk	Not Applicable

Comments on General Food Habits

6* Northern ghost bats are insectivorous. The stomachs of eight specimens taken from Jalisco contained moth remaians (Lepidopteran; Sanchez and Chavez, 1985). When feeding they fly high above the ground, thus being difficult to mist net.

References/Lifestage	Reference Numbers
General	6

Life History

Life History Narrative

6* Little is know about the ecology of D. albus. It is a solitary species most of the year; however, early in the breeding season (January and February) up to four individuals, usually a male and several females, may be found roosting within 5 to 10 cm of each other (Ceballos and Miranda, 1987; Sanchez and Chavez, 1985). Northern ghost bats have been collected in tropical rain forests, in tropical-dry deciduous and semideciduous forests, in coconut plantations, and in disturbed vegetation, predominantly in humid habitats (Ceballos and Miranda, 1987; Goodwin, 1946; Jones, 1966; Villa-R., 1967). They are found in natural and disturbed habitats where there are species of palms that are used as day roosts. Day roosts are under the leaves of palms. On the Pacific coast of Mexico they have been found associated with coconut (Cocos nucifera) and native coquito palms (Orbignya cohune; Ceballos and Miranda, 1987; Sanchez and Chavez, 1985. In eastern Mexico, they have been collected from roosts in chocho palms (Astrocaryum mexicanum; Coates-Estrada and Estrada, 1985). In Central and South America (including Trinidad Island) they roost in coconut palms (Goodwin and Greenhall, 1961; Stargett and Casebeer, 1968).

References

1 McCarthy, T. J. 1993. Checklist: Mammals of Belize. BAS Newsletter 25 (2-3).

2 Hall, E. R. 1981. Mammals of North America. Second ed. John Wiley & Sons. New York. 1:85

3 Koopman, Karl F. 1993. Chiroptera. in Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder, eds, Mammalian species of the world, 2nd ed, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C., pp. 137-241.

4 Emmons, L. H. 1990. Neotropical Rainforest Mammals, a field guide. University of Chicago Press. Chicago and London. p.49-50

5 McCarthy, T. J. 1987. Distributional records of bats from the Caribbean lowlands of Belize and adjacent Guatemala and Mexico. In: Studies in Neotropical Mammalogy: Essays in Honor of Philip Hershkovitz (B.D. Patterson and R.M. Timm, eds.). Fieldiana: n.s. No. 39:137-162.

6 Ceballos, G., R.A. Medellin. 1988. Diclidurus albus. The American Society of Mammalogists. Mammalian Species No. 316. pp 1-4.

7 Koopman, Karl F. 1994. Chiroptera: Systematics in Handbook of Zoology. W. de Gruyter. Berlin. p.48.

8 FMNH. 1997. Mammal holdings in the Field Musuem of Natural History, unpublished listing. Imported on date: 09/09/00.

9 Miller, B.W. and C.M. Miller. 1999. Results of a survey of bats of the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. Wildlife Conservation Society, Tropical Forest and Reserve Planning Project, Belize. Technical Report for Belize Audubon Society. 16 pp.

10 Miller, B.W. 2000. Survey of the bats of Blue Hole National Park and adjacent Jaguar Creek. Wildlife Conservation Society, Tropical Forest and Reserve Planning Project, Belize. Technical Report for Belize Audubon Society.

11 Miller, B.W. 2001. Community Ecology of the Non-phyllostomid bats of Northwestern Belize, with a landscape level assessment of the bats of Belize. PhD. Dissertation. University of Kent, Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology.

12 Hutson, A. M., S.P. Mickleburgh and P.A. Racey. 2001. Microchiropteran bats: global status survey and conservation action plan. IUCN/SSC Chiroptera Specialist Group. IUCN, Galnd, Switzerland and Cambridge, U.K. 258 pp.