Roosting inside the stem of the bamboo
Schizostachyum brachycladum. The slit-shaped opening may have been
created by beetles.Order : CHIROPTERA
Family : Vespertilionidae
Species : Tylonycteris robustula
Forearm Length : up to 3.0 cm
Weight : up to 9 grams
References : M1, M2, M3 |
The Greater Bamboo Bat is
able to squeeze through a narrow opening of just 5 mm to gain access to its
roost inside bamboo stems. It is reported that the bats fly straight
to the slit-shaped opening and enter without pausing. The species is also
called the Greater Club-footed Bat, on account of the fleshy pads on the
thumbs and soles of the feet which give it a firm foothold inside the
bamboo. Rock fissures are another likely roosting site.
The species is similar to
the Lesser Bamboo Bat, but instead has
smooth, dark brown fur. The skull is flattened, and the ears wide apart.
The species ranges from southern China and Indochina through Thailand,
Peninsular Malaysia and Singapore, to Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Borneo,
Sulawesi).
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