Nose-leaf

A nose-leaf, or leaf nose, is an often large, lance-shaped nose, found in bats of the Phyllostomidae, Hipposideridae, and Rhinolophidae families. Because these bats echolocate nasally, this nose-leaf is thought to serve some role in modifying and directing the echolocation call.[1][2]

Nose-leaf diagram of a horseshoe bat

The shape of the nose-leaf can be an important for identifying and classifying bats.[3]

References

  1. Macdonald, D., ed. (1984). The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File. pp. 805. ISBN 0-87196-871-1.
  2. Wetterer, Andrea L.; et al. (2000). "Phylogeny of Phyllostomid Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera): Data from Diverse Morphological Systems, Sex Chromosomes, and Restriction Sites". Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History. 248 (1): 1–200. doi:10.1206/0003-0090(2000)248<0001:POPBMC>2.0.CO;2. hdl:2246/1595.
  3. Myers, Espinosa, Parr, Jones, Hammond, Dewey (2016). "Noseleaves". animaldiversity.org. The Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 2 May 2016.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
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