Pregnant creature — with hairy lips and yellow ears — discovered as new species
In a forest of southern Mexico, a pregnant creature flapped its membrane-like wings and soared through the air. But not for long.
The winged animal flew into a trap.
When scientists took a look at their catch, they realized it was a new species.
Researchers set up mist nets in the forest of Guerrero state in hopes of capturing bats, according to a study published March 1 in the peer-reviewed Journal of Mammalogy. Their plan worked.
Trapped in the nets were eight small bats with colorful fur, the study said. Researchers took a closer look at the animals and realized they’d discovered a new species: Vampyressa villai, or Villa’s little yellow-eared bat.
Villa’s little yellow-eared bats are considered “small,” the study said. They have membrane-like wings, partially yellow ears and multicolored fur. On their face, the bats have several white stripes and a “conspicuous fringe of white hairs” on their upper lips.
Overall, the new species has a light brown coloring, a photo shows.
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Villa’s little yellow-eared bats eat fruit and were caught primarily in lowland forests, researchers said. Two female bats were found pregnant. Researchers did not find roosting sites but believe the new species roosts in trees.
Researchers named the new species after Bernardo Villa Ramirez, a Mexican expert on mammals who died in 2006 and made a “remarkable contribution to our understanding of Neotropical mammals.”
So far, Villa’s little yellow-eared bats have been found in the neighboring states of Guerrero and Oaxaca, the study said. These states are in southwestern Mexico and border the Pacific Ocean.
The new species was identified by its size, coloring, skull shape, DNA and other subtle physical features, the study said.
The research team included Guilherme Garbino, Giovani Hernández-Canchola, Livia León-Paniagua and Valéria da C. Tavares.
This story was originally published March 18, 2024 at 11:07 AM with the headline "Pregnant creature — with hairy lips and yellow ears — discovered as new species."
