Typical Kerivoula sp. - either the
Small Woolly Bat
K. intermedia or Least Woolly Bat K. minuta.
Hardwicke's Woolly Bat
K. hardwickii, from lowland secondary forest, Singapore.
Order : CHIROPTERA
Family : Vespertilionidae
Species : Kerivoula spp.
Forearm Length : up to 3.1 cm
Weight : up to 4.2 grams
References : M2, M3 |
Woolly Bats are small
insectivorous bats which inhabit primary and secondary forest.
The ears are somewhat rounded and barely extend above the top of the fur on
top of the domed skull. The distinctive tragus is narrow, pointed and
projects upwards inside the ear (see lower photo).
The orange-brown fur is thick, long and fluffy and covers much of the face.
The eyes are tiny and the mouth small. The tail is fully enclosed in the
flight membrane.
The first species illustrated here (top left) appears to be either the Small
Woolly Bat Kerivoula intermedia
or Least Woolly Bat K. minuta, both species being amongst the smallest of the
woolly bats. These two species occur in Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo.
K. minuta also extends to southern Thailand.
The second species (bottom left) is Hardwicke's Woolly Bat K. hardwickii.
It occurs in India, Sri Lanka, Burma, southern China, Thailand, Laos,
Vietnam (and probably Cambodia), Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore and parts of
Indonesia.
Both bats shown here were found in secondary forest in Singapore.
Thanks to Matt Struebig of the School of Biological & Chemical Sciences,
Queen Mary, University of London for his assistance.
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