| Behn's bat | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Phyllostomidae |
| Genus: | Glyphonycteris |
| Species: | G. behnii |
| Binomial name | |
| Glyphonycteris behnii (Peters, 1865) | |
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| Synonyms | |
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Behn's bat,Behn's big-eared bat, orBehn's graybeard bat (Glyphonycteris behnii) is a species ofbat in the familyPhyllostomidae found inBrazil andPeru. It is known only from six specimens and is considered rare. It feeds on insects and small fruits.
Behn's bat wasdescribed in 1865 by German naturalistWilhelm Peters. Peters placed it in the now-defunct genusSchizostoma with a scientific name ofSchizostoma behnii.[2] Theholotype was collected inCuiabá, Brazil. In 1898,Gerrit Smith Miller Jr. reclassified it, placing it in the genusMicronycteris.[3] In 1906,Knud Andersen placed it inGlyphonycteris but spelled thespecies name asbehni.[4] Theeponym for the species name "behnii" is German zoologistWilhelm Friedrich Georg Behn.[5]
Its forearm length is 44–50 mm (1.7–2.0 in).[3] The lancet of itsnose-leaf is about 1.5 times longer than it is wide.[4]
Based on the diets of closely related species, Behn's bat is likelyomnivorous, consuminginsects and small fruits.[3]
Behn's bat is native toSouth America, where it is found inBrazil andPeru. In Brazil, it is found in theCerrado.[1]
As of 2016, it is evaluated as adata deficient species by theIUCN because only six individuals have ever been documented. Little is known about its population size, ecology, or potential threats. However, it is potentially threatened by habitat loss due toconversion to farmland.[1]
