Frill bats
| Frill bats | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Myonycteris | ||||||||||||
| Matschie , 1899 |
Frill bat ( Myonycteris ) are a genus in the genus group of rosette bats with three species that occur in Africa and on offshore islands.
Types and distribution
The following species belong to the genus.
- The São Tomé-frilled bat ( M. brachycephala ) is endemic to São Tomé .
- The relict ruffled bat ( M. relicta ) has a larger population in Kenya and Tanzania and a small population in eastern Zimbabwe .
- The distribution area of the small frilled bat ( M. torquata ) is divided. It occurs in western Africa from Guinea and Sierra Leone to Nigeria . The second part of the distribution area extends from Cameroon in the west to South Sudan in the northeast and south to Angola .
features
Frill bats reach a head-torso length of 85 to 165 mm, a forearm length of 55 to 70 mm and a weight of 27 to 54 g. The tail is only a small stub with a length of 4 to 13 mm. The characteristic that gives it its name is an olive-colored or pale orange-yellow ruff that occurs in males. It is made up of coarse hair and moisturized by a number of glands . In other parts of the body and in females, the coat color varies between different shades of brown, which can have a yellow or reddish shade.
What is noticeable about the São Tomé ruffed bat is that it has an asymmetrical number of teeth in the lower jaw with three lower incisors . The other representatives of the genus have two incisors per lower half of the jaw.
Way of life
These flying foxes can be found in forests, in smaller groups of trees and in savannas . When they sleep, they hang from trees or bushes, which are often in direct sunlight. Presumably the food consists mainly of fruits. Animals kept in captivity could be fed fruit, honey and butter.
According to previous observations, females have two litters per year. A litter usually consists of one young and rarely of twins.
swell
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World. Volume 1. 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD et al. 1999, pp. 263-264, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .
- Wilson & Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World . 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 (English, Myonycteris ).
- Myonycteris on the2015 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved May 14, 2016.
