Tag Archives: Phyllostomidae

Desmodus draculae Morgan et al.

Giant Vampire Bat (Desmodus draculae)  

The Giant Vampire Bat was described in 1988 based on bones that were recovered from deposits of a cave in the state of Monagas, northern Venezuela. Further remains were found in Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, and Mexico.  

The exact age of these bones cannot be determined, they may be of late Pleistocene or early Holocene age, some scientists even think that this species may still exist. [1]  

***

The Giant Vampire Bat wasn’t a real giant, in fact it was only 30% larger than its next living relative, the Common Vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus Geoffroy) (see photo).  

*********************  

References:  

[1] G. S. Morgan; O. J. Linares; C. E. Ray: New species of fossil vampire bats (Mammalia, Chiroptera, Desmodontidae) from Florida and Venezuela”. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 101(4): 912–928. 1988  

*********************    

Common Vampire Bat (Desmodus rotundus Geoffroy)  

Photo: Uwe Schmidt 

(under creative commons license (4.0)) 
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0

*********************  

edited: 23.03.2018

Cubanycteris silvai Mancina & García-Rivera

Silva’s Leaf-nosed Bat (Cubanycteris silvai)

Silva’s Leaf-nosed Bat was described in 2005 based on (sub)fossil remains recovered from the deposits of a cave in the Pinar del Río province of Cuba; these remains, however, may be of Late Pleistocene age, and the species is so far just mentioned here for the sake of completeness. [1]

*********************

References:

[1] Carlos A. Mancina; Lainet García-Rivera: New genus and species of fossil bat (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae) from Cuba. Caribbean Journal of Science 41(1): 22-27. 2005

*********************

edited: 23.01.2020

Phyllops vetus Anthony

Lesser Cuban Fig-eating Bat (Phyllops vetus)

The Lesser Cuban Fig-eating Bat, also known as Lesser Falcate-winged Bat, was described in 1919 based on subfossil remains collected from a cave named Cueva de los Indios on the island of Cuba.

The species was somewhat similar to the still living Cuban Fig-eating Bat (Phyllops falcatus (Gray)) but was noticeably smaller. [1]

***

Fossils that are assignable to this species were later also recovered from cave depostis on the Isla de la Juventud offshore the southern coast of Cuba.

*********************

References:

[1] H. E. Anthony: Mammals collected in eastern Cuba in 1917: with descriptions of two new species. Bulletin of American Museum of Natural History 41: 625-643. 1919

*********************

edited: 23.01.2020

Phyllops silvai Suárez & Díaz-Franco

Silva’s Fig-eating Bat (Phyllops silvai)

This species was described in 2003; it is known from fossil remains that can be dated to a Late Pleistocene age, the species, however, might well have survived into the Holocene era.

The island of Cuba still harbors at least one surviving congeneric species, the Cuban Fig-eating Bat (Phyllops falcatus (Gray)).

*********************

edited: 10.08.2022