The Guadeloupe big-eyed bat (Chiroderma improvisum ) is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is found in Guadeloupe and Montserrat. It is threatened by habitat loss mostly because of Hurricane Hugo, which destroyed 90% of the population of this bat in 1989. The species may be locally extinct in some areas of Guadeloupe.
A frugivore is an animal that thrives mostly on raw fruits or succulent fruit-like produce of plants such as roots, shoots, nuts, and seeds. Approx...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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starts withIt is the largest member of its genus, Chiroderma.Its body length is 85–88 mm (3.3–3.5 in).Its forearm is 57.5 mm (2.26 in) long.Its nose-leaf is approximately 5.9 mm (0.23 in) long.Its hind foot is 15–17 mm (0.59–0.67 in) long, and its ear is 21–21.5 mm (0.83–0.85 in) long.Its fur has a woolly texture.Individual hairs are 10 mm (0.39 in) long on its back.Its hairs are mostly a pale brownish-gray; the bases of the hairs are darker, while the tips are a rich, dark brown.Some individuals have a distinct white stripe down their backs.In some individuals, the coloration of individual hairs is distinctly tricolored.Fur on its belly is grayish-brown, with individual hairs tipped in white.
It has been documented on the islands of Guadeloupe and Montserrat, both of which are part of the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean Sea.In 2016, it was documented for the first time on Saint Kitts Island, which is also part of the Lesser Antilles.This discovery expanded the known range of the species by 80 km (50 mi).
It is a diploid species, with 26 chromosomes.Its fundamental number is 48.It is frugivorous.Little is known about its reproduction.A lactating female was once encountered in July.It is known to be parasitized by mites of the family Spinturnicidae (Periglischrus iheringi ).This mite species is a common ectoparasite of leaf-nosed bats.
It is currently evaluated as endangered by the IUCN.The 2016 listing as endangered was an uplisting from its 2008 listing as vulnerable.It meets the criteria to be listed as endangered because it is known from fewer than five locations, its extent of occurrence is approximately 4,000 km2 (1,500 sq mi), its area of occupancy is 1,000 km2 (390 sq mi), and there is an ongoing decline in the extent and quality of its habitat.In 2008, individuals of this species were captured in Montserrat, alleviating fears that it had gone extinct.Before this individual was captured, the last Guadeloupe big-eyed bat documented on Montserrat was in 1984.It is thought that the bat species of Montserrat could be threatened by dramatic natural events, such as hurricanes and volcanic eruptions.
