The lesser ghost bat (Diclidurus scutatus ) is a bat species found in South America.It is one of six bat species worldwide to have white fur.
An insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
Among animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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starts withIt has long, soft fur that is white or pale brown in color.It is one of only six bat species worldwide that have white fur; others are the other three species of Diclidurus, the Honduran white bat (Ectophylla alba ), and the ghost bat (Macroderma gigas ).Its claws are black in color.Its forearm is 51–58.9 mm (2.01–2.32 in) long.Forearm length can be used to distinguish it from the closely related northern ghost bat, Diclidurus albus, which has a forearm length of more than 60 mm (2.4 in).It weighs 13 g (0.46 oz).Adult males have two glandular pouches on their uropatagia.These pouches are particularly pronounced during breeding season.The ear is 15 mm (0.59 in) long, and the tragus is 6 mm (0.24 in) long.Its dental formula is 1.1.2.33.1.2.3, for a total of 32 teeth.
Its range includes northern Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Surinam, and Venezuela.It has also been found in southeastern Brazil.Many observations of it have occurred at elevations less than 200 m (660 ft) above sea level.In Venezuela, it has not been encountered above 1,000 m (3,300 ft) above sea level.They are more likely to be found in wet forests.
It is insectivorous.It flies quickly at tree-top height as it forages for food.It also forages over open water.Because it forages so high, it is difficult to capture and study—almost nothing is known about their reproduction.In one study in French Guiana, researchers captured 8,031 bats as they foraged or roosted, but only two were the lesser ghost bat.During the day, it roosts in palm tree leaves.They will forage in cities where insects gather around street lamps and flood lights.
It is currently evaluated as least concern by the IUCN.It meets the criteria for this classification due to its wide distribution.While its population trend is unknown because it is rarely encountered, it is not thought that their numbers are rapidly declining.Deforestation is a possible threat to this species.
