Noteworthy Records Of Bats From Nicaragua, With A Checklist Of The Chiropteran Part 3

_Specimens._--_Chinandega_: 4.5 km N Cosiguina, 15 m, 1; San Antonio, 35 m, 5. _Matagalpa_: 2 km N, 6 km E Esquipulas, 960 m, 3. _Nueva Segovia_: 7 km N, 4 km E Jalapa, 660 m, 1.

_Zelaya_: S side Rio Mico, El Recreo, 25 m, 1.

Paradiso (1967) reviewed geographic variation in this unique bat, the type locality of which was restricted to Realejo, Chinandega, Nicaragua, by Goodwin (1946:327). Because additional material had not been reported from Nicaragua, Paradiso (_op. cit._:598) felt it was "premature to restrict the type locality to a specific area in that country" (the holotype was obtained on the voyage of the H.M.S.

Sulphur, which called at Realejo), and preferred the more general designation "west coast of Mexico or Central America." In view of the fact that we now have specimens from but a few miles distant from Realejo (at San Antonio), we see no reason to contest Goodwin's restriction of the type locality to that place.

Specimens from San Antonio were collected along a small stream, bordered by a bilevel gallery forest, in an area otherwise planted mostly to cane. Many trees of the lower level were covered by an extremely thick network of vines, which were interwoven with branches and supported fallen leaves and debris from the upper level. This situation led to formation of small "rooms" or "cubicles" under some shorter trees; the bats were shot as they hung from small branches under one such tree, which was in fruit. All of our other specimens were captured in mist nets.

Pregnant females were taken on the following dates (crown-rump length of embryo in parentheses): 25 February (12 mm), 2 March (17 mm), 15 March (14 mm); a nonpregnant female also was taken on 15 March. Five males captured at San Antonio on 9 and 10 March had an average testicular length of 5.6 (5-6) mm. A male taken in July had testes 4 mm in length, whereas those of one obtained on 14 March were 5 mm long.

Selected measurements (average, with extremes in parentheses) of 11 adults (seven males and four females) are as follows: length of forearm, 42.5 (41.5-43.7) mm; condylobasal length (10 specimens only), 14.8 (14.5-15.0) mm; zygomatic breadth, 14.8 (14.4-15.1) mm; interorbital breadth, 5.0 (4.7-5.2) mm; breadth across upper molars, 10.6 (10.5-11.0) mm; length of maxillary toothrow, 5.0 (4.8-5.3) mm.

These measurements generally agree with those given by Paradiso (1967:600) for 20 individuals from Panama. Females in our series average slightly larger than do males in external and cranial measurements. Six males weighed an average of 22.9 (20.7-25.1) gms; one nonpregnant female weighed 17.1 gms.

Diphylla ecaudata Spix, 1823

_Specimens._--_Boaco_: Los Cocos, 14 km S Boaco, 220 m, 5.

_Madriz_: 5 km N, 9 km E Condega, 800 m, 1. _Matagalpa_: 2 km N, 6 km E Esquipulas, 960 m, 1.

Our specimens const.i.tute the first report of this species from Nicaragua. We follow Burt and Stirton (1961:37) in regarding _D.

ecaudata_ as monotypic.

Specimens from Los Cocos (three males and two females) were captured in a mist net stretched across a large, quiet pool in a small stream. The banks supported well-developed gallery forest, the understory of which had been cleared for human habitation; gra.s.sland (grazed) and small stands of secondary forest obtained beyond the riparian habitat.

Domestic ducks, a possible source of food, were observed sleeping along the bank of this stream and on top of large boulders situated in the stream. Males from this locality taken on 20 February, 4 April, and 18 July had testicular lengths of 5, 6, and 6.5 mm, respectively. Two adult females collected there on 4 April were reproductively inactive.

An adult male (testes 6 mm) from near Condega was captured on 23 June in a daytime roost in a small, cave-like crevice (see account of _Peropteryx marcotis_), and one from northeast of Esquipulas (testes 5 mm) was netted on 14 March along a forest trail (see account of _Vampyressa pusilla_).

Natalus stramineus saturatus Dalquest and Hall, 1949

_Specimens._--_Granada_: 6 km S Nandaime, 5. _Zelaya_: S side Rio Mico, El Recreo, 25 m, 2.

This funnel-eared species occupies an extensive geographic range (northern Mexico to Brazil) but appears to be relatively rare in Middle America to the south of Guatemala. Our specimens represent the first of this species to be reported from Nicaragua.

Both specimens from El Recreo, adult males, were caught by hand at night after they flew through an open door into a small room, possibly seeking insects that were swarming around a light bulb. Those from near Nandaime (three males, two females) were caught in a mist net set over the mouth of a well in which they were roosting; the well was approximately 2 m in diameter, and the water level was about 5 m below the rim. The females were not reproductively active (6 August).

We have compared our Nicaraguan material with a number of Mexican specimens, including the holotype of _N. s. saturatus_ and topotypes of _N. s. mexica.n.u.s_. We concur with Goodwin (1959) that in Mexico there are two rather distinct subspecies, between which a broad zone of intergradation obtains. Our Nicaraguan specimens agree most closely with _N. s. saturatus_, and, until additional comparative material is available from Middle America, we tentatively refer them to that race.

Handley (1966b:770) and Starrett and Casebeer (1968:15), however, regarded _mexica.n.u.s_ as the appropriate name for specimens from Panama and Costa Rica.

Selected measurements of two males from El Recreo are: length of forearm, 41.2, 39.0 mm; greatest length of skull, 17.1, 16.5 mm; zygomatic breadth, 8.4, 8.5 mm; mastoid breadth, 7.7, 7.6 mm; breadth of braincase, 8.2, 8.1 mm; interorbital constriction, 3.2, 3.2 mm; length of maxillary toothrow, 7.3, 7.1 mm.

Myotis albescens (E. Geoffroy St.-Hilaire, 1806)

This handsome _Myotis_ has been reported previously from Nicaragua only from the Caribbean lowlands--from the Escondido and Prinzapolka rivers (Miller and Allen, 1928:203). We netted two specimens, both males, at Santa Rosa, 17 km N and 15 km E Boaco, 300 m, Boaco, in central Nicaragua on 13 July and 9 August 1967, under the same conditions described in the account of _Myotis elegans_. Testes of our specimens were 7 and 6 mm, respectively, in length. External and cranial measurements are as follows: total length, 84, 83 mm; length of tail, 31, 33 mm; length of hind foot, 9, 9 mm; length of ear, 15, 15 mm; length of forearm, 32.9, 35.1 mm; weight, 6.4, 6.2 gms; greatest length of skull, 13.9, 14.4 mm; zygomatic breadth, 8.9, 9.0 mm; pos...o...b..tal breadth, 3.8, 3.9 mm; breadth of braincase, 7.2, 7.3 mm; mastoid breadth, 7.4, 7.6 mm; breadth across upper molars, 5.6, 5.5 mm; length of maxillary toothrow, 5.3, 5.3 mm.

Myotis elegans Hall, 1962

The first specimen on record of this rare _Myotis_ from Central America, a nonpregnant female, was taken on 11 July 1967 at Santa Rosa, 17 km N and 15 km E Boaco, 300 m, Boaco. It was captured in a mist net as it foraged over a small stream that supported relatively well-developed gallery forest along the bank. The surrounding area was gra.s.sland (grazed), with small patches of tropical forest located on the sides of hills. Twenty other species of bats were taken at this same locality including _Myotis argentatus_ and _Myotis nigricans nigricans_.

External and cranial measurements of our specimen, followed in parentheses by those of the female holotype from Veracruz, are: total length, 71 (79) mm; length of tail, 32 (34) mm; length of hind foot, 7 (7.5) mm; length of ear, 11 (12) mm; length of forearm, 32.9 (33.0) mm; greatest length of skull, 12.5 (12.4) mm; condylobasal length, 11.6 (11.9) mm; zygomatic breadth, 8.2 mm; breadth of braincase, 5.8 (6.1) mm; pos...o...b..tal breadth, 3.2 (3.2) mm; length of maxillary toothrow, 4.7 (4.6) mm. Our female weighed 3.2 gms.

Myotis nigricans nigricans (Schinz, 1821)

_Specimens._--_Boaco_: Santa Rosa, 17 km N, 15 km E Boaco, 300 m, 2. _Chinandega_: 6.5 km N, 1 km E Cosiguina, 10 m, 1; San Antonio, 35 m, 1. _Chontales_: 1 km N, 2.5 km W Villa Somoza, 330 m, 1.

_Madriz_: Daraili, 5 km N, 14 km E Condega, 940 m, 1. _Nueva Segovia_: 4.5 km N, 2 km E Jalapa, 680 m, 1. _Rivas_: 1 km NW Sapoa, 40 m, 1.

This small Neotropical _Myotis_ has been reported from Nicaragua only from the Caribbean lowlands of Zelaya (Davis _et al._, 1964:379). Our records indicate that it is widely distributed in the republic but evidently nowhere common. Females taken on 5 March and 6 August each carried a single embryo (7 and 13 mm in crown-rump length, respectively), whereas one obtained on 21 July evidenced no reproductive activity. Richard K. LaVal currently is studying the _Myotis nigricans_ complex; pending his revision our specimens are tentatively a.s.signed to _M. n. nigricans_.

Myotis simus riparius Handley, 1960

A male (USNM 52800) from the Escondido River above Bluefields, originally reported by Miller and Allen (1928:203) as one of two _M.

albescens_ from that locality, provides the first record of the species from Nicaragua and the northernmost from Middle America. The cranial dimensions of this specimen, which compare well with those listed by Handley (1960:467) for the Panamanian holotype and paratype, are: greatest length of skull, 13.8 mm; zygomatic breadth, 8.9 mm; pos...o...b..tal constriction, 3.5 mm; breadth of braincase, 6.7 mm; mastoid breadth, 7.4 mm; breadth across upper molars, 5.5 mm; length of maxillary toothrow, 5.2 mm.

From Nicaraguan specimens of _albescens_, the skull of the specimen of _simus_ examined (skin not seen) differs most conspicuously in having a less inflated braincase, narrower pos...o...b..tal region, and a distinct sagittal crest.

Eptesicus furinalis gaumeri (J. A. Allen, 1897)

_Specimens._--_Carazo_: 3 km N, 4 km W Diriamba, 600 m, 7.

_Chinandega_: Potosi, 5 m, 1; 6.5 km N, 1 km E Cosiguina, 10 m, 1; San Antonio, 35 m, 1. _Chontales_: 1 km N, 2.5 km W Villa Somoza, 330 m, 1; Hato Grande, 13 km S, 8 km W Juigalpa, 60 m, 3.

Davis (1965:234) reported two specimens of this species from Nicaragua, one from Carazo (listed above) and the other from 1 mi SE Yalaguina, 2600 ft, Madriz. The only other specimen on record from Nicaragua is from Greytown (Miller, 1897:100). Except for two individuals that were shot as they foraged in early evening, our specimens were captured in mist nets stretched over water or as described below.

Some of the bats captured northwest of Diriamba were taken in a net placed across the center of a water-filled, concrete cistern that was located in a large, open s.p.a.ce used for drying coffee beans. Open at the top, the cistern was approximately 12 m in diameter, and the water level was approximately 3 m below the rim. Several _Artibeus jamaicensis_, _A. lituratus_, and _Molossus pretiosus_ were caught in the same net. Aside from bats removed from the net, a few _Eptesicus_ and _Molossus_ were retrieved from the water where they fell, apparently stunned, after colliding with the wall of the cistern. The fact that a number of decomposed bats of these two species were observed floating in the water indicated that such entrapment was not caused by the placement of our net.

A female pregnant with two embryos (crown-rump length 15 mm) was captured on 22 April, whereas one taken on 5 July was lactating. Adult males taken in March (two) and April (two) had testes 5, 7, 9, and 10 mm long, respectively.

Rhogeessa tumida tumida H. Allen, 1866

_Specimens._--_Boaco_: Santa Rosa, 17 km N, 15 km E Boaco, 300 m, 2. _Carazo_: 3 km N, 4 km W Diriamba, 600 m, 2. _Chinandega_: 6 km N, 1 km E Cosiguina, 10 m, 3; Hda. Bellavista, 720 m, Volcan Casita, 1. _Matagalpa_: 1 km NE Esquipulas, 420 m, 1.

This small vespertilionid occurs throughout much of Central America, but the available material still is insufficient to permit an accurate a.s.sessment of geographic variation in that region. All but one of our specimens were trapped in mist nets. Those captured near Diriamba were taken in a net stretched across a trail bordered by high cut-banks, whereas those from other localities were netted over small streams. The one bat from Bellavista was shot as it foraged in the evening along trees bordering the hacienda yard.

Two females taken on 5 March each had swollen uteri and may have been in an early stage of pregnancy. Others taken on 13 July, 9 August, and 15 August were reproductively inactive. Males had testes that measured 2.5 (March), 3 (July), and 2 (August) mm.

We have compared our material with representative specimens from Mexico of _R. parvula_ and _R. tumida_, as defined by Goodwin (1958); we are not wholly convinced that these are valid species (rather than variable geographic races of the same species). Certainly there is need for additional investigation of the problem. Our Nicaraguan specimens most closely resemble _R. t. tumida_ (see Goodwin, _op. cit._:3), to which they are tentatively referred.

Selected measurements of two females from Boaco and a male from Matagalpa, followed by the average (and extremes) of three males and three females from western Nicaragua (Carazo and Chinandega), are, respectively: length of forearm, 30.4, 28.5, 28.3, 28.2 (27.5-29.0) mm; greatest length of skull, 12.8, 12.7, 12.8, 12.1 (11.8-12.5) mm; zygomatic breadth, 8.1, 8.4, 8.6, 8.1 (7.8-8.6) mm; mastoid breadth, 7.1, 7.2, 7.2, 6.8 (6.6-7.1) mm; breadth of braincase, 6.0, 5.7, 6.0, 5.6 (5.3-6.1) mm; pos...o...b..tal constriction, 3.3, 3.0, 3.3, 3.0 (2.9-3.2) mm; length of maxillary toothrow, 4.7, 4.7, 4.5, 4.3 (4.2-4.6) mm; weight, 4.4, 4.3, 3.8, 3.5 (3.1-3.9) gms.

Tadarida laticaudata yucatanica (Miller, 1902)

One adult male (testes 5 mm) of this free-tailed bat from Potosi, 5 m, Chinandega, on the Cosiguina Peninsula, provides the only record of the genus _Tadarida_ from Nicaragua. This specimen was netted after dark over a small stream that flowed into the Bay of Fonseca approximately 200 yards below our nets (see account of _Noctilio leporinus_). Other species taken in the same net included _Carollia subrufa_, _Sturnira lilium_, _Eptesicus furinalis_, _Molossus ater_, and _Molossus molossus_.

Selected measurements of the male are: total length, 92 mm; length of tail, 31 mm; length of hind foot, 10 mm; length of ear, 15 mm; length of forearm, 39.2 mm; weight, 10.3 gms; greatest length of skull, 17.2 mm; zygomatic breadth, 10.6 mm; pos...o...b..tal constriction, 4.0 mm; breadth of braincase, 8.6 mm; length of maxillary toothrow, 6.5 mm.