BATS 



This is a very large suborder containing a great many forms 

 which in their ranges cover most of the Eastern and Western 

 Hemispheres. Practically all of the forms are crepuscular or 

 nocturnal in habit. While the greater number of Bats in this 

 suborder are strictly insectivorous, there are some which are 

 frugivorous, and a very small family the members of which 

 are sanguivorous and highly specialized for a blood diet. 

 Only the insectivorous forms range as far north as the United 

 States. 



From many observations, it would appear that all of our 

 Bats which have a summer range in a region of cold winters 

 either hibernate or migrate to a warmer region during the 

 period when insect life is scarce. The fact that these Bats 

 take on a layer of fat at the close of summer also points to an 

 approaching drain upon the constitution, such as a dormant 

 season or an extended flight. 



Under the heading of enemies of Bats, the Owl is listed for 

 each species. For only a few of the species are there definite, 

 authentic records of Bat skulls taken from Owl pellets, notably 

 Eptesicus and Lasionycteris, but after a rather extensive 

 examination of Owl pellets collected in tropical America, in 

 which I have found the remains of many Bats, covering the 

 range from fruit-eating species to the most active insectivorous 

 forms, I have reached the conclusion that Owls are quite capa- 

 ble of preying on Bats and are real, potential enemies. 



Family Phyllostomidae. American 

 Leaf-nosed Bats 



"Tragus present, variously thickened and notched; a simple 

 nose-leaf generally present, though occasionally rudimentary 

 or absent, 



"The members of the family Phyllostomidas are recogniz- 

 able by the presence of three completely bony phalanges in the 

 third finger, the entire premaxillary, the slender, incomplete 

 fibula, and the well-developed molar teeth. Though some of 

 the genera lack cutaneous nasal outgrowths, those which have 

 nose-leaves are the only American leaf-nosed bats, and these 

 structures are never as highly developed as in some of the 

 Old World families." (Miller) 



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