Postcranial anatomy of Micronycteris microtis (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae: Phyllostominae)

MARIANA IRUZUBIETA; M. MÓNICA DÍAZ; RUBÉN M. BARQUEZ

Mendoza

Congreso; 10th IMC (International Mammalogical Congress); 2009

IFM, CCT Mendoza, SAREM

An anatomical description of the postcranial skeleton of Micronycteris microtis (Chirotpera: Phyllostomidae: Phyllostominae), is offered.  This is a member of a family of neotropical bats, characterized by their wide range of feeding habits, and preferences for food items. Our study was based in a sample of specimens collected in two localities of northwestern Argentina, recently added to the list of bats of the country. The analysis was focused in comparing similarities and differences of three species of bats of the same family, but basically different with respect to their food preferences and habits. Micronycteris microtis is an insectivorous foliage-gleaning bat, that can also eat fruits. Its skeleton is described and compared with the skeleton of two other species already studied: Chrotopterus auritus, a carnivorous bat, and Glossophaga soricina, a nectarivorous bat. These two species were chosen in order to highlight morphological differences and similarities between species holding different feeding guilds. Although the three species belong to the same family they are fundamentally different in size and basic food habits and share similarities in the type of flight and high maneuverability, which allows them to maintain a flight suspended and a great ability to avoid obstacles, which is reflected in the wide and short shape of the wings. We here describe, in detail, some skeletal structures such as the atlas, axis, femur, humerus, metacarpals, pelvis, prosternon, and scapula, among others.