Kalko's yellow-eared bat

Kalko's yellow-eared bat is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is found in northern Panama.

Taxonomy and etymology

The holotype of V. elisabethae was collected in 1961 in a montane evergreen forest in "Rancho Mojica", a locality 32 km far from Changuinola in Panama. Besides the holotype, just another four specimens are known, all were collected between 1961 and 1976.
The species name honors Elisabeth Klara Viktoria Kalko, for her important contributions to bat ecology. Kalko worked intensively in Panama, mainly in Barro Colorado Island.
A recent study obtained cytochrome b gene sequences from the holotype, including it in a phylogenetic analysis of the genus. It was shown that it has a high degree of molecular divergence from the other Vampyressa. In the phylogeny it is recovered as the sister group of a clade composed by V. melissa and V. voragine.