Tub-nosed bats
| Tub-nosed bats | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Murininae | ||||||||||||
| Miller , 1907 |
The tube-nosed bats (Murininae) are a group of bats from the smooth-nosed family (Vespertilionidae). They are usually run as a separate subfamily. The group includes two genera ( Murina and Harpiocephalus ) over 20 species that live in eastern, southern and south-eastern Asia and Australia .
description
The name-giving characteristic of these bats are the tubular, laterally arranged nostrils, a feature that can only be found within the bats in the tube-nosed bats . Their fur is thickly woolly, often the legs, the tail-skin and the wings are very hairy. The color is usually gray or brown, with some species also yellowish or reddish. These animals reach a head body length of 33 to 75 millimeters, a tail length of 30 to 55 millimeters and a weight of 3 to 20 grams.
Way of life
Little is known about the way these bats live. They often live in hilly areas and, like most bats, are nocturnal. During the day they sleep in small groups, often under leaves such as those of the cardamom plant or in caves. At night they go in search of food, mostly flying just above the ground. Most of their food is likely to consist of insects.
Genera and species
The subfamily of the tube-nosed bats is divided into two genera, Murina and hairy-winged bats ( Harpiocephalus ). Hairy-winged bats are slightly larger and also have more massive molars. A total of over 20 species are distinguished, of which the hairy bat ( Harpiocephalus harpia ) is the only species of the genus Harpiocephalus and Murina consists of 22 species.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9