Fig 1
Fig 2
Fig 3
Fig 4
Fig 5
Fig 6
Fig 7
Fig 8
|
Order : CHIROPTERA
Family : Emballonuridae
Species : Taphozous melanopogon
Forearm Length : up to
6.5 cm
Tail Length : up to 2.4 cm
This adaptable and widespread
insectivorous bat typically roosts in caves and rock crevices, sometimes in
the company of other bat species.
The pair of pale bats in Figure 1 were
found clinging to the roof of a large limestone cave at Krabi, southern
Thailand, in the company of around 50
Great Roundleaf Bat. Colonies of up to 4000
individuals have been reported from other parts of Thailand.
This species is also
capable of adapting to urban settings; Figures 5 and 6 are of a pair roosting
in a multi-storey car park in Peninsular Malaysia. In Singapore their
distinctive calls can be detected in many areas.
These tomb bats typically
forage just above the forest canopy; they can sometimes be observed at dusk
catching moths and other insects at the forest edge.
Their fur colour is generally pale,
ranging from buff to greyish-brown. Adult males usually
have a well-developed patch of dark fur under the throat. The free tail of this species
is long and slender, sometimes thickened towards the tip.
The Black-bearded Tomb Bat ranges from India and Sri Lanka, through Myanmar,
Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and southern China to Peninsular Malaysia,
Singapore, Sumatra, Java, Borneo and other islands of Indonesia as far
east as Flores.
Fig 1 : A small group roosting in a small cave at a Buddhist Temple in Ipoh,
Perak, Peninsular Malaysia.
Fig 2 : A pair of pale Black-bearded Tomb Bats clings to
the roof of a limestone cave at Krabi, southern Thailand.
Figs 3 and 4 : Roosting groups at Labuanbajo, Flores, Indonesia. The male in
Figure 3 has a very large patch of black fur beneath the chin.
Figs 5 and 6 : Examples from Penang Island, Peninsular Malaysia, with one
showing its impressive teeth.
Fig 7 : This bat was found roosting in a building in downtown Kota Tinggi, Johor,
Peninsular Malaysia.
Fig 8 : Searching for flying insects at dusk, near Bukit Brown, Singapore.
References : M2, M3
|
