Their echolocation pulse is emitted from the mouth (Herd 1983).
Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
P. parnellii is born immobile with closed eyes and naked skin, but with good hearing (Herd 1983).
P. parnellii may carry rabies, Histoplasma, Scopulariopsis, mites, or bat flies, which are hazardous to humans (Herd 1983).
This species feeds on insects that are sometimes injurious to humans. It has also served as a model in the study of echolocation.
Positive Impacts: research and education; controls pest population
P. parnellii eats moths, butterflies, and beetles (Herd 1983).
Pteronotus parnellii is found from southern Mexico to northern Brazil (Herd 1983).
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native ); neotropical (Native )
P. parnellii lives in edge habitats (Estrada 2001). These habitats range from humid to arid (Herd 1983). They also live in moist areas in forest (Gray 1843). They range in elevation from coastal lowland areas to 3000 m.
Range elevation: 0 to 3000 m.
Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: forest ; rainforest ; scrub forest
Pteronotus parnellii have tufts of hair sticking out of the sides of their muzzles, hence the name "Parnell's Mustached Bat". Members of this species have long and narrow wings, and their wing aspect ratio is greater than most bats. Both their ears and tragus are narrow and pointed, and they have a furless chin. Their dental formula is i2/2 c1/1 p2/3 m3/3. During their annual molt, which takes place from May to July, their coat turns from a dark brown/blackish color to a brilliant orange/fulvous. The male is usually slightly larger than the female (Estrada 2001).
Range mass: 10 to 20 g.
Range length: 73 to 102 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
The females are monestrous. The timing of pregnancy varies from region to region, but pregnancies generally take place from January to July (Gray, 1843). Males and females roost together only around the time of mating (Gray, 1843; Herd, 1983).
Average number of offspring: 1.
Average weaning age: 2-3 months.
Key Reproductive Features: gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (Internal ); viviparous
Parnell's mustached bat (Pteronotus parnellii) is an insectivorous bat native to the Americas. It ranges from southern Sonora, Mexico, south to Brazil. It has a wider historical range; fossil specimens have been collected on the island of New Providence in the Bahamas.
The bat was named for the British zoologist Richard Parnell.[3]
This is a large bat with a forearm length of about 6 centimetres (2.4 in). The ears are short and pointed, and lack noseleafs. The lips are wrinkled up and modified into a funnel shape.
This bat is most common in moist habitat types, and it can be found in some dry deciduous forests. It is mostly nocturnal, roosting in caves and mines during the day and emerging shortly after sunset for five to seven hours of activity.[4]
Parnell's mustached bat is an insectivore, taking a variety of insects such as beetles, moths, flies, and dragonflies. While many insectivorous bats prefer river habitats for the availability of aquatic insects, it generally hunts in non-river habitats due to the availability of more nutritious food items. This comes with a greater energy cost, as such habitats typically have more foliage, requiring increased maneuverability.[5]
Females gather in warm caves with other species, including the Cuban flower bat (Phyllonycteris poeyi), during the breeding season. They give birth around July and nurse pups until around October. The pups only leave the safety of their birth cave to forage and hunt when their forearm length reaches adult size. In all species, the calls of newborn pups vary from those of mature bats. Typically the frequency of their calls increases with age.[6]
Parnell's mustached bat produces long constant frequency (CF) calls. These are mixed with brief frequency modulations (FM), and are harmonic, consisting of a second, more intense constant frequency of about 61 kHz. The bat adjusts the CF component of their calls so that their second harmonic echos are consistently received at around 61 kHz. The cochlea, and other components of the inner ear, are designed to receive frequencies approximating 61 kHz. The bat uses the long CF portion to evaluate relative motion, and the terminal downward FM to determine target distance. In addition to this sonar, the species has several other modes of communication. It is the only bat in the family Mormoopidae to have evolved Doppler-sensitive sonar due to the long CF call component.[6]
Parnell's mustached bat (Pteronotus parnellii) is an insectivorous bat native to the Americas. It ranges from southern Sonora, Mexico, south to Brazil. It has a wider historical range; fossil specimens have been collected on the island of New Providence in the Bahamas.
Illustration by George Henry Ford The bat was named for the British zoologist Richard Parnell.
