Rhinopomatidae
Encyclopedia
Mouse-tailed bats are a group of insectivorous
bats of the family
Rhinopomatidae with only three to five species
, all contained in the single
genus
Rhinopoma. They are found in the Old World, from North Africa
to Thailand
and Sumatra
, in arid and semi-arid regions, roosting in caves, houses and even the Egyptian pyramids
. They are relatively small, with a body length of just 5 to 6 centimetres. They weigh between 6 to 14 g.
Mouse-tailed bats get their name from their long tails, which are almost entirely free of the wing membrane. Uniquely among living insectivorous bats, these tails are nearly as long as their entire body. They also possess a small, rounded, nose-leaf, and a band of skin across the forehead, joining their ears. They feed on insects, such as flies and beetles.
Mouse-tailed bats become torpid
during cold weather, although they do not truly hibernate
. They live in roosts of a thousand or more members, and have one or two young per year.
Insectivore
An insectivore is a type of carnivore with a diet that consists chiefly of insects and similar small creatures. An alternate term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of eating insects....
bats of the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Rhinopomatidae with only three to five species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, all contained in the single
Monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...
genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Rhinopoma. They are found in the Old World, from North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
to Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, in arid and semi-arid regions, roosting in caves, houses and even the Egyptian pyramids
Egyptian pyramids
The Egyptian pyramids are ancient pyramid-shaped masonry structures located in Egypt.There are 138 pyramids discovered in Egypt as of 2008. Most were built as tombs for the country's Pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods.The earliest known Egyptian pyramids are found...
. They are relatively small, with a body length of just 5 to 6 centimetres. They weigh between 6 to 14 g.
Mouse-tailed bats get their name from their long tails, which are almost entirely free of the wing membrane. Uniquely among living insectivorous bats, these tails are nearly as long as their entire body. They also possess a small, rounded, nose-leaf, and a band of skin across the forehead, joining their ears. They feed on insects, such as flies and beetles.
Mouse-tailed bats become torpid
Torpor
Torpor, sometimes called temporary hibernation is a state of decreased physiological activity in an animal, usually characterized by a reduced body temperature and rate of metabolism. Animals that go through torpor include birds and some mammals such as mice and bats...
during cold weather, although they do not truly hibernate
Hibernation
Hibernation is a state of inactivity and metabolic depression in animals, characterized by lower body temperature, slower breathing, and lower metabolic rate. Hibernating animals conserve food, especially during winter when food supplies are limited, tapping energy reserves, body fat, at a slow rate...
. They live in roosts of a thousand or more members, and have one or two young per year.
Classification
FAMILY RHINOPOMATIDAE- Genus Rhinopoma
- Lesser Mouse-tailed BatLesser Mouse-tailed BatThe Lesser Mouse-tailed Bat is a species of bat in the Rhinopomatidae family. It is found in Afghanistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Kuwait, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Oman,...
, Rhinopoma hardwickei - Macinnes's Mouse-tailed BatMacinnes's Mouse-tailed BatThe Macinnes's Mouse-tailed Bat is a species of bat in the Rhinopomatidae family. It is found in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, hot deserts, and temperate desert. It is threatened by habitat loss.-Source:* Aulagnier, S. 2004. ...
, Rhinopoma macinnesi - Greater Mouse-tailed BatGreater Mouse-tailed BatThe Greater Mouse-tailed Bat is a species of bat in the Rhinopomatidae family. It is found in Algeria, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Myanmar, Niger,...
, Rhinopoma microphyllum - Small Mouse-tailed BatSmall Mouse-tailed BatThe Small Mouse-tailed Bat is a species of bat in the Rhinopomatidae family. It is found in Afghanistan, Iran, Oman, and possibly Ethiopia....
, Rhinopoma muscatellum - Rhinopoma hadramauticum
- Lesser Mouse-tailed Bat