Chapter 2

An adult male (testes 6 mm) yellow-shouldered bat from Darailí, 5 km N and 14 km E Condega, 940 m, in Madriz, provides the only specimen thus far reported from Nicaragua. _Sturnira ludovici_ evidently is relatively rare in Nicaragua and may be confined to the highlands in the north, whereas the smaller _S. lilium_ is abundant throughout the country and is the only other species of _Sturnira_ represented in our collections.

We provisionally refer our specimen to _S. l. ludovici_ pending Luis de la Torre's forthcoming review of the genus. Selected measurements are: total length, 77 mm; length of hind foot, 15 mm; length of ear, 19 mm; length of forearm, 44.8 mm; weight, 26.8 gms; greatest length of skull, 24.2 mm; zygomatic breadth, 14.2 mm; postorbital breadth, 6.3 mm; breadth of braincase, 10.5 mm; length of maxillary toothrow, 6.8 mm.

Uroderma magnirostrum Davis, 1968

In the original description of _U. magnirostrum_, Davis (1968:680) reported one specimen from Nicaragua--a female in our collection from 3 km N and 4 km W Sapoá, 40 m, Rivas. We have two additional specimens, both from the relatively dry northwestern Departamento de Chinandega. On 8 July 1966, a male (testes 2 mm) was netted under trees along a small stream at San Antonio, 35 m, and a female (one embryo 28 mm in crown-rump length) was netted on 4 March 1968 over a warm spring at a place 4.5 km N Cosigüina, 15 m. Judging from published records, this species is limited in Middle America to the Pacific versant.

Selected measurements of the three Nicaraguan specimens are, respectively: total length, 65, 64, 67 mm; length of hind foot, 12, 11, 14 mm; length of ear, 16.5, 16, 18 mm; length of forearm, 42.2, 41.7, 45.2 mm; weight, 16.2, 13.8, 21.4 (pregnant) gms; greatest length of skull, 22.7, 23.4, 23.8 mm; zygomatic breadth, 12.4, 12.9, 13.1 mm; postorbital breadth, 5.8, 5.5, 5.9 mm; mastoid breadth, 10.9, 11.1, 11.1 mm; length of maxillary toothrow, 7.9, 8.1, 8.6 mm.

Vampyrops helleri Peters, 1866

_Specimens._--_Boaco_: Santa Rosa, 17 km N, 15 km E Boaco, 300 m, 3. _Carazo_: 3 km N, 4 km W Diriamba, 600 m, 2. _Chinandega_: Potosí, 5 m, 1; 6.5 km N, 1 km E Cosigüina, 10 m, 1; 4.5 km N Cosigüina, 15 m, 3; Hda. Bellavista, 720 m, Volcán Casita, 13. _Chontales_: 1 km N, 2.5 km W Villa Somoza, 330 m, 4. _Granada_: Finca Santa Cecilia, 6.5 km SE Guanacaste, 660 m, 4. _Matagalpa_: Finca Tepeyac, 10.5 km N, 9 km E Matagalpa, 960 m, 1. _Nueva Segovia_: 4.5 km N, 2 km E Jalapa, 680 m, 2; 1.5 km N, 1 km E Jalapa, 660 m, 2. _Rivas_: 2 km N, 3 km E Mérida, 200 m, Isla de Ometepe, 4; 4 km N, 4 km W Sapoá, 40 m, 1. _Zelaya_: S side Río Mico, El Recreo, 25 m, 3.

Only two specimens of this small white-lined species have been reported previously from Nicaragua--one from 1 km NW La Gatiada, 1300 ft, Chontales (Davis _et al._, 1964:383), and the other from 3 mi NNW Diriamba, Carazo (Jones, 1964a:507). This bat was relatively rare in collections until the last decade or so. Handley (1966b:766) reported _V. helleri_ as abundant in the lowland areas of Panamá, and we found the same to be true in Nicaragua. We suspect that future investigations in Middle America will reveal this species to be a common member of lowland tropical communities. It is known as far north as southern Veracruz (Carter _et al._, 1966:494).

Most of our specimens were captured in mist nets set over small streams bordered by gallery forest, or in banana groves. The range of ecological conditions in which this species was taken is represented by the semiarid environment of the Cosigüina Peninsula in northwestern Nicaragua and the humid tropical forest (secondary growth) in the vicinity of El Recreo in the Caribbean lowlands. Pregnant females were captured in March, April, June, July, and August, indicating that this species probably breeds throughout much of the year.

Vampyrodes major G. M. Allen, 1908

_Specimens._--_Boaco_: Santa Rosa, 17 km N, 15 km E Boaco, 300 m, 8. _Chontales_: 1 km N, 2.5 km W Villa Somoza, 330 m, 2. _Zelaya_: S side Río Mico, 25 m, 6.

This large white-lined stenodermine was known previously from Nicaragua by a single specimen from an unknown locality (J. A. Allen, 1910:112). All of our specimens were caught in mist nets, which were set over streams at Santa Rosa and near Villa Somoza, and in a banana grove at El Recreo. Two pregnant females, captured on 11 and 13 July at Santa Rosa, each carried an embryo (4 and 27 mm in crown-rump length, respectively); one of two other adult females captured there on 9 August also had an embryo (35 mm in length) but the other evidently was reproductively quiescent. Testes of adult males varied in length from 3 to 10 mm on the following dates (testicular lengths in parentheses): 25 February (10 mm); 21 March (8, 8 mm); 17 June (3, 4 mm); 13 July (6 mm); 27-28 July (4, 4 mm); 3 August (4 mm); 5 August (3 mm); 9 August (4 mm).

We follow Starrett and Casebeer (1968:12) in the use of the specific name _major_, rather than _caraccioli_ as suggested by Cabrera (1958), Goodwin and Greenhall (1961), and Handley (1966b).

Vampyressa nymphaea Thomas, 1909

A pregnant female (crown-rump length of embryo 5 mm) was captured in a mist net set in a small banana grove on the south side of the Río Mico, El Recreo, 25 m, in the Caribbean lowlands, on 27 February 1968. This specimen provides the first record of the big yellow-eared bat from Nicaragua. The species was recently reported for the first time from Costa Rica (Gardner _et al._, 1970:721); it was characterized as uncommon in Panamá by Handley (1966b:767). The one Costa Rican locality of record also is in the Caribbean versant.

Selected external and cranial measurements of our female are: total length, 58 mm; length of hind foot, 11 mm; length of ear, 16 mm; length of forearm, 36.2 mm; weight, 12.3 gms; greatest length of skull, 21.1 mm; condylobasal length, 18.4 mm; zygomatic breadth, 12.3 mm; mastoid breadth, 10.5 mm; breadth across canines, 4.6 mm; breadth of braincase, 9.4 mm; length of maxillary toothrow, 7.2 mm; length of mandibular c-m3, 7.8 mm.

Vampyressa pusilla thyone Thomas, 1909

_Specimens._--_Boaco_: Santa Rosa, 17 km N, 15 km E Boaco, 300 m, 5. _Chontales_: 1 km N, 2.5 km W Villa Somoza, 330 m, 1. _Managua_: Hda. San José, 2. _Matagalpa_: 2 km N, 6 km E Esquipulas, 960 m, 2.

The only previous record of occurrence for the small yellow-eared bat from Nicaragua is based on an adult female from Hda. La Cumplida, 670 m, Matagalpa (Starrett and de la Torre, 1964:60).

Two individuals taken near Esquipulas in mid-March, a pregnant female (crown-rump length of embryo 16 mm) and a male (testes 4 mm), were captured in nets set across trails cut through secondary forest. The wind was quite strong in this area at the time of our visit and only a few other species of bats--_Glossophaga soricina_, _Artibeus jamaicensis_, _A. toltecus_, _A. phaeotis_, _Uroderma bilobatum_, _Sturnira lilium_, _Centurio senex_, and _Diphylla ecaudata_--were taken in the same nets. The specimens from Boaco and Chontales were captured over small streams bordered by gallery forest. Four females collected at Santa Rosa on 21 March were pregnant; each carried a single embryo that measured 5, 18, 21, and 30 mm in crown-rump length; a male taken on the same date had testes that measured 3 mm.

Selected external and cranial measurements of two males, followed by the average (extremes in parentheses) of six females are: length of forearm, 31.1, 30.8, 30.8 (30.0-31.4) mm; greatest length of skull, 18.9, 18.9, 18.5 (18.1-18.8) mm; zygomatic breadth, 11.0, 11.0, 10.6 (10.4-10.9) mm; mastoid breadth, 9.5, 9.2, 9.2 (9.0-9.3) mm; length of maxillary toothrow, 6.1, 5.9, 5.9 (5.7-6.1) mm.

Chiroderma villosum jesupi J. A. Allen, 1900

_Specimens._--_Chinandega_: 6.5 km N, 1 km E Cosigüina, 10 m, 2; 4.5 km N Cosigüina, 15 m, 7; Hda. Bellavista, 720 m, Volcán Casita, 5; San Antonio, 35 m, 2. _Rivas_: 2 km N, 3 km E Mérida, 200 m, Isla de Ometepe, 1.

This species has been reported in Middle America from as far north as southern México. It evidently is uncommon in Costa Rica (see Gardner _et al._, 1970:722) and Panamá (Handley, 1966b:767). Our material, all collected from mist nets and consisting of 16 specimens from the northwestern department of Chinandega and one from Isla de Ometepe in Lago de Nicaragua, constitutes the first report of this bat from Nicaragua.

Four of five females taken in early March were pregnant; embryos averaged 26.0 (25-29) mm in crown-rump length. Four females taken in July carried embryos 14, 20, 23, and 25 mm in length. Testes of five adult males captured in March and April had an average length of 4.4 (3-7) mm, whereas those of two taken in July were 3 mm in length.

Artibeus toltecus hesperus Davis, 1969

When Davis (1969) named _A. t. hesperus_, he assigned specimens only from as far south as El Salvador to the new subspecies, referring the three Nicaraguan examples of the species at his disposal to the nominal race. On the night of 6-7 April 1968, one of us (Smith) netted bats on the south part of Isla de Ometepe at a place 2 km N and 3 km E Mérida, 200 meters in elevation. One net was set across, and another parallel to, a small, boulder-strewn stream; the surrounding area was planted to coffee and had a good canopy of tall deciduous trees. Among the bats captured at this location were 10 _A. toltecus_ that are referable to the subspecies _hesperus_, judging by their small size (Table 2).

Six of our specimens are females and each carried an embryo (range in crown-rump length 20-28 mm). Three adult males had testes 5, 6, and 7 mm in length. External measurements (extremes in parentheses) of our series are: total length, 55.9 (51-60) mm; length of hind foot, 10.7 (10-12) mm; length of ear, 14.8 (14-16) mm; weight of four males, 9.9 (8.8-11.5) gms; weight of six pregnant females, 14.9 (12.7-16.9) gms.

TABLE 2.--Selected measurements of two subspecies of _Artibeus toltecus_ from Nicaragua.

Table Legend:

Col. A: Number of specimens averaged and sex Col. B: Length of forearm Col. C: Greatest length of skull Col. D: Zygomatic breath Col. E: Mastoid breadth Col. F: Length of maxillary toothrow

============================================================ A B C D E F ------------------------------------------------------------ _Artibeus toltecus toltecus_, Departamento de Matagalpa

Average 6 40.3 20.3 12.1 10.7 6.6 (3[Male], 3[Female]) Minimum 38.8 19.8 11.8 10.5 6.5 Maximum 41.5 20.5 12.5 10.9 6.8

_Artibeus toltecus hesperus_, Isla de Ometepe, Rivas

Average 10 38.0 19.4 11.5 10.2 6.3 (4[Male], 6[Female]) Minimum 37.0 18.8 11.2 9.8 6.1 Maximum 39.7 19.8 11.8 10.5 6.5 ------------------------------------------------------------

Artibeus toltecus toltecus (Saussure, 1860)

_Specimens._--_Matagalpa_: Santa María de Ostuma, 1250 m, 5; 2 km N, 6 km E Esquipulas, 960 m, 1.

This bat has been reported from Nicaragua previously by Andersen (1908:300) and Davis (1969:28), based on a total of four specimens. We netted this species at Santa María de Ostuma in patches of cloud forest at a cafetal. The specimen from near Esquipulas was taken in a net placed across a trail in second growth forest. Two females collected on 11 April and one taken on 30 June were pregnant (embryos 21, 26, and 12 mm, respectively, in crown-rump length). Testes of a male netted on 14 March were 7 mm in length, whereas those of two obtained on 11 April measured 4 and 7 mm. Selected measurements of our six specimens are given in Table 2.

Artibeus watsoni Thomas, 1901

_Specimens._--_Chontales_: 1 km N, 1.5 km W Villa Somoza, 330 m, 3. _Nueva Segovia_: 7 km N, 4 km E Jalapa, 600 m, 1. _Zelaya_: Bonanza, 850 ft, 6; S side Río Mico, El Recreo, 25 m, 6; Cara de Mono, 50 m, 1.

Davis (1970a:393-394) recently reviewed the systematic status of this small fruit-eating bat and recorded specimens from southeastern Nicaragua; the species was first reported from the country by Andersen (1908:290), based on a specimen from the Escondido River. Our additional material reveals that _A. watsoni_ occurs throughout eastern Nicaragua, the specimen from Nueva Segovia extending the known range as mapped by Davis (_loc. cit._).

A female from Bonanza (23 February) carried an embryo 14 mm in crown-rump length, whereas one from El Recreo (26 February) was not reproductively active; one of two females netted near Villa Somoza in early August was pregnant (embryo 21 mm in crown-rump length). Seven adult males collected in late February and early March had an average testicular length of 5.9 (5-7) mm; testes of two adults taken in late June and one captured in early August all measured 5 mm. The testes of young males (grayish pelage, partially unfused phalangeal epiphyses) were 2 or 3 mm in length.

Centurio senex senex Gray, 1842

_Specimens._--_Chinandega_: 4.5 km N Cosigüina, 15 m, 1; San Antonio, 35 m, 5. _Matagalpa_: 2 km N, 6 km E Esquipulas, 960 m, 3. _Nueva Segovia_: 7 km N, 4 km E Jalapa, 660 m, 1. _Zelaya_: S side Río Mico, El Recreo, 25 m, 1.

Paradiso (1967) reviewed geographic variation in this unique bat, the type locality of which was restricted to Realejo, Chinandega, Nicaragua, by Goodwin (1946:327). Because additional material had not been reported from Nicaragua, Paradiso (_op. cit._:598) felt it was "premature to restrict the type locality to a specific area in that country" (the holotype was obtained on the voyage of the H.M.S. Sulphur, which called at Realejo), and preferred the more general designation "west coast of Mexico or Central America." In view of the fact that we now have specimens from but a few miles distant from Realejo (at San Antonio), we see no reason to contest Goodwin's restriction of the type locality to that place.

Specimens from San Antonio were collected along a small stream, bordered by a bilevel gallery forest, in an area otherwise planted mostly to cane. Many trees of the lower level were covered by an extremely thick network of vines, which were interwoven with branches and supported fallen leaves and debris from the upper level. This situation led to formation of small "rooms" or "cubicles" under some shorter trees; the bats were shot as they hung from small branches under one such tree, which was in fruit. All of our other specimens were captured in mist nets.

Pregnant females were taken on the following dates (crown-rump length of embryo in parentheses): 25 February (12 mm), 2 March (17 mm), 15 March (14 mm); a nonpregnant female also was taken on 15 March. Five males captured at San Antonio on 9 and 10 March had an average testicular length of 5.6 (5-6) mm. A male taken in July had testes 4 mm in length, whereas those of one obtained on 14 March were 5 mm long.

Selected measurements (average, with extremes in parentheses) of 11 adults (seven males and four females) are as follows: length of forearm, 42.5 (41.5-43.7) mm; condylobasal length (10 specimens only), 14.8 (14.5-15.0) mm; zygomatic breadth, 14.8 (14.4-15.1) mm; interorbital breadth, 5.0 (4.7-5.2) mm; breadth across upper molars, 10.6 (10.5-11.0) mm; length of maxillary toothrow, 5.0 (4.8-5.3) mm. These measurements generally agree with those given by Paradiso (1967:600) for 20 individuals from Panamá. Females in our series average slightly larger than do males in external and cranial measurements. Six males weighed an average of 22.9 (20.7-25.1) gms; one nonpregnant female weighed 17.1 gms.

Diphylla ecaudata Spix, 1823

_Specimens._--_Boaco_: Los Cocos, 14 km S Boaco, 220 m, 5. _Madriz_: 5 km N, 9 km E Condega, 800 m, 1. _Matagalpa_: 2 km N, 6 km E Esquipulas, 960 m, 1.

Our specimens constitute the first report of this species from Nicaragua. We follow Burt and Stirton (1961:37) in regarding _D. ecaudata_ as monotypic.

Specimens from Los Cocos (three males and two females) were captured in a mist net stretched across a large, quiet pool in a small stream. The banks supported well-developed gallery forest, the understory of which had been cleared for human habitation; grassland (grazed) and small stands of secondary forest obtained beyond the riparian habitat. Domestic ducks, a possible source of food, were observed sleeping along the bank of this stream and on top of large boulders situated in the stream. Males from this locality taken on 20 February, 4 April, and 18 July had testicular lengths of 5, 6, and 6.5 mm, respectively. Two adult females collected there on 4 April were reproductively inactive. An adult male (testes 6 mm) from near Condega was captured on 23 June in a daytime roost in a small, cave-like crevice (see account of _Peropteryx marcotis_), and one from northeast of Esquipulas (testes 5 mm) was netted on 14 March along a forest trail (see account of _Vampyressa pusilla_).

Natalus stramineus saturatus Dalquest and Hall, 1949

_Specimens._--_Granada_: 6 km S Nandaime, 5. _Zelaya_: S side Río Mico, El Recreo, 25 m, 2.

This funnel-eared species occupies an extensive geographic range (northern México to Brazil) but appears to be relatively rare in Middle America to the south of Guatemala. Our specimens represent the first of this species to be reported from Nicaragua.

Both specimens from El Recreo, adult males, were caught by hand at night after they flew through an open door into a small room, possibly seeking insects that were swarming around a light bulb. Those from near Nandaime (three males, two females) were caught in a mist net set over the mouth of a well in which they were roosting; the well was approximately 2 m in diameter, and the water level was about 5 m below the rim. The females were not reproductively active (6 August).

We have compared our Nicaraguan material with a number of Mexican specimens, including the holotype of _N. s. saturatus_ and topotypes of _N. s. mexicanus_. We concur with Goodwin (1959) that in México there are two rather distinct subspecies, between which a broad zone of intergradation obtains. Our Nicaraguan specimens agree most closely with _N. s. saturatus_, and, until additional comparative material is available from Middle America, we tentatively refer them to that race. Handley (1966b:770) and Starrett and Casebeer (1968:15), however, regarded _mexicanus_ as the appropriate name for specimens from Panamá and Costa Rica.

Selected measurements of two males from El Recreo are: length of forearm, 41.2, 39.0 mm; greatest length of skull, 17.1, 16.5 mm; zygomatic breadth, 8.4, 8.5 mm; mastoid breadth, 7.7, 7.6 mm; breadth of braincase, 8.2, 8.1 mm; interorbital constriction, 3.2, 3.2 mm; length of maxillary toothrow, 7.3, 7.1 mm.

Myotis albescens (E. Geoffroy St.-Hilaire, 1806)

This handsome _Myotis_ has been reported previously from Nicaragua only from the Caribbean lowlands--from the Escondido and Prinzapolka rivers (Miller and Allen, 1928:203). We netted two specimens, both males, at Santa Rosa, 17 km N and 15 km E Boaco, 300 m, Boaco, in central Nicaragua on 13 July and 9 August 1967, under the same conditions described in the account of _Myotis elegans_. Testes of our specimens were 7 and 6 mm, respectively, in length. External and cranial measurements are as follows: total length, 84, 83 mm; length of tail, 31, 33 mm; length of hind foot, 9, 9 mm; length of ear, 15, 15 mm; length of forearm, 32.9, 35.1 mm; weight, 6.4, 6.2 gms; greatest length of skull, 13.9, 14.4 mm; zygomatic breadth, 8.9, 9.0 mm; postorbital breadth, 3.8, 3.9 mm; breadth of braincase, 7.2, 7.3 mm; mastoid breadth, 7.4, 7.6 mm; breadth across upper molars, 5.6, 5.5 mm; length of maxillary toothrow, 5.3, 5.3 mm.

Myotis elegans Hall, 1962

The first specimen on record of this rare _Myotis_ from Central America, a nonpregnant female, was taken on 11 July 1967 at Santa Rosa, 17 km N and 15 km E Boaco, 300 m, Boaco. It was captured in a mist net as it foraged over a small stream that supported relatively well-developed gallery forest along the bank. The surrounding area was grassland (grazed), with small patches of tropical forest located on the sides of hills. Twenty other species of bats were taken at this same locality including _Myotis argentatus_ and _Myotis nigricans nigricans_.

External and cranial measurements of our specimen, followed in parentheses by those of the female holotype from Veracruz, are: total length, 71 (79) mm; length of tail, 32 (34) mm; length of hind foot, 7 (7.5) mm; length of ear, 11 (12) mm; length of forearm, 32.9 (33.0) mm; greatest length of skull, 12.5 (12.4) mm; condylobasal length, 11.6 (11.9) mm; zygomatic breadth, 8.2 mm; breadth of braincase, 5.8 (6.1) mm; postorbital breadth, 3.2 (3.2) mm; length of maxillary toothrow, 4.7 (4.6) mm. Our female weighed 3.2 gms.

Myotis nigricans nigricans (Schinz, 1821)

_Specimens._--_Boaco_: Santa Rosa, 17 km N, 15 km E Boaco, 300 m, 2. _Chinandega_: 6.5 km N, 1 km E Cosigüina, 10 m, 1; San Antonio, 35 m, 1. _Chontales_: 1 km N, 2.5 km W Villa Somoza, 330 m, 1. _Madriz_: Darailí, 5 km N, 14 km E Condega, 940 m, 1. _Nueva Segovia_: 4.5 km N, 2 km E Jalapa, 680 m, 1. _Rivas_: 1 km NW Sapoá, 40 m, 1.

This small Neotropical _Myotis_ has been reported from Nicaragua only from the Caribbean lowlands of Zelaya (Davis _et al._, 1964:379). Our records indicate that it is widely distributed in the republic but evidently nowhere common. Females taken on 5 March and 6 August each carried a single embryo (7 and 13 mm in crown-rump length, respectively), whereas one obtained on 21 July evidenced no reproductive activity. Richard K. LaVal currently is studying the _Myotis nigricans_ complex; pending his revision our specimens are tentatively assigned to _M. n. nigricans_.

Myotis simus riparius Handley, 1960

A male (USNM 52800) from the Escondido River above Bluefields, originally reported by Miller and Allen (1928:203) as one of two _M. albescens_ from that locality, provides the first record of the species from Nicaragua and the northernmost from Middle America. The cranial dimensions of this specimen, which compare well with those listed by Handley (1960:467) for the Panamanian holotype and paratype, are: greatest length of skull, 13.8 mm; zygomatic breadth, 8.9 mm; postorbital constriction, 3.5 mm; breadth of braincase, 6.7 mm; mastoid breadth, 7.4 mm; breadth across upper molars, 5.5 mm; length of maxillary toothrow, 5.2 mm.

From Nicaraguan specimens of _albescens_, the skull of the specimen of _simus_ examined (skin not seen) differs most conspicuously in having a less inflated braincase, narrower postorbital region, and a distinct sagittal crest.

Eptesicus furinalis gaumeri (J. A. Allen, 1897)

_Specimens._--_Carazo_: 3 km N, 4 km W Diriamba, 600 m, 7. _Chinandega_: Potosí, 5 m, 1; 6.5 km N, 1 km E Cosigüina, 10 m, 1; San Antonio, 35 m, 1. _Chontales_: 1 km N, 2.5 km W Villa Somoza, 330 m, 1; Hato Grande, 13 km S, 8 km W Juigalpa, 60 m, 3.

Davis (1965:234) reported two specimens of this species from Nicaragua, one from Carazo (listed above) and the other from 1 mi SE Yalagüina, 2600 ft, Madriz. The only other specimen on record from Nicaragua is from Greytown (Miller, 1897:100). Except for two individuals that were shot as they foraged in early evening, our specimens were captured in mist nets stretched over water or as described below.