Reticulated butterfly bat
| Reticulated butterfly bat | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Glauconycteris variegata | ||||||||||||
| ( Tomes , 1875) |
The reticulated butterfly bat ( Glauconycteris variegata ) is a bat species from the smooth-nosed family , which is native to Africa.
The generic name is derived from the Greek “glaucos” (“blue-gray”) and “nycteris” (“nocturnal hunter”) and refers to the grayish coat color of the animals. The species name "variegata" ("changeable, colorful") and the English name "Butterfly bat" ("butterfly bat") describe the characteristic pattern on the wings.
description
The total length of the net butterfly bat is rather small at around 10 centimeters, the weight averages around 11 grams. Females are slightly larger than males with an average wingspan of 32 centimeters (wingspan about 31 centimeters).
The reticulated butterfly bat differs from other species of the genus Glauconycteris in the lack of fur markings on the face, back or abdomen. Instead, this species has a pronounced pigmentation of the veins in the flight membrane. It shares the light peritoneum with Glauconycteris argentata , but the latter does not have as pronounced vein pigmentation as Glauconycteris variegata . The fur of the net butterfly bat is yellowish-brown to light gray, which distinguishes this species from its sister species Glauconycteris curryae and Glauconycteris egeria , which both have darker brown to black fur. The base of the hair on the back is dark, but is obscured by the light tips. The hair of the peritoneum is a solid gray to white color. The skin of the face and ears are brown.
Way of life
The reticulated butterfly bat occurs in savannas and bush landscapes and, like most bats, is nocturnal. During the day they hang in groups of up to ten animals under leaves or palm fronds. Since the animals do not wrap themselves in their flight skin, the pattern on the wings is probably not used for camouflage.
The netted butterfly bat has wide wings and is therefore very maneuverable at a relatively slow flight speed of 4 m / s on average (minimum 3.3 m / s). The echolocation calls range between 30 and 70 kHz and are therefore inaudible to the human ear. However, social calls emitted during the flight can also be heard by people. Glauconycteris variegata feeds exclusively on insects, with moths with soft bodies being preferred. The species has been spotted hunting in street lamp lights and across water.
The reticulated butterfly bat is monoestrous, with seasonal reproductive cycles varying depending on the region. The gestation period is three months and only one young is born at a time.
distribution
The reticulated butterfly bat occurs south of the Sahara . Their distribution area extends north from Senegal to Somalia and south across northeast Namibia and north Botswana to South Africa . There is no evidence from the central regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo , Equatorial Guinea , southern Cameroon and southern Renin . This species has also not been proven in the coastal areas of Ghana , the Ivory Coast , Liberia and Sierra Leone . Glauconycteris variegata comes up to an altitude of 1000 m above sea level. M. before. It is classified by the IUCN as safe thanks to its widespread use.
Web links
Images of Glauconycteris variegata
literature
- DA Rambaldini (2010): Glauconycteris variegata. In: Mammalian Species . No. 42, pp. 251-258.