Belize Biodiversity Information System

Wildlife Conservation Society
 11/22/01

Taxonomy

Species ID

050270

Name

Ghost-faced Bat

Other Common Names

Peter's Ghost-faced Bat

Category

05 Mammals

Phylum

Subphylum

Class

Mammalia

Subclass

Theria

Suborder

Microchiroptera

Family

Mormoopidae

Genus

Mormoops

Species

megalophylla

Subspecies

megalophylla

References

1, 2, 3, 6, 7

Scientific Synonyms

Aello megalophylla megalophylla Peters
Comments

2* Genus shown as Aello 6* Hall (1981; ref 2 above) for technical reasons of nomenclature, used the name Aello Leach 1821 for this genus. 7* Four recognized subspecies: M.m. megalophylla (Baja California, southern Arizona, and southern Texas to Honduras), M.m. tumidiceps (northern Columbia, northern Venezuela, Magarita amd Trinidad islands), M.m. intermedia (Aruba, Curacao, and Bonaire islands), M.m. carteri (coastal Ecuador and northwestern Peru).

  050270-IMG.jpg

Status

Status Code

Status Translation

References

273

Vulnerable in Belize, Obligate cave roosts. Many caves are under pressure from unregulated tourism

13

272

Uncommon: occur at low density in proper habitat.

4

Distribution

DISTRICT

References

13

Belize

13

Cayo

15

Corozal

2

Orange Walk

2

Stann Creek

13

Toledo

13

Administrative Unit

Occurrence

Abundance

Temporal

References

Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve

Collected as voucher.

Unknown, insuffient data

17

Chiquibul Forest Reserve

Recorded vocalization, tape or Anabat.

Uncommon

June

15

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

Collected as voucher.

Unknown, insuffient data

Dry season (Jan-May)

13

Gallon Jug

Collected as voucher.

Unknown, insuffient data

September

13

Gallon Jug

Collected as voucher.

Unknown, insuffient data

November

13

Gallon Jug

Collected as voucher.

Unknown, insuffient data

June

13

Gallon Jug

Collected as voucher.

Unknown, insuffient data

January

13

Gallon Jug

Collected as voucher.

Unknown, insuffient data

May

13

Gallon Jug

Collected as voucher.

Unknown, insuffient data

February

13

Gallon Jug

Collected as voucher.

Unknown, insuffient data

March

13

Gallon Jug

Collected as voucher.

Unknown, insuffient data

December

13

Town or Village, see comments.

Recorded vocalization, tape or Anabat.

Unknown, insuffient data

October

13

BFREE - Private Reserve

Recorded vocalization, tape or Anabat.

Unknown, insuffient data

November

13

Blue Hole National Park

Recorded vocalization, tape or Anabat.

Unknown, insuffient data

November

12

Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary

Captured or Mist netted and released

Unknown, insuffient data

June

21

Vaca Forest Reserve

Captured or Mist netted and released

Common

APRIL

10

Vaca Forest Reserve

Captured or Mist netted and released

Common

May

10

Government land

Recorded vocalization, tape or Anabat.

Unknown, insuffient data

January

9

Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve

5

Hydrologic Unit Distribution

References

Macal River

15

Sibun River

13

Rio Hondo

13

Blue Creek

13

Bladen Branch

13

North Stann Creek

21

ELEVATION Association

References

401-600 m

17

1-200 m

16

201-400 m

14

401-600 m

15

1-200 m

15,13,12,21,10,9

QUAD Distribution

References

16 45' to 17 00'; 88 45' to 89 00'

17

17 15' to 17 30'; 88 30' to 88 45'

16

17 30' to 17 45'; 89 00' to 89 15'

13

17 45' to 18 00'; 88 45' to 89 00'

13

17 00' to 17 15'; 88 30' to 88 45'

13,12

16 30' to 16 45'; 88 45' to 89 00'

15

17 00' to 17 15'; 89 00' to 89 15'

15,13,10

16 00' to 16 15'; 88 45' to 89 00'

13

16 30' to 16 45'; 88 30' to 88 45'

13,9

17 15' to 17 30'; 88 30' to 88 45'

13,5

16 45' to 17 00'; 88 45' to 89 00'

5

16 45' to 17 00'; 88 15' to 88 30'

13,21,5

16 00' to 16 15'; 89 00' to 89 15'

13,5

16 10' to 16 15'; 88 30' to 88 45'

5

Holdridge Life Zone Distribution

References

Subtropical Lower Montane moist

17

Tropical moist-transition to Subtropical

16

Subtropical Lower Montane moist

15

Subtropical moist

13,10

Tropical moist-transition to Subtropical

13,13,12,21

Subtropical wet

13,9

Comments on Distribution

 

9* Las Sierritas, Toledo District.

Graphics

Map of known distribution

Vocal signature

Vocal signature with call paramters shown

Habitat Associations

Forest Type Associations

Seral Stage

Canopy Closure

References

Broadleaf hill forests over limestone in steep terrain.

Canopy unknown

Canopy unknown

17

Pine Forest and Orchard Savanna

Canopy unknown

Canopy unknown

17

Pine Forest and Orchard Savanna

Canopy unknown

Canopy unknown

16

Seasonally waterlogged fire-induced shrubland of the plains.

Canopy unknown

Canopy unknown

16

Broadleaf hill forests over limestone in rolling or flat terrain.

mature tree

41-70%

15

Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species

mature tree

41-70%

15

Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species; Chiquebul-Bullhoof Forest

mature tree

41-70%

15

Transitional Broadleaf Forest Poor in Lime-loving Species

all stages

71-100%

13

Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species: Sapote-ramon-spice forest.

all stages

71-100%

13

Lowland broadleaf moist evergreen seasonal forest over limestone, northwestern variant.

all stages

71-100%

13

Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species: Sapote-Silion forest.

all stages

71-100%

13

Lowland broadleaf moist evergreen seasonal forests over poor soils.

all stages

71-100%

13

Broadleaf Forest w/Occasional Lime-loving Species; Cohune-Banak forest.

all stages

71-100%

13

This serves to update Wright et al. for urban or agricultural areas devoid of native vegetation.

all stages

71-100%

13

Agriculture, no native vegetation.

all stages

71-100%

13

Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species; Sapote-Mahogany

all stages

71-100%

13

Broadleaf hill forests over limestone in steep terrain.

all stages

71-100%

13

Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species

all stages

71-100%

13

Lowland broadleaf rain forests over moderately lime-rich alluvium.

all stages

71-100%

13

Transitional Broadleaf Forest Poor in Lime-loving Species

all stages

71-100%

13

URBAN, human settlement.

Disturbed

41-70%

12

Broadleaf Forest w/Occasional Lime-loving Species; Cohune-Banak forest.

Disturbed

41-70%

12

Disturbed scrub

all stages

71-100%

21

Broadleaf Forest with Few Lime-loving Species

all stages

71-100%

21

Seasonal swamp forests of Southern and Central Belize, typical variant.

Canopy unknown

Canopy unknown

13

Broadleaf Forest with Few Lime-loving Species

Canopy unknown

Canopy unknown

13

Transitional Broadleaf Forest Poor in Lime-loving Species

all stages

41-70%

10

Agriculture, no native vegetation.

all stages

41-70%

10

Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species

Canopy unknown

Canopy unknown

13

 Food Habits

Trophic

INSECTIVORE

References on Trophic Level

8

Lifestage

Food Item Consumed

Part of Food Item

Adult

Lepidoptera

Adult stage

Comments on General Food Habits

8* Stomach and intestinal contents collected from four individuals of M. megalophylla suggest this species feeds exclusively on large-bodied moths (Easteria and Whitaker, 1972). M. megalophylla inhabits mixed boreal-tropical forests (the transitional zone between pine-oak forest and tropical deciduous forest between approximately 1,475 to 2,185 m elevation - Bateman and Vaughman, 1974; Webb and Baker, 1962), tropical rain forests (Sanchez-Herrera et al., 1986), and riparian areas with mature cottonwood, sycamore, and willow in oak-woodland habitat (Beatty, 1955).

Life History

Life History Narrative

8* The ghost-faced bat spends the day in caves or abandoned mine shafts and emerges soon after dark, flying in dense, fast-moving formations. Once out of the roost, individuals fly quickly to foraging sites along arroyos and canyons (Bateman and Vaughan, 1974). Colonies may contain 500,000 individuals (Barbour and Davis, 1969) and are spatially isolated from colonies of other species of bats roosting in the same caves (Raun and Baker, 1958). Males and non-reproducing females use caves separate from those used by nursing females (Bonaccorso et al., 1992). These bats are strong, fast flyers that travel at relatively high altitudes enroute to and from foraging sites (Bateman and Vaughan, 1974).

 

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. 1:97

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.53

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  Nowak, Ronald M., 1994. Walker's Bats of the World. Johns Hopkins
   University Press. Baltimore. p.106.

7  Koopman, Karl F. 1994. Chiroptera: Systematics (in) Handbook of Zoology.
   W. de Gruyter. Berlin-NY. p.46.

8  Rezsutek, Michael, Guy N. Cameron. 1993. Mormoops megalophylla. Mammalian
   Species No.448:1-5. The American Society of Mammalogists.

9  Miller, B.W. and C.M. Miller. 1998. Las Sierritas, Toledo District,
   Belize. Rapid Environmental Appraisal Report for Mott MacDonald, Ltd.
   6-10 January 1998.

10 Miller, B.W. and C.M. Miller. 1999. Harp trap and acoustic bat survey,
   April 11, 1996 and May 16, 1999, upper entrance of Actun Chapot Cave.
   Vaca Forest Reserve. Wildlife Conservation Society Tropical Forest and
   Reserve Planning Project Belize. Unpublished report.

11 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.

12 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.

13 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.

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

15 Miller, B.W. 2001. Preliminary survey of the bats of Las Cuevas BM Field
   Station, and Ek Tun lodge property on Macal River. June 16-20, 2001. WCS Tropcial Forest and
   Reserve Planning Project Technical Report.

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