Seychelles sliding-tailed bat

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Seychelles sliding-tailed bat
Seychelles sliding-tailed bat head profile, illustration by George Edward Dobson.

Seychelles sliding-tailed bat head profile, illustration by George Edward Dobson .

Systematics
Order : Bats (chiroptera)
Family : Smooth-nosed cantails (Emballonuridae)
Subfamily : Emballonurinae
Tribe : Emballonurini
Genre : Sliding-tailed bats ( Coleura )
Type : Seychelles sliding-tailed bat
Scientific name
Coleura seychellensis
Peters , 1868

The Seychelles sliding-tailed bat ( Coleura seychellensis ) is a rare, endangered species of bat belonging to the family of smooth-nosed free-tailed bat (Emballonuridae). It occurs exclusively on the Seychelles Islands Silhouette and Mahé . Former colonies on La Digue and Praslin have expired.

features

The Seychelles sliding-tailed bat reaches a head-trunk length of 55 to 65 mm. The tail length is 12 to 20 mm, the forearm length 45 to 56 mm and the ear length 14.0 to 15.9 mm. The males measured a weight of 10.2 g and the females a weight of 11.1 g. This little bat has a reddish brown or dark brown fur with a lighter underside. The common name sliding-tailed bat refers to a membrane between the hind legs. This membrane can be lengthened or shortened by the position of the hind legs in flight; it slides over the tail, which increases the maneuverability when flying.

habitat

The Seychelles sliding-tailed bat is found in coastal areas. Your nursery and sleeping places are in rock caves. A 2006 study of foraging and activity patterns showed that the examined individuals not only preferred the coastal forest for their sleeping quarters, but also stayed close to the coast when foraging. Searches for the species in the highlands failed, and nearly all record of activity patterns are from coastal habitats. The species needs diverse natural forest habitats with a rich insect population, especially moths and beetles.

Way of life

The species is nocturnal and feeds exclusively on insects. In daylight, the bats rest in caves. When startled, the animals often cling to the ceiling surface with all four limbs and their bellies. When they are relaxed, hang their feet from the ceiling. The females give birth to their only young during the rainy season (from November to December); sometimes between March and April.

Subspecies

A distinction is made between two subspecies of the Seychelles sliding-tailed bat: Coleura seychellensis seychellensis , which occurs on Mahé and Coleura seychellensis silhouettae from the island of Silhouette, which Oldfield Thomas described in 1915 as a separate species Coleura silhouettae and 1971 by John Edwards Hill (1928–1997 ) has been classified as a subspecies. Both subspecies also lived on the islands of La Digue and Praslin in the past , but these populations have been extinct since 1980 and 2001, respectively.

status

The IUCN lists the Seychelles sliding-tailed bat in the " critically endangered " category . In 2010 the total stock was estimated at around 90 specimens.

literature

Web links

Commons : Seychelles Sliding-Tailed Bat  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Coleura seychellensis in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2020.1. Posted by: Mondajem, A., Gerlach, J., Mickleburgh, S., Hutson, AM & Bergmans, W., 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2020.
  2. ↑ Gerlach, J. and Taylor, M. 2006. Habitat use, roost characteristics and diet of the Seychelles sheath-tailed bat Coleura seychellensis. Acta Chiropterologica 8 (1): 129-139.