Cyttarops alecto

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Megaclassis: Osteichthyes
Cladus: Sarcopterygii
Cladus: Rhipidistia
Cladus: Tetrapodomorpha
Cladus: Eotetrapodiformes
Cladus: Elpistostegalia
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Cladus: Synapsida
Cladus: Eupelycosauria
Cladus: Sphenacodontia
Cladus: Sphenacodontoidea
Cladus: Therapsida
Cladus: Theriodontia
Cladus: Cynodontia
Cladus: Eucynodontia
Cladus: Probainognathia
Cladus: Prozostrodontia
Cladus: Mammaliaformes
Classis: Mammalia
Subclassis: Trechnotheria
Infraclassis: Zatheria
Supercohors: Theria
Cohors: Eutheria
Infraclassis: Placentalia
Cladus: Boreoeutheria
Superordo: Laurasiatheria
Ordo: Chiroptera
Subordo: Yangochiroptera
Superfamilia: Emballonuroidea

Familia: Emballonuridae
Subfamilia: Emballonurinae
Genus: Cyttarops
Species: Cyttarops alecto
Name

Cyttarops alecto Thomas, 1913

Type locality: Brazil, Para, Mocajatube.

The short-eared bat (Cyttarops alecto) is a bat species found in Brazil, Costa Rica, Guyana and Nicaragua. It is the only species within its genus.
Description

The short-eared bat is a dark-colored sac-winged bat, similar in appearance to Saccopteryx or Peropteryx, but differentiated by its long, silky fur, low rounded ears, expanded clavicles, grooved tibia, and cranial frontal cup. Forearms range from 46 to 47 millimetres (1.8 to 1.9 in) long. Skull length ranges from 13 to 14 millimetres (0.51 to 0.55 in). Females tend to be somewhat larger than males.[2] As with all emballonurid bats, short-eared bats use a type of echolocation call that consists of a central, narrowband component and one or two short, frequency-modulated sweeps. All calls are multi-harmonic with most energy concentrated in the second harmonic.[3]
Range and population

The currently known range of this species extends from the Caribbean lowlands of Costa Rica through Guyana to the state of Para, Brazil and it has never been found in elevations below 300 metres (980 ft).[2] The exact population size of the short-eared bat is unknown, but this is one of the rarest Neotropical bats, known from fewer than twenty individuals taken from less than ten localities in humid lowland areas.[4] They face no immediate threats and are listed as being of Least Concern by the IUCN.[1]
Behavior

Aerial insectivores, Cyttarops alecto roosts in small groups of one to ten individuals of both sexes and mixed ages under fronds of coco palms during the day.[2] It hangs freely by the feet when roosting near the midrib of a frond. They are nocturnal so activity doesn't usually start until about 45 min after sunset and is usually restricted to the immediate area around the roost for the first 15 to 30 min. Once it is completely dark, individuals disperse, flying at least 3 to 4 m above ground.[1] Roosts are often located in exposed places and even by buildings actively occupied by humans, demonstrating they can be adaptable to human-disturbed areas.
References

Lim, B.; Miller, B.; Reid, F.; Arroyo-Cabrales, J.; Cuarón, A.D.; de Grammont, P.C. (2016). "Cyttarops alecto". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T6206A22022820. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T6206A22022820.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
"Index for Mammalian Species". Archived from the original on 2012-11-24. Retrieved 2014-04-24.[full citation needed]
Jung, K. (2007). "Echolocation calls in Central American emballonurid bats: signal design and call frequency alternation". Journal of Zoology. 272 (2): 125–137. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.2006.00250.x.
Emmons and Feer 1997; Reid 1997