84 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 75 



Vampyrops vittatus 

 Greater Broad-nosed Bat 



Greater broad-nosed bats reach their northern limit in Costa Rica, and extend 

 as far south as Bolivia (Fig. 66). Vampyrops vittatus is a monotypic species. 



This broad-nosed bat is most common at intermediate elevations in wet and 

 moist forest habitats (Handley 1976). Roosting sites have been reported from caves 

 and tunnels, overhanging roots, and under stream banks (Tuttle 1976). Gardner 

 (1977) listed this species as frugivorous. Little is known about the reproductive 

 pattern, but the species is presumed to be bimodally polyestrous (Wilson 1979). 



Dobson (1878) first reported V. vittatus from Costa Rica (undesignated locality), 

 and Tamsitt and Valdivieso (1961) reported a second specimen from San Jose. Davis 

 et al. (1964) collected 9 specimens from Cariblanco, Alajuela Province, and Gardner 

 et al. (1970) reported 16 from Vara Blanca, Heredia Province. 



Specimens examined (16)— Vara Blanca [6 males, 10 females, LSUMZ]. 



Subfamily Desmodontinae 



Desmodus rotundas 

 Common Vampire Bat, Vampiro 



Common vampires occur from Sonora and Tamaulipas, Mexico, to Argen- 

 tina (Fig. 67). The Costa Rican subspecies, Desmodus rotundus murinus, occurs 

 throughout Mexico and Central America. 



Common vampires have adapted to a wide variety of habitats and prosper where 

 man has introduced livestock. They are much less common in primary forest. Roost 

 sites include caves, tunnels, hollow trees, culverts, bridges, and rock crevices (Tutde 

 1976). The diet is restricted to blood, primarily mammalian, although we have 

 also observed them feeding on chickens. Reproduction is continuous, probably due 

 to the artifically high food supply provided by domestic livestock. The biology 

 of vampires was summarized by Greenhall et al. (1983) and Greenhall and Schmidt 

 (1988). Turner (1975, 1983) summarized natural history information for Costa Rica. 



In a several-month study of vampires at La Selva, Young (1971) reported a 

 colony of 40 to 47 individuals in the hollow of a large Ceiba pentandra tree, while 

 a second colony of 54 to 68 individuals roosted between two gnarled buttresses 

 of a giant Terminalia bucidoides tree (Combretaceae) . One roost site also con- 

 tained a colony of greater white-lined bats {Saccopteryx bilineata) , but there was 

 little to no interaction between the vampires and sac-winged bats. Young noted 

 a high degree of site fidelity in the vampires. The individuals he observed typical- 

 ly fed on cattle located 2.4 km from the roosting sites. Although he found reproduc- 

 tion concentrated in a 2 month period (March through April), investigators in other 

 areas have found vampires to breed the year around. 



Goodwin (1946) reported specimens from Cartago Province. Mares and Wilson 

 (1971) reported vampires from Guanacaste Province and also seven specimens from 

 La Selva. LaVal and Fitch added 29 from La Selva. Our specimens from Braulio 

 Carrillo came from forested areas near old pastures. 



