Ectophylla alba — Details

Geographic Range

Endemic to the lowlands of Central America, including Eastern Honduras, Northern Nicaragua, Eastern Costa Rica, and Western Panama.

Biogeographic Regions: neotropical (Native )

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Physical Description

Morphology

Physical Description

This is a very small species of bat. The total body length ranges from 37-47mm. They have no external tail. They have a lustrous white coat covering most of their bodies. Sections of this coat are tinged with gray. They also have bright orange/yellow features (ears, face, nose, and sections of their legs and wings) and black wing membranes. The nose of this species is very pronouced and triangular. This is a characteristic of the Phyllostomids which are often referred to as leaf-nosed.

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Ecology

Habitat

Habitat and Ecology

Habitat and Ecology

This species can be found in wet, evergreen forest and tall second growth. It roosts in groups of 4 to 8 in tents made from small to medium sized Heliconia spp. or other understory plants. Horizontal leaves are chewed on either side of the midrib, causing the sides to collapse and hang vertically. Old heliconia leaves assume the same form, but appear withered and dead, whereas tents in active use are in succulent, green leaves. Tents are about 2 m above ground, and some tents are used only as night feeding roosts. Fruit pulp and seeds of small, understory figs were found under a night roost. This bat is seldom caught in mist nets, except when nets are set near occupied tents. Roosting groups can be closely approached and observed. Males and females share tents until young are born (in April in Costa Rica), then males leave. Females appear to suckle each other's young on occasion (Timm, 1982; Reid, 1997).

Systems

Terrestrial

Source: IUCN

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Habitat

Found mainly in rainforests that have a population of Heliconia plant species.

Terrestrial Biomes: rainforest

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Trophic Strategy

Food Habits

Ectophylla alba is a frugivorous species.

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Life History and Behavior

Reproduction

As with most phyllostomids, the litter size is rarely more than one. Reproduction is also timed so the young are not born during the rainy season.

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Molecular Biology and Genetics

Molecular Biology

Barcode data: Ectophylla alba

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

There is 1 barcode sequence available from BOLD and GenBank. Below is the sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species. See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen. Other sequences that do not yet meet barcode criteria may also be available.

BCBNT416-06|ROM 108296|Ectophylla alba| ---------------------------------------ACATTATATCTACTATTTGGGGCTTGAGCTGGTATAGTAGGCACAGCACTA---AGCCTACTTATTCGAGCCGAATTAGGTCAACCTGGAGCCCTACTAGGTGAC---GACCAAATTTATAACGTAATCGTAACAGCCCATGCTTTCGTAATGATCTTCTTTATAGTTATGCCCATTATAATTGGAGGCTTCGGCAACTGATTAGTACCTCTAATA---ATTGGAGCGCCTGATATAGCCTTCCCCCGAATAAATAACATAAGCTTTTGACTTCTTCCACCCTCTTTTCTACTTTTACTTGCTTCATCCACAGTTGAAGCTGGTGTAGGAACTGGTTGAACCGTGTATCCTCCACTAGCAGGAAACCTAGCACATGCTGGCGCCTCAGTTGATCTG---GCAATTTTCTCCCTTCACTTAGCAGGAGTCTCATCCATCCTAGGAGCTATTAATTTTATTACTACAATCATCAACATAAAGCCACCAGCCCTTTCTCAATATCAGACACCTTTATTTGTCTGATCGGTCTTAATTACAGCCGTACTACTTCTACTTTCACTCCCCGTTTTAGCAGCA---GGCATTACTATACTATTAACAGACCGAAATCTTAATACTACATTCTTCGATCCCGCCGGTGGTGGGGACCCTATTTTGTATCAACATTTA-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- end --

Download FASTA File

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Source: Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)

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Statistics of barcoding coverage: Ectophylla alba

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 1
Species: 1
Species With Barcodes: 1

Source: Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD)

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Conservation

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List Assessment

Red List Category

Near Threatened

Red List Criteria

Version

3.1

Year Assessed

2008

Assessor/s

Rodriguez, B. & Pineda, W.

Reviewer/s

Medellín, R. (Chiroptera Red List Authority) & Schipper, J. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification

Listed as Near Threatened because this species is in significant decline (but at a rate of less than 30% over ten years) due to human population density in the island and habitat conversion. Almost qualifies as threatened under criterion A2c.

History

2000

Lower Risk/near threatened
1996

Lower Risk/least concern

Source: IUCN

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Conservation Status

There is currently no special status but the cutting of rainforests could locally effect populations.

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: near threatened

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Trends

Population

Population

This bat is uncommon and local (Reid, 1997).

Population Trend

Decreasing

Source: IUCN

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Threats

Major Threats

May have habitat preference (Rodriguez-Herrera pers. comm.). In Costa Rica the population declined, food preference, habitat restriction (Rodriguez pers. comm.)

Source: IUCN

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Management

Conservation Actions

Conservation Actions

Found in protected areas.

Source: IUCN

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Relevance to Humans and Ecosystems

Benefits

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

No documented examples.

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Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

No documented examples.

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Wikipedia

Honduran white bat

The Honduran white bat (Ectophylla alba) has snow white fur and a yellow nose and ears. It is tiny, only 3.7-4.7cm long. The only member of the genus Ectophylla, it is found in Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and western Panama at elevations from sea level to 700 m.^[1] It feeds at least in part on fruit.^[1]

The Honduran white bat cuts the side veins extending out from the midrib of the large leave of the Heliconia plant causing them to fold down to form a 'tent'. They cling to the roof of this tent in small colonies of up to half a dozen individuals, consisting of one male and a harem of females. The tent protects them from rain and predators. Most tent-making bats take flight at even slight disturbances, but researchers in Costa Rica have reported that Honduran white bats take flight only when the main stem of their tent is disturbed, possibly because they are well camouflaged. Although their tents are typically low to the ground (about six feet), sunlight filters through the leaf which gives their white fur a greenish cast. This almost completely conceals them if they remain still. It has been suggested a colony may have a number of tents scattered within the forest. It is one of 15 species of Latin American bats that roost in tents. In the Old World, 3 species of bat from India and Southeast Asia are known to roost in tents.

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Rodriguez, B. & Pineda, W. (2008). "Ectophylla alba". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2010.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/7030. Retrieved 09 August 2010.

Timm, R. M.; Mortimer, J. (March 1976). "Selection of Roost Sites by Honduran White Bats, Ectophylla Alba (Chiroptera: Phyllostomatidae)". Ecology (Ecological Society of America) 57 (2): 385–389. doi:10.2307/1934829. JSTOR 1934829.
Allen, H. (1892). "Ectophylla". Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 15: 441.
Allen, H. (1892). "Ectophylla alba". Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus. 15: 442.

Extant species of family Phyllostomidae

Kingdom: Animalia · Phylum: Chordata · Class: Mammalia · Infraclass: Eutheria · Superorder: Laurasiatheria · Order: Chiroptera

Subfamilies Brachyphyllinae, Carolliinae, Desmodontinae, Phyllonycterinae

Brachyphyllinae

Brachyphylla	Cuban Fruit-eating Bat (B. nana) · Antillean Fruit-eating Bat (B. cavernarum)

Carolliinae

Carollia (Short-tailed Leaf-nosed Bats)	Benkeith's Short-tailed Bat (C. benkeithi) · Silky Short-tailed Bat (C. brevicauda) · Chestnut Short-tailed Bat (C. castanea) · Colombian Short-tailed Bat (C. colombiana) · Manu Short-tailed Bat (C. manu) · C. monohernandezi · Seba's Short-tailed Bat (C. perspicillata) · Sowell's Short-tailed Bat (C. sowelli) · Gray Short-tailed Bat (C. subrufa)

Rhinophylla	Hairy Little Fruit Bat (R. alethina) · Fischer's Little Fruit Bat (R. fischerae) · Dwarf Little Fruit Bat (R. pumilio)

Desmodontinae
(Vampire Bats)


Desmodus	Common Vampire Bat (D. rotundus)

Diaemus	White-winged Vampire Bat (D. youngi)

Diphylla	Hairy-legged Vampire Bat (D. ecaudata)

Phyllonycterinae


Erophylla	Brown Flower Bat (E. bombifrons) · Buffy Flower Bat (E. sezekorni)

Phyllonycteris	Jamaican Flower Bat (P. aphylla) · Cuban Flower Bat (P. poeyi)

Subfamily Glossophaginae

Glossophagini

Anoura (Geoffroy's Long-nosed Bats)	A. aequatoris · Cadena's Tailless Bat (A. cadenai) · Tailed Tailless Bat (A. caudifera) · Handley's Tailless Bat (A. cultrata) · Tube-lipped Nectar Bat (A. fistulata) · Geoffroy's Tailless Bat (A. geoffroyi) · Broad-toothed Tailless Bat (A. latidens) · Luis Manuel's Tailless Bat (A. luismanueli)

Choeroniscus	Godman's Long-tailed Bat (C. godmani) · Greater Long-tailed Bat (C. periosus) · Minor Long-nosed Long-tongued Bat (C. minor)

Choeronycteris	Mexican Long-tongued Bat (C. mexicana)

Glossophaga	Commissaris's Long-tongued Bat (G. commissarisi) · Gray Long-tongued Bat (G. leachii) · Miller's Long-tongued Bat (G. longirostris) · Western Long-tongued Bat (G. morenoi) · Pallas's Long-tongued Bat (G. soricina)

Hylonycteris	Underwood's Long-tongued Bat (H. underwoodi)

Leptonycteris (Saussure's Long-nosed Bats)	Southern Long-nosed Bat (L. curasoae) · Greater Long-nosed Bat (L. nivalis) · Lesser Long-nosed Bat (L. yerbabuenae)

Lichonycteris	Dark Long-tongued Bat (L. obscura)

Monophyllus	Insular Single Leaf Bat (M. plethodon) · Leach's Single Leaf Bat (M. redmani)

Musonycteris	Banana Bat (M. harrisoni)

Scleronycteris	Ega Long-tongued Bat (S. ega)

Lonchophyllini


Lionycteris	Chestnut Long-tongued Bat (L. spurrelli)

Lonchophylla	Bokermann's Nectar Bat (L. bokermanni) · Cadena's Long-tongued Bat (L. cadenai) · Chocoan Long-tongued Bat (L. chocoana) · L. concava · Dekeyser's Nectar Bat (L. dekeyseri) · Arched Nectar Bat (L. fornicata) · Handley's Nectar Bat (L. handleyi) · Western Nectar Bat (L. hesperia) · Godman's Nectar Bat (L. mordax) · Orcés’s Long-tongued Bat (L. orcesi) · L. orienticollina · Patton's Long-tongued Bat (L. pattoni) · Orange Nectar Bat (L. robusta) · Thomas's Nectar Bat (L. thomasi)

Platalina	Long-snouted Bat (P. genovensium)

Xeronycteris	Vieira's Long-tongued Bat (X. vieirai)

Subfamily Phyllostominae

Micronycterini

Glyphonycteris	Behn's Bat (G. behnii) · Davies's Big-eared Bat (G. daviesi) · Tricolored Big-eared Bat (G. sylvestris)

Lampronycteris	Yellow-throated Big-eared Bat (L. brachyotis)

Macrotus (Big-eared Bats)	California Leaf-nosed Bat (M. californicus) · Waterhouse's Leaf-nosed Bat (M. waterhousii)

Micronycteris (Little Big-eared Bats)	Brosset's Big-eared Bat (M. brosseti) · Giovanni's Big-eared Bat (M. giovanniae) · Hairy Big-eared Bat (M. hirsuta) · Pirlot's Big-eared Bat (M. homezi) · Matses' Big-eared Bat (M. matses) · Little Big-eared Bat (M. megalotis) · Common Big-eared Bat (M. microtis) · White-bellied Big-eared Bat (M. minuta) · Sanborn's Big-eared Bat (M. sanborni) · Schmidts's Big-eared Bat (M. schmidtorum)

Neonycteris	Least Big-eared Bat (N. pusilla)

Trinycteris	Niceforo's Big-eared Bat (T. nicefori)

Vampyrini


Chrotopterus	Big-eared Woolly Bat (C. auritus)

Lophostoma	Equatorial Round-eared Bat (L. aequatorialis) · Pygmy Round-eared Bat (L. brasiliense) · Carriker's Round-eared Bat (L. carrikeri) · Davis's Round-eared Bat (L. evotis) · Schultz's Round-eared Bat (L. schulzi) · White-throated Round-eared Bat (L. silvicolum) · Yasuni Round-eared Bat (L. yasuni)

Tonatia (Round-eared Bats)	Greater Round-eared Bat (T. bidens) · Stripe-headed Round-eared Bat (T. saurophila)

Trachops	Fringe-lipped Bat (T. cirrhosus)

Vampyrum	Spectral Bat (V. spectrum)

Lonchorhinini


Lonchorhina (Sword-nosed Bats)	Tomes's Sword-nosed Bat (L. aurita) · Fernandez's Sword-nosed Bat (L. fernandezi) · Northern Sword-nosed Bat (L. inusitata) · Marinkelle's Sword-nosed Bat (L. marinkellei) · Orinoco Sword-nosed Bat (L. orinocensis)

Macrophyllum	Long-legged Bat (M. macrophyllum)

Mimon (Gray's Spear-nosed Bats)	Golden Bat (M. bennettii) · Cozumelan Golden Bat (M. cozumelae) · Striped Hairy-nosed Bat (M. crenulatum) · Koepcke's Spear-nosed Bat (M. koepckeae)

Phyllostomatini


Phylloderma	Pale-faced Bat (P. stenops)

Phyllostomus (Spear-nosed Bats)	Pale Spear-nosed Bat (P. discolor) · Lesser Spear-nosed Bat (P. elongatus) · Greater Spear-nosed Bat (P. hastatus) · Guianan Spear-nosed Bat (P. latifolius)

Subfamily Stenodermatinae

Ametrida	Little White-shouldered Bat (A. centurio)

Ardops	Tree Bat (A. nichollsi)

Ariteus	Jamaican Fig-eating Bat (A. flavescens)

Artibeus (Neotropical Fruit Bats)	Subgenus Artibeus: Large Fruit-eating Bat (A. amplus) · Fringed Fruit-eating Bat (A. fimbriatus) · Fraternal Fruit-eating Bat (A. fraterculus) · Hairy Fruit-eating Bat (A. hirsutus) · Honduran Fruit-eating Bat (A. inopinatus) · Jamaican Fruit Bat (A. jamaicensis) · Great Fruit-eating Bat (A. lituratus) · Dark Fruit-eating Bat (A. obscurus) · Flat-faced Fruit-eating Bat (A. planirostris) Subgenus Dermanura: Andersen's Fruit-eating Bat (A. anderseni) · Aztec Fruit-eating Bat (A. aztecus) · Bogota Fruit-eating Bat (A. bogotensis) · Gervais's Fruit-eating Bat (A. cinereus) · Silver Fruit-eating Bat (A. glaucus) · Gnome Fruit-eating Bat (A. gnomus) · Solitary Fruit-eating Bat (A. incomitatus) · Pygmy Fruit-eating Bat (A. phaeotis) · Rosenberg's Fruit-eating Bat (A. rosenbergi) · Toltec Fruit-eating Bat (A. toltecus) · Thomas's Fruit-eating Bat (A. watsoni) Subgenus Koopmania: Brown Fruit-eating Bat (A. concolor)

Centurio	Wrinkle-faced Bat (C. senex)

Chiroderma (Big-eyed Bats)	Brazilian Big-eyed Bat (C. doriae) · Guadeloupe Big-eyed Bat (C. improvisum) · Salvin's Big-eyed Bat (C. salvini) · Little Big-eyed Bat (C. trinitatum) · Hairy Big-eyed Bat (C. villosum)

Ectophylla	*Honduran White Bat (E. alba)*

Enchisthenes	Velvety Fruit-eating Bat (E. hartii)

Mesophylla	MacConnell's Bat (M. macconnelli)

Phyllops (Falcate-winged Bats)	Cuban Fig-eating Bat (P. falcatus)

Platyrrhinus	Alberico's Broad-nosed Bat (P. albericoi) · P. angustirostris · P. aquilus · Eldorado Broad-nosed Bat (P. aurarius) · Short-headed Broad-nosed Bat (P. brachycephalus) · Choco Broad-nosed Bat (P. chocoensis) · Thomas's Broad-nosed Bat (P. dorsalis) · P. fusciventris · Heller's Broad-nosed Bat (P. helleri) · P. incarum · Buffy Broad-nosed Bat (P. infuscus) · Ismael's Broad-nosed Bat (P. ismaeli) · White-lined Broad-nosed Bat (P. lineatus) · Quechua Broad-nosed Bat (P. masu) · Matapalo Broad-nosed Bat (P. matapalensis) · Geoffroy's Rayed Bat (P. nigellus) · P. nitelinea · Recife Broad-nosed Bat (P. recifinus) · Shadowy Broad-nosed Bat (P. umbratus) · Greater Broad-nosed Bat (P. vittatus)

Pygoderma	Ipanema Bat (P. bilabiatum)

Sphaeronycteris	Visored Bat (S. toxophyllum)

Stenoderma	Red Fruit Bat (S. rufum)

Sturnira (Yellow-shouldered Bats)	Aratathomas's Yellow-shouldered Bat (S. aratathomasi) · Bidentate Yellow-shouldered Bat (S. bidens) · Bogota Yellow-shouldered Bat (S. bogotensis) · Hairy Yellow-shouldered Bat (S. erythromos) · Choco Yellow-shouldered Bat (S. koopmanhilli) · Little Yellow-shouldered Bat (S. lilium) · Highland Yellow-shouldered Bat (S. ludovici) · Louis's Yellow-shouldered Bat (S. luisi) · Greater Yellow-shouldered Bat (S. magna) · Mistratoan Yellow-shouldered Bat (S. mistratensis) · Talamancan Yellow-shouldered Bat (S. mordax) · Lesser Yellow-shouldered Bat (S. nana) · Tschudi's Yellow-shouldered Bat (S. oporaphilum) · Soriano's Yellow-shouldered Bat (S. sorianoi) · Thomas's Yellow-shouldered Bat (S. thomasi) · Tilda's Yellow-shouldered Bat (S. tildae)

Uroderma (Tent-building Bats)	Tent-making Bat (U. bilobatum) · Brown Tent-making Bat (U. magnirostrum)

Vampyressa (Yellow-eared Bats)	Bidentate Yellow-eared Bat (V. bidens) · Brock's Yellow-eared Bat (V. brocki) · Melissa's Yellow-eared Bat (V. melissa) · Striped Yellow-eared Bat (V. nymphaea) · Southern Little Yellow-eared Bat (V. pusilla) · Northern Little Yellow-eared Bat (V. thyone)

Vampyrodes	Great Stripe-faced Bat (V. caraccioli)

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