Differences in Tooth Morphology Between Sturnira mordax and Sturnira hondurensis Bats

Sturnira spp. are one of the most common genus in Costa Rica as they are frugivorous bats found in middle to high elevations (600m-2600m). With fruit variation comes differences in tooth morphology. There are two Sturnira spp. that look quite similar and can be passed as the same species if not given a field guide, as they carry the same field marks in body and fur. S.mordax and S.hondurensis are small spirited creatures in the Sturnira genus that are distinguished through their maxillary and mandibular central incisors. Unfortunately, there aren’t many studies when it comes to comparing more characteristics or the sizes of these incisors. I conducted a study of the differences in tooth morphology between S.mordax and S.hondurensis in Monteverde and San Gerardo. I anticipated for S.hondurensis to have larger teeth measurements than S.mordax due to the long narrow skull S.hondurensis has compared to S.mordax. I went to four different sites (Monteverde Estacion Biologica, LIFE Farm, Monteverde Institute, and the Children’s Eternal Rainforest) and installed three mist-nets for each site. I collected a total of 36 Sturnira bats and found no significant difference in tooth morphology between S.mordax and S.hondurensis. This could be due to attrition or hybridization of these two species.