Flight speeds of three species of Neotropical bats: Glossophaga soricina, Natalus stramineus, and Carollia subrufa

Flight speeds of Pallas's long-tongued bat (Glossophaga soricina), the Mexican funnel-eared bat (Natalus stramineus), and the gray short-tailed bat (Carollia subrufa) were measured in Colima, Mexico, during January 2006. Bats from an abandoned mine tunnel were transported to a nearby simulated flyway, where speeds were determined over a known distance. For G. soricina, average speeds for 26 males and 14 females were 4.85 and 4.80 m/s, respectively (P > 0.05), which are similar to those reported by other investigators. Averages for N. stramineus were 2.84 m/s for 40 males and 2.39 m/s for 23 females, values that were statistically different (P < 0.05) despite the fact that body masses for the sexes were similar. For C. subrufa, three males and three females averaged 3.67 and 3.52 m/s, respectively. Speeds were unrelated to body mass for any of the species. Speeds for N. stramineus and C. subrufa are the first reported, whereas those for G. soricina are the first recorded under near-field conditions.