Rosensteiniidae - Nycteriglyphus sp.
Family Rosensteiniidae
Nycteriglyphus sp. Size: Group Guild Status Eutroglophile Scavenger Rare A few individuals of Nycteriglyphus sp. were found during the initial study in one of the older bat guano deposits in the Big Room. Nycteriglyphus spp. are most commonly associated with the Mexican free-tailed bat (Tadarida brasiliensis), but are also associated with a few other bat species, including M. velifer (Whitaker and Easterla 1975; Reisen et al. 1976). Where they occur, Nycteriglyphus are usually present in large numbers in the guano deposits below roosts (Welbourn 1999). Welbourn suggested that the few individuals found in Kartchner Caverns probably indicate the species is not a permanent resident in the cave. He suggested that the high humidity in the cave (99.4 percent) may preclude Nycteriglyphus from becoming established (Welbourn 1999). No Nycteriglyphus were found during the recent study, but there was little sampling conducted on the older (recent, but drier) bat guano deposits. |
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