Ecology, Reproductive Biology, and Systematics of Neoplatymops mattogrossensis (Chiroptera: Molossidae)

Abstract

Neoplatymops mattogrossensis, the South American flat-headed bat, is a ground crevice-dwelling microhabitat specialist. Small holometabolous insects are the predominant prey that it consumed in the Caatingas of Northeast Brazil. Its external morphology results in aerodynamic attributes that are unlike those of many molossids and that are similar to those of vespertilionid bats. The species is sexually dimorphic for most morphometric characters, but the magnitude of the dimorphism is slight, probably moderated by the constraints of crevice dwelling. Significant geographic variability characterizes the species, but is neither consistent nor of sufficient magnitude to designate recognizable subspecies. Low gene flow and a mosaic genetic structure probably characterize the species.