Bickham's little yellow bat
Bickham's little yellow bat (Rhogeessa bickhami) is a species of vesper bat found in Central America.
| Bickham's little yellow bat | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Vespertilionidae |
| Genus: | Rhogeessa |
| Species: | R. bickhami |
| Binomial name | |
| Rhogeessa bickhami Baird, Marchán-Rivadeneira, Pérez & Baker, 2012 | |
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| Geographic range | |
Taxonomy and etymology
It was described as a new species in 2012. The holotype had been collected by L. W. Robbins in May 1981, 23.6 mi (38.0 km) north of Huixtla, Mexico. The eponym for the species name "bickhami" is John W. Bickham, who has researched other bat species of this genus, as well as other mammals.[2]
Description
It is considered "medium sized" for its genus, with a head to tail length of 66–78 mm (2.6–3.1 in). It is a diploid organism with two sets of each chromosome (2n=34). It has a dental formula of 1.1.1.33.1.2.3 for a total of 30 teeth.[2]
Biology and ecology
It is insectivorous, catching and consuming insects while flying.[3]
Range and habitat
It is found in Central America where its range includes Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.[1]
Conservation
As of 2017, it is evaluated as a least-concern species by the IUCN. It meets the criteria for this classification because it has a relatively large geographic range; it is not locally uncommon; and it can tolerate some human disturbance of its habitat.[1]
References
- Solari, S. (2017). "Rhogeessa bickhami". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T88151726A88151729. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T88151726A88151729.en.
- Baird, A. B.; Marchán-Rivadeneira, M. R.; Pérez, S. G.; Baker, R. J. (2012). "Morphological analysis and description of two new species of Rhogeessa (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from the Neotropics" (PDF). Occasional Papers, Museum of Texas Tech University (307): 1–25. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-10-02. Retrieved 2018-12-19.
- Chávez-Velásquez, Marlon; Martínez-Fonseca, José; Medina-Fitoria, Arnulfo; Cushman, Samuel A.; Chambers, Carol L. (2016-08-01). "Influences of scale on bat habitat relationships in a forested landscape in Nicaragua". Landscape Ecology. 31 (6): 1299–1318. doi:10.1007/s10980-016-0343-4. ISSN 1572-9761.