Thyroptera tricolor Spix, 1823

Spix's Disk-winged Bat

Species recognized by The Integrated Taxonomic Information System external link, T Orrell (custodian) in 
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC) external link Showing: scientific names

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General Description

Disklike structures adhere to smooth surfaces: Spix's disk-winged bat

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Disklike structures on the wrists and ankles of Spix's disk-winged bat adhere to smooth leaves using suction adhesion.

   
  "Several of the smallest bats, for instance, use [suction adhesion] to cling to smooth leaves, with disklike structures on wrists and ankles. In the 3.5-gram Thyroptera tricolor of Central America, suction provides the main mechanism; these bats' minimal reliance on other schemes such as the two kinds of wet adhesion that follow [Stefan and capillary] limits their ability to cling to anything but smooth surfaces (Riskin and Fenton 2001)." (Vogel 2003:427)
  Learn more about this functional adaptation.
References
  • Steven Vogel. 2003. Comparative Biomechanics: Life's Physical World. Princeton: Princeton University Press. 580 p.
  • Riskin, DK; Fenton, MB. 2001. Sticking ability in Spix’s disk-winged bat, Thyroptera tricolor (Microchiroptera: Thyropteridae). Canadian Journal of Zoology. 79: 2261-2267.
"Thyroptera tricolor Spix, 1823". Encyclopedia of Life, available from "http://www.eol.org/pages/327546". Accessed 21 Mar 2010.