Anoura fistulata  

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Anoura fistulata has been found at its northernmost point in Pueblo Rico, in the Colombian Andes down to the eastern side of the Andes Mountains in Condor Mirador, Ecuador. They have been found between 1175 m to 2517 m. Recently discovered on both sides of the Andes mountain range (Mantilla-Meluk and Baker 2008). A previously described species of A. cadenai was determined as an A. fistulata after further investigation into the mandibles and teeth of the specimen. The specimen had an enlarged keel in the mandible and its upper canines do not have the sulcus typically found in the A. cadenai. This constituted the first record of the A. fistulata from Llorente, Colombia. It is known to inhabit mature cloud forests on the mid-elevation slopes of the Andes. In 2008, the geographic range was extended into Peru after a specimen was found at Playa Colorado (Mantilla-Meluk 2014).

Diet

Bats of the subfamily Glossophaginae are some of the most specialized nectarivores. They are known to most commonly drink nectar from the Centropogon nigricans, which has an unusually long corolla that highly correlates to the length of the tongue in the A. fistulata. Scientists had predicted that the flower must be pollinated by some kind of hawk moth with an extremely long proboscis, but with the discovery of this bat, the pollinator has been more precisely predicted. This specialization indicates a coevolution specifically between this plant and bat and is hardly seen in any other circumstances (Muchhala 2006). A. fistulata is also known to drink nectar from the flower Aphelandra acanthus indicating the possibility for a broader distribution than is presently known (Muchhala et. al 2008). A. fistulata moves from flower to flower, lapping nectar, through quick retractions and extensions of it’s tongue by sticking it’s full head into the flower (Muchhala and Thompson 2009).  A. fistulata is also known to eat insects for protein and is much more efficient than some of its counterparts due to its shortened snout.  

Pollination

A. fistulata moves from flower to flower aiding in pollination of those specific flowers. This bat species picks up the pollen on the crown of its head and dispenses it on awaiting stigmas. A previous study found that bats in particular this bat species and it’s close relative A. geoffroyi were better polliantors than hummingbirds, depositing a significantly greater amount pollen. The interspecific accumulation of pollen by these bats, however, makes them not ideal for flowers and leads to a need for a secondary pollinator by this plant (Muchhala et. al 2008). This type of loss of pollen to foreign plants due to multiple visits is called conspecific pollen loss. This pollen misplacement could be due to a low coevolution between bat and flower as well as behavioral characteristics, increased stops between same specie flowers (Muchhala et. al 2012). Research has found that with its niche breadth, this bat is a very important pollinator of cacti. 

It would be expected that with such a specialized adaptation for specific flowers, this bat would be found in a small niche breadth. However, as shown by the geographic distribution, the area continues to increase. It was determined that the bat is most commonly found in drier forests. Not exactly arid environments, but locations with low precipitation and high to medium temperatures. Data has not been sufficiently researched however, and the bat has also been found to occupy a wide altitudinal gradient (Mantilla-Meluk et. al 2014). Roosting has not been determined for this specific species, but closely related species have been studied to determine their roosting preferences. Bats of the Phyllostomidae family have been found to like either trees with some protection or caves with optimal protection. This family is also known to share roots with a large number of other species (Graham 1988).