Grave bats

Grave bats
Mauritius grave bat ( Taphozous mauritianus )
Systematics
Subclass : Higher mammals (Eutheria) Superordinate : Laurasiatheria Order : Bats (chiroptera) Family : Smooth-nosed cantails (Emballonuridae) Subfamily : Taphozoinae Genre : Grave bats
Scientific name
Taphozous
É. Geoffroy , 1818

Grave bats or grave Flatterer ( Taphozous ) are a species of bats within the family Glatt nasal free tails . The German common name refers to the choice of resting places, which are often in tombs . The grave bats form the subfamily Taphozoinae with the genus of pocket bats ( Saccolaimus ) .

features

The species reach a head-trunk length of 62 to 100 mm and a tail length of 12 to 35 mm. The weight is 50 to 75 g. The fur of these bats is gray or brown on the back, often red shades and white spots. The fur on the belly is lighter to cream colored. In Taphozous longimanus , the males are cinnamon-brown while the females have a dark gray coat. The sac-like glands typical of the family occur in all species. In addition, many species (especially males) have a gland on the larynx.

Distribution and habitat

Grave bats come from Africa , Arabia , India and Southeast Asia to Australia . They can be found in many habitats , such as forests or open landscapes. Tombs are preferably used as resting places. Grave bats also hide in caves, buildings, crevices and occasionally in tree hollows.

Way of life

Like most bats, burial bats are nocturnal . At dusk they rise 60 to 90 meters above the ground and hunt flying insects . They fly lower later in the night. The species communicate with high-pitched calls and emit clicks . The colonies at the resting places have about 20 to 4000 members, depending on the species. Presumably they hibernate , as some specimens temporarily create fat pads.

The reproductive behavior varies between the species. Some species reproduce all year round and others have fixed mating times. A young is usually born after about four months of pregnancy . In larger species such as Taphozous melanopogon, this weighs around 20 g, whereas juveniles of smaller species such as Taphozous georgianus weigh only around 8 g. Young animals are independent after one to two months. They become sexually mature after 8 to 9 months, with the first mating only several months later.

status

In general, grave bats are common. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists Taphozous hildegardeae as endangered ( Vulnerable ), Taphozous australis in the early warning list ( Near Threatened ) and two species with insufficient data ( Data Deficient ).

Subgenera and species

Mammal Species of the World divides the 14 Taphozous species into two sub-genera.

• Subgenus Liponycteris Thomas, 1922
  • Taphozous hamiltoni Thomas , 1920: Eastern Africa
  • Taphozous nudiventris Cretzschmar , 1826: Africa, Arabian Peninsula, India
• Subgenus Taphozous E. Geoffroy , 1818
  • Brown-bearded grave bat ( Taphozous achates ) Thomas , 1915: Timor and smaller islands
  • Taphozous australis Gould , 1854: Northeast Australia
  • Taphozous georgianus Thomas , 1915: Northern and Western Australia
  • Taphozous hildegardeae Thomas , 1909: Kenya and Tanzania
  • Taphozous hilli Kitchener , 1980: Central Australia
  • Taphozous kapalgensis McKean & Friend : 1979, Northern Australia
  • Taphozous longimanus Hardwicke , 1825: India and Southeast Asia
  • Mauritius grave bat - Taphozous mauritianus E. Geoffroy , 1818: Africa and African islands
  • Black-whisked grave bat ( Taphozous melanopogon ) Temminck , 1841: India and Southeast Asia
  • Taphozous perforatus E. Geoffroy , 1818: Africa, Arabian Peninsula , India
  • Taphozous theobaldi Dobson , 1872: India and Southeast Asia
  • Taphozous troughtoni Tate , 1952: Northeast Australia

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World . A taxonomic and geographic Reference . 3. Edition. 2 volumes. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 (English, Taphozous ).
2. ↑ ^{a b c d} Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Volume 1. 6th edition. 1999, p. 307 ff. ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 , Tomb Bats (Google Books)
3. ↑ ^{a b} Taphozous in the IUCN 2014 Red List of Threatened Species . Accessed November 16, 2014.

Web links

Commons : Grave Bats  - Collection of images, videos and audio files