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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Bats in Barra de Navidad, Mexico (1 Viewer)

SueO

Well-known member
I thought it would be easy to ID these guys, but I'm not having much luck. I thought I had them a few times, but what I thought they might be were always (way) out of range. I didn't mean too, but I flushed them and I got a fairly good view of size. They almost looked like nightjars in wing shape. They were quite large. A wing span of 15 to 20 inches???--could be wrong I'm terrible about that. They weren't the little bats I usually see. They seem to be a leaf-nosed bat of some kind, but I can't find anything with white stripes in range. I had the feeling they had young bats in the group and the adults were flying to draw attention away? Aren't the just the cutest things?
 

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Looks like Salvin's big-eyed bat, Chiroderma salvini. 4 white lines, central individual has pale band across shoulder etc
 
I just got my camera's video properties working with my software again. Maybe I'll wander back to the site and try to get some flight videos. When I got near them, a half dozen or so flew out from the deserted building they were in, which is what alerted me to the roosting area. They seemed to be strong fliers, and flew away from the roost at speed in broad daylight. I thought I was seeing nightjars or the like at first.
 
Thank-you so much. I think you're right. I did some googling; slim pickings. I did find this: Systematics of big-eyed bats, genus Chiroderma Peters, 1860 (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) | Zootaxa
In this tiny bit of knowledge, it's mentioned they are associated with montane forests. I am on the coast in a dry tropical forest. Thanks again for your time and response.
It's possible they've been split into several species (edit: I've not read this paper). The mammal guide I have (2014) says "This species mainly in-
habits tropical deciduous forests and adjacent areas with secondary vegetation. It is found from sea level up to 1,722 m (Eisenberg, 1989)." That would include your situation.
 
It's possible they've been split into several species (edit: I've not read this paper). The mammal guide I have (2014) says "This species mainly in-
habits tropical deciduous forests and adjacent areas with secondary vegetation. It is found from sea level up to 1,722 m (Eisenberg, 1989)." That would include your situation.
They are also on the range map. I didn't mean to suggest your ID was wrong, I'm sure that that is the bat, I was just a bit surprised when I read the montane bit. The 'paper' is about a paragraph long! There really isn't a whole lot to find on these bats. I never would have ID'd on my own. Thanks again.
 
Well, after re-reading the 'article', I realized that C. scopaeum is endemic to Western Mexico and was previously considered a ssp of C. salvini which is the bat associated with montane. So, this bat must be Chiroderma scopaeum? It's not good to be reading late when you're too tired to absorb the words! Maybe I still don't have it right? EDIT: Also, the article seems to be a proposal, don't know if it was accepted.
 
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The 'paper' is about a paragraph long!
No that's just the publicly accessible abstract. If you want to read it in full you have to pay a vast amount or obtain illegal access. Sometimes you can get these things free through research gate.

If they're splitting Western populations as a new species there's a reasonable chance it includes this population as Western Mexico is (mostly) seasonally dry woodland.

As with all taxonomy, I'd want to read their work and decide if I agree before accepting their conclusions

Edit: "accepted": by who? There is no single authority on the taxonomy of any group of organisms---and that includes birds
 
Edit: "accepted": by who? There is no single authority on the taxonomy of any group of organisms---and that includes birds
Oh. Well, whoever/whatever entity it is that keeps changing the birds I have on my list to something else.🤣Salvin's Big-eyed Bats is good enough for me and my curiosity. ;)
 

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