Thyropteridae, a small family containing only one genus with three species, is considered to be most closely related to the Furipteridae and Noctilonoidae. (Van Den Bussche 2001)
Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
Thyroptera discifera is relavitely rare and limited by habitat, but is not officially considered endangered. (Emmans 1997)
US Migratory Bird Act: no special status
US Federal List: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
As with all insectivorous bats, T. discifera is plays a role in the control of insect pests.
Positive Impacts: controls pest population
T. discifera is insectivorous and may be specialized for catching insects in flight amid dense vegetation. (Emmons 1997, Nowak 1997)
Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore )
Thyroptera discifera is exclusively neotropical, found from southern Nicaragua in Central America to Guianas and Peru in northern South America. (Nowak 1997, Wilson 1978)
Biogeographic Regions: neotropical (Native )
T. discifera lives primarily in lowland rainforest. It may also occasionally be found in gardens and plantations that were formerly rainforest. (Emmons 1997)
Habitat Regions: tropical
Terrestrial Biomes: rainforest
Other Habitat Features: suburban ; agricultural
Thyroptera discifera is a relatively small brownish bat. The head and body length is 34-52 mm, and the tail length is an additional 24-33 mm. The tail extends 1-3 mm beyond the edge of the uropatagial membrane. The pelage may be chocolate-brown in color or reddish brown above and lighter brown below. The flight membranes have little fur. The outer ears are yellowish. The front edge of the ears reaches forward to the eyes, and the bottom edge reaches down to the edge of the mouth. The ears have been described as both squarish and funnel shaped. They are not connected across the top of the head, and a tragus is present. The most unusually feature of T. discifera, which it shares with the other species of Thyroptera, is the circular suction cups carried on short stalks on the soles of the feet and at the base of the thumb claw. The thumb disks are somewhat larger than the feet disks. These disks are used for hanging upright on smooth surfaces. (Emmans 1997, Nowak 1997, Thewissen et al 1995, Wilson 1978)
Range mass: 3 to 5 g.
Range length: 34 to 52 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Very little is known about reproductive behavior specific to T. discifera. Like all bats and other eutherian mammals, they have internal fertilization and are viviparous. Young are unable to fly at birth and stay with their mothers until they can fly. Young T. discifera cling to the neck and breast of their mother using their teeth and claws. (Hayssen 1993, Wilson 1978)
Key Reproductive Features: gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization (Internal ); viviparous
Parental Investment: female parental care
Peters's disk-winged bat (Thyroptera discifera) is a bat species mainly found in South and Central America. It belongs to the family Thyropteridae, a small group of disk-winged bats. They have a distinguishing feature of circular, suction disks at the base of their thumbs and hind feet. They use these suction disks to cling onto young unfurling banana or heliconia leaves to roost while avoiding rain and predators. They are very similar in appearance and easily confused with Thyroptera tricolor which has a paler venter than dorsum, and two cartilaginous projections on the calcar.
Bats in the family Thyropteridae do not have a noseleaf but instead have warts above their nostrils. They are smaller bats with long and slender snouts. T. discifera is the smallest of the family and possess thick lips, small eyes, and fairly large ears that extend from the eyes to the edge of the mouth. The tragus is present and the ears are covered in hair on the front side. Their entire body is also covered in fine, long hairs usually reddish brown in color. Suction disks are contained on the feet along with those at the base of their thumbs. The head and body length range from 37 to 47 millimetres (1.5 to 1.9 in) with a tail length of 24 to 33 millimetres (0.94 to 1.30 in). Their diet consists mostly of insects.
Peters' disk-winged bats can be found in Peru to northern South America. Previous material thought to be that of T. tricolor has been found to be T. discifera and the range has been extended over 1,000 km to the east and documentation of presence in the Atlantic Forest of Cerrado of Brazil has been found. They are distributed from Nicaragua southward to Bolivia and eastern Brazil where they inhabit lowland, secondary and semi-deciduous forests.[2] Their habitat consists of rainforests and surrounding dry forests. The species has also been found in small agricultural plots and banana plantations.
Many species of bats coexist in the Amazonian lowlands. The lack of proper natural history makes it hard to determine population density and size. Due to their small distribution, T. discifera may be prone to extinction.
Peters's disk-winged bat (Thyroptera discifera) is a bat species mainly found in South and Central America. It belongs to the family Thyropteridae, a small group of disk-winged bats. They have a distinguishing feature of circular, suction disks at the base of their thumbs and hind feet. They use these suction disks to cling onto young unfurling banana or heliconia leaves to roost while avoiding rain and predators. They are very similar in appearance and easily confused with Thyroptera tricolor which has a paler venter than dorsum, and two cartilaginous projections on the calcar.
