Acoustic Identification bats of Antigua and Barbuda

Family

Phyllostomidae

Scientific name

Artibeus jamaicensis Leach, 1821.

Taxonomy follows Simmons and Cirranello (2022)

Call shape

Call shapes of all species of the family Phyllostomidae are broad band, multiple harmonic and often consist of two pulses. These pulses are generally steep FM decreasing frequencies immediately followed by another pulse somewhat higher start frequency but overlapping frequencies. The interpulse time is very short between these pulses.

This Phyllostomidae sub-family (and most other Phyllostomidae species) exclusively use call type 9 – a multiharmonic, high bandwidth, short duration call with the majority of the energy in the second or third harmonic Collen (2012). 

See notes for additional details 

Vocal signature parameters

Published parameters and measured parameters are provided below.

Source

Dur

TBC

Fmin

Fmax

BW

Fmean

Brinkov et al., 2008

0.9

62.5

66.0

90.4

24.4

78.2

Gerrity et al., 2012

1.1

66.8

100.5

33.7

83.7

            Medina 2011

68.6

109.6

41.0

89.1

Jennings et al., 2004

2.2

75.5

48.4

83.6

35.3

66.0

Moreno et al., 2020

2.2

57.9

120.1

62.2

89.0

Average

1.6

69.0

61.5

100.8

39.3

81.2

 The following have been extracted from verified recordings from Puerto Rico and Nicaragua.

Parameters    N Min Max Mean St.Dev 10% 25% 75% 90%
Dur 179 0.3 4.2 1.4 0.9 0.4 0.6 1.9 2.7
Fmin 179 36.7 69.6 51.2 5.7 44.7 47.6 54.8 58.4
Fmax 179 59.7 97.6 74.6 7.2 66.7 69.0 80.4 84.2
BW 179 5.5 46.7 23.4 8.6 12.5 17.2 29.8 36.7
Fmean 179 50.3 79.6 62.3 5.1 56.0 59.0 65.5 68.4
Fk 179 41.2 84.2 66.6 8.5 55.5 60.2 72.1 77.8
FcH1 179 21.9 48.8 31.8 4.5 25.6 28.6 34.8 37.0
Fc 179 43.7 97.6 63.6 8.9 51.3 57.1 69.6 74.1
FcH3 179 65.6 146.3 95.5 13.4 76.9 85.7 104.4 111.1
Sc 179 -5668.9 3800.7 94.2 1420.2 -1325.9 118.7 404.9 848.2
Pmc 179 0.0 63.6 19.0 16.8 0.9 3.7 30.1 43.3

Source of acoustic data

Varied publications as cited, Corben and O'Farrell [Puerto Rico] and Elliott Petkovic recorded on Trinidad and Tobago.

Known distribution

  • Antigua
  • Barbuda

    • Conservation status

    Least Concern

    Miller et al., (2016)

    Notes

    Note when displaying short call pulses such as Phyllostomids make sure setting in the Kaleidoscope Signal Params tab is set for a minimum pulses to = 0.5, otherwise not all pulses will display.

    While echolocation calls of species in the family Phyllostomidae can be recorded, they are considered "Whispering bats" and therefore are very quiet. They rely on sight, smell and sound to detect prey/food. Generally, they do not use echolocation until they are close to food items (Kalko pers. Com.).

    It is not yet possible to distinguish between free flying species of  Phyllostomidae as the multiple harmonics and broadband FM calls are extremely similar within genera throughout their range. 

    Citations

    Brinkløv, S., E. K. V. Kalko, and A. Surlykke. 2008. Intense echolocation calls from two ‘whispering’ bats, Artibeus jamaicensis and Macrophyllum macrophyllum (Phyllostomidae). Journal of Experimental Biology. 212: 11-20.

     

    Collen, A. 2012.The evolution of echolocation in bats: a comparative approach. PhD. Pp. 1-432 University College London, London.

     

    Gerrity, D. J., K. Demarest, T. Pruitt, S. Sarkhosh, and A. M. James. 2012. A Study of Echolocation Calls of the Bats of Dominica.

     

    Jennings, N. V., S. Parsons, K. E. Barlow, and M. R. Gannon. 2004. Echolocation calls and wing morphology of bats from the West Indies. Acta Chiropterologica. 6: 75-90.

     

    Lindsay, K., G. Kwiecinski, J.-P. Bacle, A. Thibou, and C. Wallace. 2017. Bats of Antigua and Barbuda their importance and conservation. Federation Family Publishing House, St. George's, Antigua.

     

    Miller, B. W, Reid, F., Arroyo-Cabrales, J., Cuarón, A.D. & de Grammont, P.C. 2016. Artibeus jamaicensis. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

     

    Medina, H. 2011. Characteristics of echolocation calls of bats in Dominica. Texas A&M University Dominica Study Abroad Class 1-13.

     

    Moreno, C. R., T. Pollock, L. Sánchez, and E. C. Mora. 2020. Acoustical and morphological comparisons between albino and normally pigmented Jamaican fruit bats (Artibeus jamaicensis). Caribbean Journal of Science. 50.

     

    Simmons, N. B., and A. L. Cirranello. 2022.. Bat Species of the World: A taxonomic and geographic database. www.batnames.org

    Acoustic Identification bats of Antigua and Barbuda2022, all rights reserved.