Fishing bat - Uokui komori (English spelling) fisherman bat

A general term for animals belonging to the family Noctilionidae in the order Chiroptera in the class Mammalia. The family Noctilionidae includes one genus and two species. One of them, the Mexican fish-vamp bat, Noctilio leporinus , is found from Mexico to Argentina. Its wingspan is 40 cm. Its head and body length is 10-14 cm, its forearm length is 7-9 cm, its wings are long and narrow, its tail and hind legs are long, its snout is pointed, its upper lip has vertical folds, and it is three-mouthed. The upper surface of the body is shiny orange-brown in males, and gray or dark brown in females. They live in small groups in caves, crevices in rock walls, tree holes, and sometimes inside human homes. They fly in groups over the sea and rivers like sea swallows, scooping up small fish about 2-8 cm long that swim near the surface with the sharp hook-like claws on their hind legs. They usually eat fish in their cheek pouches and return to their resting place to eat, but they may also eat while flying, catching as many as 30-40 fish in one night. They also eat insects and crustaceans in addition to fish. They only give birth to one young. The closely related species, the southern fish vamp N. labralis , is found from Nicaragua to southern Argentina.

[Yoshiyuki Mizuko]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

哺乳(ほにゅう)綱翼手目ウオクイコウモリ科に属する動物の総称。同科Noctilionidaeには1属2種が含まれる。その一つメキシコウオクイコウモリNoctilio leporinusはメキシコからアルゼンチンまで分布する。翼開長40センチメートル。頭胴長10～14センチメートル、前腕長7～9センチメートル、翼は狭長、尾と後肢が長く、吻(ふん)はとがり、上唇に垂直のひだがあり、三つ口状。体の上面は雄では光沢がある橙褐色(とうかっしょく)、雌では灰色または暗褐色。洞窟(どうくつ)、岩壁の割れ目、樹洞、ときに人家内に小群で生息する。群れをなして、海や川の上をウミツバメのように飛びながら、水面近くを泳ぐ2～8センチメートルほどの小魚を後ろ足の釣り針状の鋭いつめですくい上げてとらえる。普通、魚は頬袋(ほおぶくろ)に入れ、休息地に戻って食べるが、飛びながら食べることもあり、一晩に30～40匹もとらえる。また、魚のほか、昆虫、甲殻類も食べる。1産1子。近縁種であるミナミウオクイコウモリN. labralisはニカラグアからアルゼンチン南部に分布する。

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