Thyroptera

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Classis: Mammalia
Subclassis: Theria
Infraclassis: Eutheria
Ordo: Chiroptera
Subordo: Microchiroptera
Superfamilia: Nataloidea
Familia: Thyropteridae
Genus: Thyroptera
Species: T. discifera - T. lavali - T. tricolor

Name

Thyroptera Spix, 1823

Type Species: Thyroptera tricolor Spix, 1823

Synonyms

* Hyonycteris Lichtenstein and Peters, 1854

References

* Spix, 1823. Sim. Vespert. Brasil.: 61.
* Thyroptera on Mammal species of the World.
* Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, 2 Volume Set edited by Don E. Wilson, DeeAnn M. Reeder

Vernacular names
English: Disc-winged bats.

Disk-winged bats are a small group of bats of the family Thyropteridae and genus Thyroptera.[1] They are found in Central and South America, usually in moist tropical rain forests. It is a very small family, consisting of a single genus with five extant and one fossil species.

The name comes from the suction cups found at the base of the thumb and under the heel of these animals, similar to those found in sucker-footed bats. These structures help them to cling smooth surfaces, and to remain, for example, inside young coiled banana, Heliconia, and prayer plant leaves, where they roost.

They can also be recognized by their reduced thumbs, which are enclosed by the wing membranes, and their funnel-shaped ears. They have brownish to black fur, and roost in small groups, or singly.[2] They are insectivorous and can live in many different kinds of environments.
Taxonomy

Family Tyropteridae

Genus Thyroptera
De Vivo's disk-winged bat, Thyroptera devivoi[3]
Peters's disk-winged bat, Thyroptera discifera
LaVal's disk-winged bat, Thyroptera lavali
Spix's disk-winged bat, Thyroptera tricolor
Patricia's disk-winged bat, Thyroptera wynneae[4]
†Thyroptera robusta, Middle Miocene (Laventan) Honda Group, Colombia[5]

References

Simmons, N.B. (2005). "Order Chiroptera". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
Macdonald, D., ed. (1984). The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File. p. 807. ISBN 0-87196-871-1.
GREGORIN, R.; GONÇALVES, E.; LIM, B.K.; ENGSTROM, M.D. (2006). New species of disk-winged bat Thyroptera and range extension for T. discifera. Journal of Mammalogy 87 (2): 238-246.
VELAZCO, P.M.; GREGORIN, R.; VOSS, R.S.; SIMMONS, N.B. (2014). "Extraordinary Local Diversity of Disk-winged Bats (Thyropteridae: Thyroptera) in Northeastern Peru, with the Description of a New Species and Comments on Roosting Behavior". American Museum Novitates 3795: 28p.
Thyroptera robusta at Fossilworks.org