Two More New Species of Bats Were Discovered

Continue adding two new bat species found in the forests of South and Central America. This article explains the key facts and context behind bats.

Key Facts About Bats

These new bats are fast and deep bats that are difficult to detect. Scientists have only recorded 6 species so far, but now a group of international scientists have succeeded in finding two species of bats.

Named Cynomops freemani - in honor of Dr. Patricia W. Freeman, a scientist who studies bats, this tiny bat with only 4cm wings was found in the Panama Canal area. Bats are reddish brown to dark brown tones and light brown.

The second species, Cynomops tonkigui (tonkigui means bat in Waorani, a language discovered by native Ecuadorians) is found in the eastern Andes of Ecuador and Colombia. It is dark cinnamon brown and has the same size as the bat Cynomops freemani.

Morphological analysis, sound data and modern DNA studies have helped identify these new species. "We are very fortunate to capture a number of different species of this species in the fog networks and record their cries. Having data from their cries can help us find added their homology and learned more about this newly discovered bat, "said. Thomas Sattler, of the Swiss Motor Research Institute and one of the authors of the article.

"The molecular tools combined with meticulous morphological measurements are opening the door to discover the diversity of many new species in nature,". Said Rachel Page of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.