34 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 75 



Family Phyllostomidae 



Subfamily Phyllostominae 



Chrotopterus auritus 

 Peter's False Vampire Bat 



Peter's false vampire bats are found from the southern Mexican States of Oaxaca 

 and Veracruz through Central America to the Guianas, across northern and southern 

 Brazil, eastern Peru, and southeast to northern Argentina (Fig. 21). Although 

 Chrotopterus auritus is widely distributed, there are few actual specimens of this 

 species and we know little of its distribution and biology. Chrotopterus auritus 

 probably is best considered as a monotypic species. 



The diet of these large phyllostomines consists of small vertebrates and large 

 insects. Medellm (1988) found that 86% of prey items from a roost in Mexico 

 were vertebrates, and that 79% of those were rodents and shrews. Roost sites in- 

 clude hollow trees (Medellm 1988) and caves (Graham 1988). Wilson (1979) sum- 

 marized what little information is available on reproduction in this species, and 

 suggested that it is likely the young are bom during the early part of the rainy season. 



Little is known concerning the status of Peter's false vampire in Costa Rica. 

 Goodwin (1946) listed C. auritus as a species occurring in Costa Rica; however, 

 he did not cite either specimens from the country or localities, so it seems that 

 he had no actual records available but included it because of suspected distribu- 

 tion. Starrett and Casebeer (1968) were the first to report specimens of C auritus 

 from Costa Rica. They obtained a total of seven males and one female from a single 

 hollow log at Finca La Lola in Limon Province at 50 m elevation in July 1961 

 and September 1962. Wilson (1983) listed Peter's false vampire bat from Guanacaste 

 Province. 



On 8 May 1988, A. P. Brooke captured a single young adult female C auritus 

 at La Selva. The bat was mist-netted in primary forest at 1645 h; it was followed 

 by radiotelemetry and released (A. P. Brooke, in litt.). This is the first record of 

 Peter's false vampire bat from La Selva. Brooke (1988) found this female to direct 

 foraging attacks only at birds and bats when they flew by, ignoring insects. She 

 suggested that C auritus has a "sit-and-wait" foraging strategy, hunting only 

 selected, active prey. 



Lonchorhina aurita 

 Tomes' Long-eared Bat 



Tomes' long-eared bat is found from Oaxaca, Mexico, to Brazil (Fig. 22). 

 Although Anthony (1923) named Lonchorhina occidentalis as a distinct species, 

 recent workers have placed it in synonymy with L. aurita, which is considered 

 monotypic (Lassieur and Wilson 1989). 



Although mainly a bat of the primary forest, it has been taken in agricultural 

 areas as well (Handley 1976). The most common roosting sites are caves or tunnels. 

 Although this species is insectivorous and probably a foliage gleaner, Fleming et al. 

 (1972) reported a single individual with fruit pulp in its stomach. The scant evidence 

 available suggests a reproductive cycle tied to the rainy season. 



