Naked bats
| Naked bats | ||||||||||||
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Collared Naked Bat ( Cheiromeles torquatus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Cheiromeles | ||||||||||||
| Horsfield , 1824 |
The naked bats ( Cheiromeles ) are a species of bat from the family of bulldog bats (Molossidae). They are the only bat species that are almost completely hairless.
features
Naked bats reach a head body length of 10 to 15 centimeters, plus a 5 to 7 centimeter long tail. Their weight is between 75 and 200 grams. The fur is completely regressed except for fine hairs on the head and the tail skin , only around a throat pouch, which produces a strongly smelling secretion, they have bristle-like hair. The thick, elastic skin is black or dark brown in color. As in all bulldog bats, the head is characterized by a short, wide snout, but they have smooth lips and clearly separated ears.
Another special feature of these bats are the pockets on the sides of their bodies, into which they can put their wings with the help of their hind legs. This allows them to crawl well with all four limbs compared to other bats.
Distribution and way of life
Naked bats are native to Southeast Asia , their range extends from the Malay Peninsula to Indonesia and the southern Philippines .
Hollow tree trunks, crevices and holes in the ground serve as resting places. In doing so, they form large colonies of up to 20,000 animals. They spend a lot of time climbing around their hideout and finding a suitable place to sleep. At dusk and at night they go in search of food, sometimes in larger groups near the ground. Their diet consists of insects .
The female usually gives birth to two young. The teats are located near the wing pouches, and it was previously assumed that these bats carried their young around in them. Rather, they should be left behind in the shelter while they are looking for food.
The species
The genus of bats is divided into two species:
- The Sulawesei Naked Bat , also known as the Collared Bat ( Cheiromeles parvidens ), weighs 75 to 100 grams and is the smaller of the two species and is characterized by its dark brown skin. The species is known from Sulawesi and neighboring islands as well as the Philippine island of Mindoro .
- Collared Nacked Bat , also Naked Bat ( Cheiromeles torquatus ) has a black skin and reaches 170 to 200 grams. The species lives on the Malay Peninsula , Sumatra , Borneo and Java as well as the southern Philippines.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 ISBN 0801857899
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Theodor CH Cole: Dictionary of Mammal Names - Dictionary of Mammal Names . 1st edition. Springer-Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg 2015, ISBN 978-3-662-46269-0 .
