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Though
the Cayman Islands have nine species, we have ten kinds
of bats – the Brown Bat is present in two separate subspecies. Based
upon its
smaller size and darker coloured fur, the Grand Cayman Brown Bat is considered
to be a new endemic subspecies and has not yet been named. The Cayman
Brac subspecies is shared with Cuba and the Bahamas.
The Grand Cayman Brown Bat is considered to be a new endemic subspecies and has not yet been named (Brown bat photos are at the top of all the Bat pages.)
Brown Bat (Eptesicus
fuscus duterreus) (subspecies endemic to Caribbean)
Brown Bats, sometimes called Big Brown Bats are, nevertheless, very
small. They have short, triangular ears, and medium length wings and
tails.
They are medium brown in colour with a distinct reddish-brown tinge.
Their acrobatic hunting flight pattern is spectacular, as they swoop,
dive, and whirl above the trees hunting moths. They can use their tails
and wings like tennis rackets to bat a moth into their mouths and often
perform a somersault in mid-air by tucking their heads down into their
tail membranes to retrieve the captured food. They can also pick insects
from the surface of leaves. These bats appear to patrol feeding territories
and some defend hunting areas from other individuals of the same or
different species. Subspecies duterreus is only found on Cayman
Brac, Cuba and
the Bahamas. They live in roof spaces, bat houses and rock crevices.
Other subspecies of this bat are widely distributed in the New World
and seem to be closely related to the Pipistrelle of England and other
parts of Europe.
Brown Bat (Eptesicus fuscus ssp. nov.) (Subspecies
endemic to Grand Cayman)
These bats are found on Grand Cayman and nowhere else in the world.
They are much like their Cayman Brac cousins, but even smaller. In
fact, they
are the smallest of all the Brown Bat subspecies. They once lived on
Cayman Brac but are now extinct there. These bats are truly a national
treasure. Scientists are concerned because this new subspecies seems
to be becoming more rare. Protection of caves and other roosting sites
is very important. These bats are sometimes found in roof spaces, roosting
with Velvety Free-tailed Bats, and can be attracted to bat houses.
The females give birth in June and the males form bachelor colonies
and live
separately until the young are weaned and flying. They are very agile,
like their Cayman Brac cousins, they can swoop, dart, and catch insects
flying among the trees. This wonderful and unique bat must not be allowed
to become extinct.
Velvety Free-tailed Bat (Molossus molossus tropidorhynchus) (subspecies
endemic to Caribbean)
These tiny bats are named for their velvety soft fur. Their bodies
are about the size of a person's thumb. Their ears are short and triangular
and their wings are very narrow. Their tails extend beyond the edge
of the tail membrane. They have a stiff white mustache and are sometimes
called Moustached Bats, or Pallas's Mastiff Bats. This species is one
of the fastest flying of all bats. Velvety Free-tailed bats hunt thousands
of insects every night, including mosquitoes, beetles and moths. Because
they are our most numerous bats, they are the most important of all
our
bat species for insect control. (Many bats = many insects eaten!) They
are usually found in roofs and bat houses but they are also known to
live in caves, especially on Cayman Brac. They do not hang upside-down,
as do most other bats, but clutch the ceiling or wall with both the
feet and wing claws. When disturbed they do not take flight but scurry
away
to a safer place on all fours, rapidly and with considerable agility.
Like most bats, Velvety Free-tails only produce one young per year,
but there are two birth peaks, one in June and another in September.
Thus,
exclusions from roofs and attics are only possible from November through
May when all young bats can fly. The Cayman Islands subspecies lives
in Cuba, Grand Cayman, and Cayman Brac. Other subspecies occur throughout
tropical America.
Caribbean Fruit Bat (Artibeus jamaicensis parvipes) (subspecies endemic to Caribbean)
These bats, also called Jamaican Fruit Bats or Common Fruit Bats, are
our largest bats, but are still quite small with a torso about the
size of small child's fist. They have a large nose leaf, rounded ears,
large very broad wings and no tail. They feed mainly on wild fruits
and enjoy the Christmas palm, yellow mastic, cocoplum, wild calabash,
ginep,
bitter plum, and pepper cinnamon trees. They do not stay on the tree
to eat the fruits, but pluck them and fly to a feeding roost in another
tree. In this way, they spread seeds through woodlands, helping to
keep the vegetation varied and healthy. They are also valuable because
they
eat large amounts of wild fruit which would otherwise rot and provide
breeding grounds for fruit flies and fungus. These bats pollinate many
of our native plants. They are considered to be crop pests but actually
benefit farmers and the ecology because they control insects that damage
fruit. They roost in small groups (harems, nursery and bachelor colonies)
and are never found in attic spaces or bat houses. They fly low, through
the under-story in forests and use trails as flyways. When encountered
as they fly to a feeding roost, they may drop a fruit in surprise,
seeming to throw it toward the observer as they veer sharply to avoid
a collision.
They often eat Indian almonds, and piles of chewed almond seeds can
be found below feeding roosts all over the islands and in the entrances
to some caves. The Cayman Islands subspecies lives in Cuba, the Bahamas,
Turks and Caicos, Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman. Other
subspecies are found from Mexico to Peru and N. Argentina, Trinidad,
the Antilles and the Bahamas.
 Brazilian Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis
muscula) (subspecies endemic to Caribbean)
These fast-flying bats are very social and are usually found in large
colonies. They have sizeable mouths that enable them to eat larger
varieties of moths and beetles. Brazilian Free-tailed Bats are small
with broad
triangular ears and very narrow wings. The tail extends beyond the
membrane and is used for balance when flying. This species has abandoned
the cave
in Old Man Bay where our largest colony once lived. In 1980, this cave
had 30,000 Brazilian Free-tailed Bats. Now there are none, due to nearly
constant disturbance and at least on deliberate act of vandalism. This
is a very serious loss because those bats ate millions of nighttime
insects. Though Brazilian Free-tailed Bats are common in Central America
and the
southern United States, the Cayman Islands subspecies is found only
in Cuba and Grand Cayman.
 Big-eared Bat (Macrotus waterhousii minor) (subspecies endemic to Caribbean)
These rare bats have large ears, a long tail and very sensitive sonar.
They were once found in "Bat Cave" at Spotts on Grand Cayman
but there are none there today. Biologists currently know of only three
small colonies of Big-eared Bats on Grand Cayman. These bats eat large,
slow-moving insects like moths, grasshoppers, cockroaches, beetles,
and even sleeping dragonflies. They fly lower than Free-tailed Bats
and can
manoeuvre among trees and thick leaves. The Cayman Islands subspecies
lives only in Cuba, the Bahamas, Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little
Cayman. Other subspecies are found from SW Untied States to Guatemala,
the Antilles and the Bahamas
Buffy Flower Bat (Erophylla sezekorni syops) (species endemic to Caribbean)
Buffy Flower Bats are another rare and beautiful local species. They
have a narrow snout and a long tongue for feeding on flower nectar,
like a hummingbird. They have long ears, a very small nose leaf and
short
tails. The native agave, column cactus, prickly-pear cactus, vine cactus,
wild calabash, night-blooming jasmine and many other local plants rely
on Buffy Flower Bats for pollination. When flower nectar and pollen
are scarce, these small bats sometimes eat insects. Very little is
known
about these rare animals, but it is believed that they are the descendants
of an early colonization by a primitive stock of leaf-nosed bats. Perhaps
the study of them will someday reveal significant answers about the
evolution of the New World leaf-nosed bats. We do know that they are
highly intolerant
of human disturbance and will not remain in a cave that is often visited
by people. In this light, we encourage governments and agencies involved
to evaluate carefully decisions that affect the future of these bats.
They live only in Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cayman Brac. Other subspecies
are found only on Cuba, Bahamas and the Caicos Islands.
White-shouldered
Bat (Phyllops falcatus) (species endemic to Caribbean)
These fluffy yellow bats have white shoulder patches. They have a
large nose leaf, short broad wings and no tail. None of these bats
have been
seen or captured in the Cayman Islands since the early 1900s. Scientists
think they still live here, however, because their bones have been
found in owl roosts. White-shouldered Bats are extremely rare and elusive,
and nothing is known yet of their ecology here. In Cuba, White-shouldered
Bats lives in trees in small groups of no more than five individuals.
They feed on the fruits of wild native fig trees, dropping seeds across
the forests and clearings. They live only in Cuba, Hispaniola, Grand
Cayman, and Cayman Brac.
Antillean Nectar Bat (Brachyphylla nana nana) (species endemic to the Caribbean)
These fascinating bats are the second largest in the Cayman Islands,
though they are still very small! They have long, fluffy fur and large
rounded ears. They have no tail. They have very long legs, big feet,
and flexible toes and can climb around in a strawberry tree, eating
fruits, like a monkey. They are also known to eat insects found on
fruits. Their
soft, furry faces are extremely endearing and most resemble a tiny
flying piglet! This nectar, pollen, and fruit eater is responsible
for pollinating
and dispersing seeds for many different native plants. No roosting
sites have ever been found, though they are thought to live in caves.
These
bats are found only on Grand Cayman, Cuba, and the Isle of Pines. Other
subspecies are found in Hispaniola and Grand (Middle) Caicos.
Red Bat (Lasiurus subspecies unknown)
The only Red Bat ever seen in the Cayman Islands was photographed
hanging alone in a sweetwood tree, and his fur exactly matched the
colour of
the drying brownish-red leaves. These small cinnamon-coloured bats
roost in tree branches, holding on to a twig or a leaf. They feed on
insects
and can sometimes be seen flying around streetlights in the United
States. Red Bats usually roost alone and do not form large colonies.
They are
the only bats known to have twins. Red Bats range in colour from brick
red to rusty red and are sometimes even orange! Males are more brightly
coloured than females and slightly smaller. Red Bats are considered
by some to be among the most beautiful of all mammals. We do not know
how
many of these bats live in the Cayman Islands, or exactly where they
may make their homes. Perhaps our one Red Bat blew in during a storm,
or there could be many more living quietly, undiscovered, in our woodlands.
Red Bats eat large insects, especially moths. Little is known of the
habits of these bats in the tropics. There are no fossil records of
these bats in the Cayman Islands, and no evidence in owl roosts. None
have
ever been caught in mist nets set to sample bat populations, although
high-flying bats are rarely caught this way. Red Bats are widely distributed
in North America and sometimes migrate with flocks of birds.
Acknowledgements:
This information is based upon original research done by G. S.
Morgan in 1982 and 1986, further research carried out by A. E. Band
in 1998 and ongoing current research by F. J. Burton and L. M. Blumenthal.
Advice, information and assistance have been provided by Bat
Conservation International in Austin Texas, USA and by
The British Bat Trust in London, England.
We also wish to thank Mrs. Penny Clifford for her drawings of
Cayman Islands' bats.
The National Trust extends a very special "Thank You" to Caribbean
Utilities Co Ltd (CUC) for their generous support of the Bat
Conservation Programme. Without their cooperation the project would
have been hopelessly expensive and difficult. Their continuing
support with the donation of installed utility poles has been crucial
to the success of the programme. |
Bat
Species of Cayman 