Belize Biodiversity Information System

Taxonomy

Species ID	050230
Name	Proboscis Bat
Other Common Names	Brazilian Long-nosed Bat Mexican Long-nosed Bat
Category	05 Mammals
Phylum
Subphylum
Class	Mammalia
Subclass	Theria
Suborder	Microchiroptera
Family	Emballonuridae
Genus	Rhynchonycteris
Species	naso
Subspecies
References	1, 2, 3, 17, 18, 19, 21
Scientific Synonyms	Rhynchiscus naso priscus, G.M. Allen, 1935

Comments

17* Single species no subspecies

050230Img.JPG

Status

Status Code	Status Translation	References
271	Common: high density, likely to be seen in many places	4

Distribution

DISTRICT	References
Belize	23
Cayo	23
Corozal	2
Orange Walk	15
Stann Creek	24
Toledo	23

Administrative Unit	Occurrence	Abundance	Temporal	References
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	Collected as voucher.	Unknown, insuffient data	Dry season (Jan-May)	24
Gallon Jug	Captured or Mist netted and released	Uncommon	April	24
Gallon Jug	Recorded vocalization, tape or Anabat.	Uncommon	June	24
Gallon Jug	Recorded vocalization, tape or Anabat.	Uncommon	May	24
Gallon Jug	Recorded vocalization, tape or Anabat.	Uncommon	February	24
Town or Village, see comments.	Recorded vocalization, tape or Anabat.	Unknown, insuffient data	March	23
Rio Bravo Conservation Area	Recorded vocalization, tape or Anabat.	Unknown, insuffient data	July	23
Town or Village, see comments.	Recorded vocalization, tape or Anabat.	Unknown, insuffient data	June	23
Temash-Sarstoon National Park	Recorded vocalization, tape or Anabat.	Unknown, insuffient data	January	23
Private land, see comments	Captured or Mist netted and released	Unknown, insuffient data	July	23
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve	Captured or Mist netted and released	Unknown, insuffient data	February	23
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	Recorded vocalization, tape or Anabat.	Unknown, insuffient data	May	27
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve	Recorded vocalization, tape or Anabat.	Unknown, insuffient data	February	26
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	Recorded vocalization, tape or Anabat.	Unknown, insuffient data	APRIL	25
Chiquibul Forest Reserve	Recorded vocalization, tape or Anabat.	Unknown, insuffient data	July	26
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve	Collected as voucher.	Unknown, insuffient data	May	26
Rio Bravo Conservation Area	Collected as voucher.	Unknown, insuffient data	February	15
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve	Collected as voucher.	Unknown, insuffient data	March	26
Guanacaste National Park	Collected as voucher.	Unknown, insuffient data	June	28
Private land, see comments		Unknown, insuffient data	July	24
Bladen Nature Reserve		Unknown, insuffient data	May	24
Private land, see comments	Collected as voucher.	Unknown, insuffient data	June	22
Town or Village, see comments.	Collected as voucher.		December	14
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve	Captured or Mist netted and released		Dry season (Jan-May)	8
Chiquibul Forest Reserve			Permanent Resident (Year-round)	7
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary				6
Bladen Nature Reserve	Captured or Mist netted and released	Unknown, insuffient data	May	5
Gallon Jug	Captured or Mist netted and released		Dry season (Jan-May)	9
Private land, see comments	Captured or Mist netted and released		Dry season (Jan-May)	10
Private land, see comments	Collected as voucher.		Dry season (Jan-May)	11
Rio Bravo Conservation Area	Collected as voucher.		February	15
Private land, see comments	Collected as voucher.		December	14
Rio Bravo Conservation Area	Captured or Mist netted and released		Dry season (Jan-May)	16

Hydrologic Unit Distribution	References
Sarstoon River	24
Temash River	24
Blue Creek	23
Macal River	23
Belize River	24, 22
New River	24, 15
Belize River	12
Sibun River	11
Macal River	10
Macal River	8
Raspaculo River	7

ELEVATION Association	References
401-600 m	23
401-600 m	26
601-800 m	26
201-400 m	26
0-100 m	28
101-200 m	24, 5
1-200 m	24, 22

QUAD Distribution	References
18 00' to 18 15'; 88 30' to 88 45'	23
15 50' to 16 00'; 88 50' to 89 15'	23
16 45' to 17 00'; 88 45' to 89 00'	23
16 45' to 17 00'; 88 30' to 88 45'	27
17 30' to 17 45'; 88 15' to 88 30'	26
16 45' to 17 00'; 88 15' to 88 30'	24
16 45' to 17 00'; 89 00' to 89 15'	26
16 00' to 16 15'; 88 45' to 89 00'	29
16 15' to 16 30'; 89 00' to 89 15'	25
17 15' to 17 30'; 88 45' to 89 00'	28
17 00' to 17 15'; 89 00' to 89 15'	23
16 30' to 16 45'; 88 45' to 89 00'	24
17 00' to 17 15'; 88 30' to 88 45'	22
17 00' to 17 15'; 88 45' to 89 00'	26, 22
17 30' to 17 45'; 89 00' to 89 15'	24, 11
17 30' to 17 45'; 88 30' to 88 45'	23, 8
17 15' to 17 30'; 88 30' to 88 45'	23, 6
16 45' to 17 00'; 88 00' to 88 15'	5
16 45' to 17 00'; 88 45' to 89 00'	9
16 15' to 16 30'; 88 45' to 89 00'	25, 10

Holdridge Life Zone Distribution	References
Tropical wet-transition to Subtropical	23
Subtropical moist	24, 23, 23
Subtropical Lower Montane moist	26
Subtropical wet	25, 5
Tropical moist-transition to Subtropical	24, 23, 22
Subtropical moist	14
Subtropical moist	15

Comments on Distribution

22* Roaring Creek at the Belize River.
16* Hillbank, 2 mist netted.
14* ROM  Santa Familia
15* LSU  Irish Creek; New lagoon
12* Tea Kettle, Murie 1931 collection; Duck Run, Murie 1931 collection.
10* Chaa Creek Cottages
8*  Francelia Camp across Macal River
5*  Quebrado de Oro

Graphics

Distribution map
Vocal signature recorded when bats are foraging some distance from detector.
Vocal signature The upper harominic is loudest and recorded when very close to the bats.
Calls emmited when bats are disturbed or leaving a roost. These are not seach phase calls and do not consitute a vocal signature

Habitat Associations

Forest Type Associations	Seral Stage	Canopy Closure	References
Lowland broadleaf moist evergreen seasonal forests over poor soils.	all stages	71-100%	24
Transitional Broadleaf Forest Poor in Lime-loving Species	all stages	71-100%	24
Marsh and Swamp Communities	all stages	71-100%	24
Lowland broadleaf moist evergreen seasonal forest over limestone, northwestern variant.	all stages	71-100%	24
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species: Sapote-Silion forest.	all stages	71-100%	24
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species	all stages	71-100%	23
URBAN, human settlement.	all stages	71-100%	23
This serves to update Wright et al. for urban or agricultural areas devoid of native vegetation.	all stages	71-100%	23
Montane scrub forest over volcanics.	all stages	71-100%	23
Cohune Palm Forest	all stages	71-100%	23
Seasonally waterlogged fire-induced shrubland of the plains.	all stages	71-100%	23
Freshwater swamp forest (permanently waterlogged), typical variant.	all stages	71-100%	23
Broadleaf Forest with Few Lime-loving Species	all stages	71-100%	23
Broadleaf Forest with Few Lime-loving Species	all stages	41-70%	23
Lowland broadleaf moist evergreen seasonal forests over lime-poor alluvium.	all stages	41-70%	23
Broadleaf Forest with Few Lime-loving Species	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	27
Lowland needle-leaf moist open forests over poor soils.	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	26
Pine Forest and Orchard Savanna	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	23
Needle-leaf hill forests over poor soils (Mountain Pine Ridge).	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	26
Pine Forest and Orchard Savanna	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	26
Broadleaf Forest with Few Lime-loving Species	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	27
Disturbed scrub	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	27
Broadleaf Forest Moderately Rich in Lime-loving Species; Cohune-Quamwood Forest	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	25
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	26
Broadleaf hill forests over non-calcareous rocks, Santa Maria variant.	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	26
Broadleaf Forest with Occasional Lime-loving Species; Negrito-Cohune Palm Forest.	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	25
Transitional Broadleaf Forest Poor in Lime-loving Species	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	29
Seasonal swamp forests (marsh forests) of Northern Belize, variant 1.	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	23
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species; Sapote-Mahogany	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	23
Broadleaf hill forests over limestone in steep terrain.	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	26
Broadleaf Forest with few Lime-loving Species	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	27
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species; Chiquebul-Bullhoof Forest	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	26
Agriculture, no native vegetation.	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	23
Lowland broadleaf moist evergreen seasonal forests over limestone, central eastern variant.	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	23
Broadleaf Forest w/Occasional Lime-loving Species; Cohune-Banak forest.	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	14
Transitional Broadleaf Forest Poor in Lime-loving Species	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	24
Lowland broadleaf rain forests over moderately lime-rich alluvium.	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	24
Lowland broadleaf rain forests over moderately lime-rich alluvium.	stage unknown	Canopy unknown	5
Transitional Broadleaf Forest Poor in Lime-loving Species	stage unknown	Canopy unknown	5

Food Habits

Trophic

INSECTIVORE

References on Trophic Level

18

Lifestage	Food Item Consumed	Part of Food Item
Adult	Insects	Adult stage
Adult	Diptera	Adult stage
Juvenile	Mother's milk

Comments on General Food Habits

20* Feed mainly on diptera within 3 meters of the water, including mosquiotes and other small insects. 18* Foraging begins at late dusk. R. naso feed exclusively on insects (Albuja, 1983; Allen and Barbour, 1923; Dalquest, 1957; Goodwin and Greenhall, 1961), including chironomids and mosquitos, as well as small beetles and caddis flies. The bats probably prey on insects of appropriate size that are in greatest abundance within their foraging area (Bradbury and Vehrencamp, 1976a). Rynchonycteris naso forages almost entirely over water, from just above the surface up to a height of about 3 m. Foraging ranges and prey items overlap with those of larger Saccopteryx bilineata, but the two species do not partition food resources altitudinally. However, R. naso and Saccopteryx leptura, which are of similar size, partition foraging sites by altitude (Bradbury and Vehrencamp, 1976a). R. naso occupies smaller foraging areas than sympatric species, which is accomplished by foraging over water in areas of high patch richness (Bradbury and Vehrencamp, 1976b).

Comments on Adult Food Habits

4* Feed on tiny insects about 2 mm.

References/Lifestage	Reference Numbers
General	20, 19, 18
Adult	20, 19
Important	20, 19, 18

Life History

Life History Narrative

4* Feeds on tiny insects (about 2mm). Long-nosed bats forage over water,such as rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and marshes. They are one of the most commonly seen and locally well know bats. They roost in the open over or beside water, on the lower side of a large branch, fallen tree, leaning tree trunk, steep face of a bank, or below a bridge. The roost is groups of 3-45, usually about 12, and hang in a characteristic straight line, with each bat spaced 2-4 cm from its neighbors. 11* Frequents areas near and over slow-moving watercourses (and occasionally lakes and swamps), and roost in well-lighted areas. Colonies roost on the bark or roots of trees overhanging water, under bridges, at the mouths of caves over water, or under the curled dry leaves of banana, Musa, or balisier, Heliconia (Goodwin, 1946; Goodwin and Greenhall, 1961), as well as on tree boles, rocks and cliff sides near water (Bradbury and Emmons, 1974; Dalquest, 1957; Goldman, 1920; Hill and Smith, 1984; Husson, 1978), and in hollow logs (Dalquest, 1957). Allen (1935) reported R. naso was taken in a barn and under roof tiles, but these seem to us to be unlikely roosts for this species. On occasion, colonies may be found near swift-flowing streams, but in such cases usually a relatively quiet backwater area, such as the mouth of arroyo, rather than at streamside (Dalquest, 1957). Murie (1935:17-18) wrote of R. naso in Belize as follows: "Along the upper reaches of the Belize River these bats, in groups ranging from six to thirty individuals, were noted on the under side of sloping trunks and root buttresses of large trees growing at the water's edge. A few were observed on the sheltered parts of logs caught in snags, and a group of seven was found near the entrance of a shallow limestone cave facing the water. Generally these bats rest about six feet from the surface of the water." Murie went on to note" "When frightened, a group would fly off together and alight on a near-by tree similar to the one vacated. Both sexes were found together on the same tree."

Life History References

4

 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. 1:78-79

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.45

5  McCarthy, T. J., M. Blake. 1987.  Noteworthy bat records from the Maya
   Mountains Forest Reserve, Belize.  Mammalia v. 51, No. 1, pp.161-164

6  Rabinowitz, A.; B. G. Nottingham, Jr. 1989. Mammal species richness and
   relative abundance of small mammals in a subtropical wet forest of
   Central America.  Mammalia V. 53, No. 2, pp.217-226

7  Rodgers, A.D.F.; D. A. Sutton, eds. 1991.  Report of the Joint Services
   Scientific Expedition to the Upper Raspaculo. Unpub. report.  pp. E-1-1 and
   E-1-2

8  Clark, W. C. 1992. Mammal Surveys Along the Macal River in Areas to be
   Affected by the Belize Electricity Board's Proposed Hydroelectric
   Project. pp.3-16. Draft report in Macal River Hydroelectric Development
   Environmental Impact Assessment Rubber Camp and Chalillo Schemes
   Pre-feasibility Study - Draft Environmental Appendix.  Volume II of III.

9  Miller, C.M., B.W. Miller. 1994 (Nov.). Working Checklist: Mammals of
   Gallon Jug and Chan Chich Lodge Area. Unpublished list.

10 Merriman, T. 1993. List of bats caught and observed with Dr. Merlin D.
   Tuttle, BCI Founder's Circle Trip, May 8-17, 1993.  In lit.

11 Cartwright, Anne McKnight Furnish. 1977.  Patterns of Neotropical
   Chiroptera Reproduction Including Histological and Ecological Aspects of
   Bats Collected In Belize.  Dissertation for Doctor of Education. Ball
   State University. Muncie, Indiana.

12 University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. 1995.  Unpublished listing of
   catalog with holdings of mammal specimens from Belize.

13 Murie, Adolph. 1935. Mammals from Guatemala and British Honduras.
   University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. Misc. Pub. 26.

14 ROM. 1995. Collections data from mammal department, Royal Ontario
   Museum.

15 LSU Museum of Natural Science, Belize collection. August 31, 1995.
   Curator: Mark S. Hafner.

16 Smith, Rosemary L. 1994.  Neotropical Bats as Indicators of
   Environmental Disturbance.  Masters Thesis. Durrell Institute of
   Conservation and Ecology. pp.64.

17 Koopman, Karl F. 1994. Chiroptera: Systematics in Handbook of Zoology. W
   de Gruyter. Berlin-NY. pp. 45-46.

18 Plumpton, David L., J. Knox Jones Jr. 1992. Rhynchonycteris naso.
   Mammalian Species No. 413:1-5. The American Society of Mammalogists.

19 Reid, F. A., 1997. A Field Guide to the Mammals of Central America and
   Southeast Mexico.  Oxford University Press.

20 Bradbury, J. W. and S. L. Vehrencamp. 1977. Social Organization and
   Foraging in Emballonurid Bats. I. Field Studies. Behavioral Ecology and
   Sociobiology 1:337-381.

21 University of Michigan Museum of Zoology. 1935. Mammals from Guatemala
   and British Honduras. Miscellaneous Publication No. 26. Ann Arbor,
   Michigan.

22 Ruiz, R. G. 1983. Mimon crenulatum keenani (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)
   from Belize. Southwestern Naturalist 28(3):374.

23 Miller, B.W. 2000.  Miscellaneous unpublished data records from surveys
   conducted in Belize for which no specific report was written. Data
   includes results of mist-netting, harp trapping and acoustic surveys.
   Wildlife Conservation Society, Tropical Forest and Reserve Planning
   Project, Belize.

24 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.

25 CM. 1997. Carnegie Musuem, Division of mammals. Data imported on
   date: 06/13/00.

26 FMNH. 1997. Mammal holdings in the Field Musuem of Natural History,
   unpublished listing.

27 USNM. 1995. Collections data from mammal department, United States
   National Museum. Imported on date: 06/13/00.

28 ASMNH. 2000. Collection data from vertebrate research collection, Angelo
   State University, San Angelo, Texas. Imported 06/13/00.

29 MSU. 2000. Collection data from the museum of Michigan State University
   Imported 06/13/00.

30 O'Farrell, M. J. and B. W. Miller. 1999. Use of Vocal Signatures for the
   Inventory of Free-flying Neotropical Bats. Biotropica 31(3):507-516.

31 O'Farrell, M. J. and B. W. Miller. 1997. A New Examination of
   Echolocation Calls of Some Neotropical Bats (Emballonuridae and
   Mormoopidae). Journal of Mammalogy 87(3):954-963.