Eumops auripedulus - Black Bonneted Bat​

Physical Description:

The Black Bonneted Bat is a free-tailed, medium-sized bat having a dark dorsum with some blackish or reddish brown and a lighter colored ventral area (Best 2002).  The sides have some gray and the bases of the hairs on the bat’s dorsum are buffy white.  On the feet there are long hairs that extend beyond the claws.  They have large ears that are joined at the base and can extend beyond their nostrils when the ears are laid forward (Timm 2004).  The tragus is small, pointed, and proportionally smaller than in other Eumops species (Best 2002).  Along the margin of the forearm there is very little fur or none at all.  The skull is long with a moderately developed sagittal crest.

Distribution:

Eumops auripendulus is distributed from southern Mexico to Paraguay and Northern Argentina and is also located in Jamaica and Trinidad (Best 2002, Timm 2004).  It lives in various elevations from lowlands to 1800 meters above sea level.  In Paraguay it is found only in Alto Chaco region in the western part of the country (Willig et al. 2000).  

Ontogeny and Reproduction:

The black bonneted bat is polyestrous and birth seems to occur in early spring based on various reports of reproductive evidence (Best 2002).

Ecology and Behavior:

Eumops auripendulus can be found in dense forests, coastal plains, highlands, deciduous forests with rocky outcroppings, open areas such as pastures or savannas that are near streams, and lowland rainforests (Best 2002).  It roosts in the crevices of rocks, in tunnels, trees, buildings, and under corrugated iron roofing (Nowak 1983).   These roosts sites are often six meters or more above the ground and have enough space for the bats to launch themselves with their large body size and long, narrow wings. 

There have been reports of 5 individual Eumops auripendulus showing signs of being infected with the rabies virus in Argentina (Best 2002).

These bats have been seen over a highway at dusk and have been noted to crawl into cracks and recesses rather than hang down (Best 2002).  They also tend to run on their four legs rather than flying away when disturbed. 

Remarks:

Eumops auripendulus has several common names that include Shaw’s Mastiff Bat, Long-nosed Mastiff Bat, Shaved Mastiff Bat, Temminck’s Mastiff Bat, Oaxaca Mastiff Bat, and Slouch-eared Bat.  The current accepted common name is Black Bonneted Bat. 

Literature Cited:

Best, T.L., J.L.Hunt, L.A.McWilliams, and K.G. Smith. 2002. Eumops  auripendulus Mammalian Species. 708: 1-5

Honacki, J.H., K.E.Kinman, and J.W.Koeppl, editors. 1982. Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. Allen Press, Inc. and The Association of Systematics Collections, Lawrence, Kansas, U.S.A.  pg. 207.

Nowak, R.M. and J.L.Paradiso. 1983. Walker’s Mammals of the World. 4th Edition. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. 1:348

Willig, M. R., S. J. Presley, R. D. Owen, and C. Lopez-Ganzalez. (2000). Composition and structure of bat assemblages in Paraguay: a subtropical-temperate interface. Journal of Mammalogy, 81: 386-401.

Reference written by Jason Petrella, Biol 378 (Mammalogy), University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point:  Edited by Christopher Luddington. Page last updated 02-17-05.