First record of leucism in the Spix’s disc-winged bat, Thyroptera tricolor (Chiroptera, Thyropteridae), in Belize

Authors: Martin, Vanessa Country: Belize DOI: 10.3897/neotropical.20.e140661 Published: Jan. 1, 2025 Source: Neotropical Biology and Conservation OpenAlex: View in OpenAlex

Collection: Pensoft Publishers

Keywords: Albinism · Topics: Bat Biology and Ecology Studies, Species Distribution and Climate Change, Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

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Although chromatic disorders are widely reported in the animal kingdom, few reports of true leucism have been published in Neotropical bats. In this note we report our observations of a leucistic Thyroptera tricolor Spix (Spix’s Disc-winged Bat) in the Maya Mountains of the Stann Creek District of Belize, Central America. Observations made between March 2023 and April 2024 at the Toucan Ridge Ecology and Education Society (T.R.E.E.S) research station recorded a group of Thyroptera tricolor with a leucistic male identified on three separate occasions. Our observations are the first documented account of leucism for this species and the Thyropteridae family.

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