| advertise add site services publishers database health videos | ![]() | about toolbar stats live show health store more stuff JOIN/LOGIN |
The Tube-lipped Nectar Bat (Anoura fistulata) is a bat from Ecuador which was first described in 2005.[2] The species name fistulata is derived from the Latin word 'fistula', meaning 'tube'. It refers to the bat's lower lip which extends 3.3-4.8mm beyond the upper lip and is rolled into a funnel shape. The exact function of the tube-lip is unknown. The bat has the longest tongue (8.5 cm) relative to its body size of any mammal; its tongue is 150% the size of its overall body length. By convergent evolution pangolins, the giant anteater, Myrmecophaga tridactyla, and the tube-lipped nectar bat all have tongues which are detached from their hyoid bone and extend past their pharynx deep into the thorax.[3] This extension lies between the sternum and the trachea. Despite its exceptionally long tongue, the tube-lipped nectar bat has a varied diet that includes nectar, pollen and insects. This arrangement is possible due to its short jaw; the base of the tongue is in the bat's rib cage.[4] One plant, Centropogon nigricans with its 8-9 cm-long corollas, is pollinated exclusively by this bat. [edit] See also[edit] References
[edit] External links
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ↑ top of page ↑ | about thumbshots |