Smoky Bats: Furipteridae - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction, Smoky Bat (furipterus Horrens): Species Account - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, SMOKY BATS AND PEOPLE, CONSERVATION STATUS

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SMOKY BAT (Furipterus horrens): SPECIES ACCOUNT

The two species of the family are found in different areas. The thumbless bat is found west of the Andes, from central coastal Ecuador south to northern Chile. The smoky bat is found in Costa Rica, lowland Brazil, Peru and Trinidad.

Furipterids (members of the family Furipteridae) live in diverse habitats. The thumbless bat has been found living in lowland rainforests to the arid (extremely dry) deserts of South America to cultivated land. The smoky bat appears to have a narrower range of habitats, found primarily in lowland, moist forests. Many of these bats live in isolated populations. They are found primarily in caves, tree hollows, and human-made structures.

Bats in this family feed on insects, primarily moths and butterflies.

People have caused the decline of the species in this family due to harming their natural habitats.

BAT RELATIVES

There are no known fossils in this family. In general, bats do not fossilize well because of their small, delicate skeletons. Scientists consider the smoky bats to be most closely related to Central and South American disk-winged bats and funnel-eared bats.

The World Conservation Union (IUCN) Red List categorizes the thumbless bat species as Vulnerable, meaning it is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild. The smoky bat is not considered threatened.

Additional Topics

Smoky Bats: Furipteridae - Physical Characteristics

Smoky bats are also commonly called thumbless bats. While they do have a thumb, it is small, enclosed in the edge of the wing, and can appear invisible. Other bats, on the other hand, use their thumbs to grip surfaces while crawling, and to hang right side up while giving birth. Smoky bats are among the smallest of bats, having a head and body length combined of 1.4 to 2.6 inches (3.5 to 5.8 centi…

Smoky Bats: Furipteridae - Smoky Bat (furipterus Horrens): Species Account

Physical characteristics: The smoky bat is the smaller of the two species in this family. Head and body length is approximately 1.3 to 1.6 inches (3.3 to 4 centimeters), and their forearms can range from 1.2 to 1.6 inches (3 to 4 centimeters). These bats weigh about 0.1 ounces (3 grams)—only slightly more than the weight of a penny. Females are larger than males by about 10 to 15 percent. T…

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