Belize Biodiversity Information System

Taxonomy

Species ID	050850
Name	Argentine brown bat
Other Common Names
Category	05 Mammals
Phylum
Subphylum
Class	Mammalia
Subclass	Theria
Suborder	Microchiroptera
Family	Vespertilionidae
Genus	Eptesicus
Species	furinalis
Subspecies
References	1, 2, 3, 8
Scientific Synonyms	Eptesicus furinalis (d'Orbigny and Gervais,1847)

Comments

8* Seven subspecies. E.f. gaumeri (tropical Mexico to the Guianas except for the highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama), E.f. carteri (highlands of Costa Rica and western Panama), E.f. chiralensis (Andean region from Venezuela to Peru), E.f. montosus (upland regions of central Bolivia and central Brazil), E.f. chapmani (Amazonian regions of Columbia, Brazil and Bolivia), E.f. furinalis (eastern Brazil to southern Brazil and northeastern Argintina), E.f. findleyi (northwestern Argintina).

Status

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

Distribution

DISTRICT	References
Belize	13
Cayo	13
Corozal	13
Orange Walk	13
Stann Creek	13
Toledo	13

Administrative Unit	Occurrence	Abundance	Temporal	References
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	Recorded vocalization.	Fairly common	June	13
Gallon Jug	Recorded vocalization.	Fairly common	May	13
Gallon Jug	Recorded vocalization.	Fairly common	April	13
Gallon Jug	Recorded vocalization.	Fairly common	January	13
Gallon Jug	Recorded vocalization.	Fairly common	December	13
Gallon Jug	Recorded vocalization.	Fairly common	August	13
Gallon Jug	Recorded vocalization.	Fairly common	February	13
Gallon Jug	Captured or Mist netted and released	Fairly common	June	13
Gallon Jug	Recorded vocalization.	Fairly common	October	13
Gallon Jug	Recorded vocalization.	Fairly common	September	13
Gallon Jug	Recorded vocalization.	Fairly common	March	13
Gallon Jug	Recorded vocalization.	Fairly common	July	13
Shipstern Nature Reserve	Recorded vocalization.	Unknown, insuffient data	April	13
Bladen Nature Reserve	Captured or Mist netted and released	Unknown, insuffient data	June	13
El Pilar	Recorded vocalization.	Unknown, insuffient data	March	13
Town or Village, see comments.	Recorded vocalization.	Unknown, insuffient data	June	13
Rio Bravo Conservation Area	Recorded vocalization.	Unknown, insuffient data	July	13
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve	Recorded vocalization.	Unknown, insuffient data	July	13
Town or Village, see comments.	Recorded vocalization.	Unknown, insuffient data	October	13
Blue Hole National Park	Recorded vocalization.	Fairly common	November	12
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	Recorded vocalization.	Common	May	11
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary	Recorded vocalization.	Common	July	11
Honey Camp (Proposed)	Collected as voucher.	Unknown, insuffient data	November	15
Honey Camp (Proposed)	Collected as voucher.	Unknown, insuffient data	August	15
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve	Collected as voucher.	Unknown, insuffient data	January	14
Government land		Unknown, insuffient data		6
Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve				6
Freshwater Creek Forest Reserve				6
Rio Bravo Conservation Area	Captured or Mist netted and released	Fairly common	Dry season (Jan-May)	5
Rio Bravo Conservation Area	Captured or Mist netted and released	Fairly common	Dry season (Jan-May)	7

Hydrologic Unit Distribution	References
Macal River	13
Bladen Branch	13
New River	13
New River Lagoon	13
North Stann Creek	11

ELEVATION Association	References
401-600 m	13
0-100 m	13, 10
1-200 m	13, 12, 11
201-400 m	13

QUAD Distribution	References
17 30' to 17 45'; 89 00' to 89 15'	13
16 30' to 16 45'; 88 30' to 88 45'	13
17 30' to 17 45'; 88 30' to 88 45'	13
17 00' to 17 15'; 88 30' to 88 45'	13, 12
18 15' to 18 30'; 88 00' to 88 15'	13, 10
17 15' to 17 30'; 88 15' to 88 30'	15
17 15' to 17 30'; 88 30' to 88 45'	13
17 30' to 17 45'; 88 00' to 88 15'	15
16 45' to 17 00'; 88 15' to 88 30'	13, 11
17 30' to 17 45'; 88 15' to 88 30'	15
18 15' to 18 30'; 88 15' to 88 30'	15, 5
17 15' to 17 30'; 88 00' to 88 15'	6
17 00' to 17 15'; 89 00' to 89 15'	13, 6
17 00' to 17 15'; 88 45' to 89 00'	13, 6
17 00' to 17 15'; 88 15' to 88 30'	6
16 45' to 17 00'; 88 45' to 89 00'	6
16 45' to 17 00'; 88 00' to 88 15'	17, 6
18 00' to 18 15'; 88 30' to 88 45'	13, 6
16 00' to 16 15'; 88 45' to 89 00'	16, 6
18 00' to 18 15'; 88 15' to 88 30'	15, 6
17 45' to 18 00'; 89 00' to 89 15'	6
17 45' to 18 00'; 88 45' to 89 00'	7

Holdridge Life Zone Distribution	References
Subtropical Lower Montane moist	13
Subtropical Lower Montane wet	13
Subtropical wet	13
Tropical moist-transition to Subtropical	13,12,11
Subtropical moist	13,10

Comments on Distribution

7* La Milpa
6* Little Vaquero Creek; Augustine; Honey Camp Lagoon; Estero Lagoon;
   Central Farm.

Graphics

Distribution map
Vocal signature
Vocal signature with call parameters

Habitat Associations

Forest Type Associations	Seral Stage	Canopy Closure	References
Transitional Broadleaf Forest Poor in Lime-loving Species	all stages	71-100%	13
Lowland broadleaf moist evergreen seasonal forests over poor soils.	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
Agriculture, no native vegetation.	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
Cohune Palm Forest	all stages	71-100%	13
Inland well-drained shrubland over poor soils.	all stages	71-100%	13
Lowland broadleaf moist semi-evergreen scrub forest.	all stages	71-100%	13
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species; Sapote-Mahogany Forest	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 limestone, northeastern variant.	all stages	71-100%	13
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species; Chiquebul-Santa Maria Forest.	all stages	71-100%	13
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species: Sapote-ramon-spice forest.	all stages	71-100%	13
URBAN, human settlement.	all stages	71-100%	13
Mixed hill forests over poor soils (Mountain Pine Ridge).	all stages	71-100%	13
Tall herb wetland communities.	all stages	71-100%	13
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species; Chiquebul-Bullhoof Forest	all stages	71-100%	13
This serves to update Wright et al. for urban or agricultural areas devoid of native vegetation.	all stages	0-40%	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
Seasonally waterlogged fire-induced shrubland of the plains.	all stages	71-100%	13
Dwarf mangrove scrub.	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	10
Seasonal swamp forests of Southern and Central Belize, typical variant.	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	16
Marsh and Swamp Communities	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	16
Marsh and Swamp Communities	all stages	71-100%	13
Transitional Low Broadleaf Forest and Shrubland	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	15
Coastal Formations	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	17
Lowland broadleaf moist evergreen seasonal forests over poor soils.	all stages	71-100%	11
Transitional Broadleaf Forest Poor in Lime-loving Species	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	15
Broadleaf Forest w/Occasional Lime-loving Species; Cohune-Banak forest.	Disturbed	41-70%	12
Marsh and Swamp Communities	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	17
URBAN, human settlement.	Disturbed	0-40%	12
Coastal Formations	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	10
Transitional Broadleaf Forest Poor in Lime-loving Species	all stages	71-100%	13,11
Seasonal swamp forests (marsh forests) of Northern Belize, variant 1.	all stages	71-100%	13
Broadleaf Forest Rich in Lime-loving Species; Sapote-Mahogany	all stages	71-100%	13
Agriculture, no native vegetation.	all stages	71-100%	13
Broadleaf Forest Moderately Rich in Lime-loving Species; Cohune-Quamwood Forest	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	15
Lowland needle-leaf moist open forests over poor soils.	Canopy unknown	Canopy unknown	15
Pine Forest and Orchard Savanna	all stages	71-100%	13
Needle-leaf hill forests over poor soils (Mountain Pine Ridge).	all stages	71-100%	13
Pine Forest and Orchard Savanna	all stages	71-100%	13

Food Habits

Trophic

INSECTIVORE

References on Trophic Level

9

Lifestage	Food Item Consumed	Part of Food Item
Adult	Insects	Adult stage

Comments on General Food Habits

9* Stomach contents consist of finely chopped insect remains (Dalquest, 1953; Starrett and de la Torre, 1964), and E. furinalis apparently is an aerial insectivore (Barquez et al., 1993), as are other species of Eptesicus. Timing of activity is not well defined, but Villa-R (1966) mentions that this species was, on some occasions, the first bat to be captured in nets, and Gaumer (1917) describes this species flying around a house searching for insects at twilight. In San Luis Potosi, Mexico, it appears very early in the evening, often flying at a height of 6-9 m, over and through the tops of trees; these bats fly erratically in irregularly circles about 15-30 m in diameter (Dalquest, 1953).

Life History

Life History Narrative

9* Based on limited data, Davis (1966) believed that E. furinalis bred year-round. However, the extensive work of Myers (1977) in Paraguay strongly suggested a bimodal breeding pattern, with parturition occurring only during the warmer parts of the year. The lack of breeding activity during winter presumably was related to food (insect) shortages brought on by cool ambient temperatures (Myers, 1977). No study of habitat use exists for this species, and one must infer habitat preferences based on sites at which E. furinalis has been captured. This species had been mist netted or shot while flying along a stream in a pine-oak forest (Watkins et al., 1972), along a swift-flowing stream through thick vegetation with a cypress-fig canopy (Hollander and Jones, 1988), over a small pool in the streambed of a canyon surrounded by dense forest (Jones, 1964), in riparian vegetation along a lagoon (McCarthy, 1987), and over a partly filled cistern in an open area that has part of a coffee-drying facility (Jones et al., 1971). E. furinalis is commonly captured in nets set over or next to rivers, cenotes, arroyos, swimming pools, and cattle ponds (Barquez and Lougheed, 1990; Birney et al., 1974; Hall, 1963; Jones et al., 1973; McCarthy, 1987; Myers, 1977; Starrett and Casebeer, 1968; Villa R., 1966). Some have been captured in gardens (Brosset and Charles-Dominique, 1990; Sawada and Harada, 1986) or shot while flying over roads (Starrett and Casebeer, 1968), under the overhanging branches of a mango tree (Hall, 1963), or in a forest clearing (Jones, 1964). Areas surrounding capture sites in Venezuela include yards, evergreen forest, cloud forest, savannah, swamps, and orchards (Handley, 1976). This species has a large geographic range and lives in a variety of habitats; consequently, a large number of bat species have been captured while flying at the same location and time as E. furinalis. Other vespertilionids occasionally caught with E. furingeessa tumida (Dolan and Carter, 1979; Ibanez and Ochoa G., 1989; Hollander and Jones, 1988; Jones and Dunnigan, 1965; Philips and Jones, 1971; Watkins et al., 1972). Although mostly found in moist habitats, E. furinalis has been collected in a variety of vegetative life zones. In Venezuela, theses include many of the life zones of Holdridge, including tropical dry forest, tropical moist forest, tropical wet forest, subtropical moist forest, subtropical wet forest, lower montane moist forest, and lower montane wet forest (Handley, 1976).

Life History References

9

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. 1:217-218

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.85

5  Anonymous. 1994. Rio Bravo Mammal Update.  Unpublished list. pp.1-2

6  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.

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

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

9  Mies, R., A. Kurta and D. G. King. 1996. Eptesicus furinalis. The
   American Society of Mammalogists. Mammalian Species. No. 526:1-7.

10 Bartschi, D. 1998. Chiropteres de al Reserva Naturelle de Shipstern et
   de ses environs (Nord du Belize): Inventaire et biologie. Masters Thesis
   University of Neuchatel, Switzerland. 101 pp.

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 UF. Florida Sate Musuem Mammal Deptartment, Belize holdings. University
   of Florida, Gainesville.  Imported on date: 09/20/00

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

16 MSU. 2000. Collections data from mammal musuem, Michigan State
   University.  Imported records 9/15/2000.

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