Artibeus aequatorialis

{{Speciesbox

| image =

| status = LC

| status_system = IUCN3.1

| status_ref = {{cite iucn |author=Solari, S. |year=2019 |title=Artibeus aequatorialis |page=e.T88109970A88109973 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T88109970A88109973.en}}

| taxon = Artibeus aequatorialis

| authority = Andersen, 1906

| synonyms = *Artibeus jamaicensis aequatorialis

}}

Artibeus aequatorialis, also known as Anderson's fruit-eating bat or the Ecuadorian fruit-eating bat,{{Cite taxon |asm |title=Artibeus aequatorialis Andersen, 1906

|id=1004998 |access-date=2023-04-25}} is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. The bat is endemic to northwestern South America west of the Andes mountain range.

Taxonomy

It was previously considered a subspecies of the Jamaican fruit bat (A. jamaicensis). Larsen elevated it to species level on the basis of morphometric and genetic data.{{Cite journal|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228512609|doi=10.11646/zootaxa.2648.1.3|title=Taxonomic status of Andersen's fruit-eating bat (Artibeus jamaicensis aequatorialis) and revised classification of Artibeus (Chiroptera: Phyllostomidae)|year=2010|last1=Larsen|first1=Peter A.|last2=Marchán-Rivadeneira|first2=María R.|last3=Baker|first3=Robert J.|journal=Zootaxa|volume=2648|pages=45|doi-access=free}}

Habitat and distribution

The bat is found in Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia. It inhabits tropical dry forests and tropical lowland forests of the Chocó. It seems to be more common in humid forests. The northernmost and southernmost extent of its range are unknown.

Conservation

The species has been assessed as least-concern by the IUCN due to its large range, and relative abundance.

The threats to this species are not known. However, it occurs in some nature reserves (private and national) in its range in western Ecuador. It also occurs in some national parks in Peru.

References

aequatorialis