Patagonian bonneted bat

The Patagonian bonneted bat (Eumops patagonicus), also called the Patagonian dwarf bonneted bat, is a species of free-tailed bat found in Argentina, Bolivia and Paraguay.

Patagonian bonneted bat
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Chiroptera
Family:	Molossidae
Genus:	Eumops
Species:	E. patagonicus
Binomial name
Eumops patagonicus Thomas, 1924
Synonyms
Eumops bonariensis patagonicus Thomas, 1924 Eumops bonariensis beckeri Sanborn, 1932

Taxonomy and etymology

It was described as a new species in 1924 by British zoologist Oldfield Thomas. Thomas had obtained the holotype from Argentinean-Italian scientist Roberto Dabbene, who worked in Buenos Aires at the time.^[2] Its species name "patagonicus" means "belonging to Patagonia."^[3] The Patagonian bonneted bat was widely considered a subspecies of the dwarf bonneted bat (Eumops bonariensis) from approximately 1932^[4] until the 1990s.^[5] Based on Gregorin et al.'s 2016 classification, the Patagonian bonneted bat is a member of the bonariensis species group of the genus Eumops. Other members include the dwarf bonneted bat, E. delticus, and E. nanus.^[6]

Description

It is a small member of its genus, with a forearm length of 44 mm (1.7 in). Its head and body is 54 mm (2.1 in); its tail is 31 mm (1.2 in) long; its ears are 14.5 mm (0.57 in) long.^[2]

Range and habitat

Its range includes several countries in southern South America, including Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay.^[1]

Conservation

It is currently evaluated as least concern by the IUCN—its lowest conservation priority. It meets the criteria for this assessment because it has a large range, its population size is likely large, and it is not thought to be in rapid population decline.^[1]

References

1. Barquez, R.; Gonzalez, E. (2015). "Eumops patagonicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2015: e.T136825A22044762. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2015-4.RLTS.T136825A22044762.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
2. Thomas, Oldfield (2009). "XXXIII.—New South American small mammals". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 13 (74): 234–237. doi:10.1080/00222932408633035.
3. Braun, J. K.; Mares, M. A. (1995). "The mammals of Argentina: an etymology" (PDF). Mastozoología Neotropical. 2 (2): 173–206. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-10-18. Retrieved 2018-03-15.
4. Sanborn, C. C. (1932). "The bats of the genus Eumops". Journal of Mammalogy. 13 (4): 347–357. doi:10.2307/1374140. JSTOR 1374140.
5. Hunt, John L; McWilliams, Lisa A; Best, Troy L; Smith, Kevin G (2003). "Eumops bonariensis". Mammalian Species. 733: 1–5. doi:10.1644/733.
6. Gregorin, Renato; Moras, Ligiane Martins; Acosta, Luis Hernán; Vasconcellos, Karina Lobão; Poma, José Luis; Dos Santos, Fabrício Rodrigues; Paca, Roberto Carlos (2016). "A new species of Eumops (Chiroptera: Molossidae) from southeastern Brazil and Bolivia". Mammalian Biology - Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde. 81 (3): 235. doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2016.01.002.