Mouse-tailed bats are a group of
insectivorous
A robber fly eating a hoverfly
An insectivore is a carnivorous animal or plant that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which can also refer to the human practice of eating insects.
The first vertebrate insectivores were ...
microbat
Microbats constitute the suborder Microchiroptera within the order Chiroptera ( bats). Bats have long been differentiated into Megachiroptera (megabats) and Microchiroptera, based on their size, the use of echolocation by the Microchiroptera a ...
s of the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Rhinopomatidae with only three to six
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...
, all contained in the
single genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...
''Rhinopoma''.
They are found in the Old World, from
North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in t ...
to
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
and
Sumatra, in arid and semiarid regions, roosting in caves, houses and even the
Egyptian pyramids
The Egyptian pyramids are ancient masonry structures located in Egypt. Sources cite at least 118 identified "Egyptian" pyramids. Approximately 80 pyramids were built within the Kingdom of Kush, now located in the modern country of Sudan. ...
. They are relatively small, with a body length of just 5 to 6 cm.
They weigh between 6 and 14 g.
Features
Rhinopomatidae are small bats with very slim limbs and a long, thin, hairless tail, which is nearly the same length as the rest of the body and not connected to the
patagium. Their sand-colored coat is soft and short. The snout has a small and simple nose leaf with valvular nostrils. Their big ears have a well-developed
tragus and are connected to their big, black eyes by a band of skin across the forehead.
There is a fat repository located near the caudal penduncle and the hind legs. Of all the bats, Rhinopomatidae have the shortest fingers relative to their forearm-length. They have a head-body length of 50 to 90 mm, forearm-length of 45 to 75 mm, a tail-length of 40 to 80 mm and a body weight of 6 to 14 grams.
Lifestyle
Rhinopomatidae live in
deserts
A desert is a barren area of landscape where little precipitation occurs and, consequently, living conditions are hostile for plant and animal life. The lack of vegetation exposes the unprotected surface of the ground to denudation. About one ...
and
semi-arid climate
A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi- ...
s in North Africa and South Asia, from
Morocco
Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria ...
and
Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤠(Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣� ...
to
South Sudan
South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the ...
, the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
and
India
India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...
to
Myanmar
Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...
,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
, and North-
Sumatra. They also come to agricultural areas and disturbed areas. They are adaptable and live along walls with low
humidity
Humidity is the concentration of water vapor present in the air. Water vapor, the gaseous state of water, is generally invisible to the human eye. Humidity indicates the likelihood for precipitation, dew, or fog to be present.
Humidity dep ...
and high
temperatures
Temperature is a physical quantity that expresses quantitatively the perceptions of hotness and coldness. Temperature is measured with a thermometer.
Thermometers are calibrated in various temperature scales that historically have relied on ...
. They also use crevices, rock walls, houses, tombs (including the
Egyptian Pyramids
The Egyptian pyramids are ancient masonry structures located in Egypt. Sources cite at least 118 identified "Egyptian" pyramids. Approximately 80 pyramids were built within the Kingdom of Kush, now located in the modern country of Sudan. ...
, where they have been coming for more than three-thousand years), tunnels and caves as shelters. Animals from the more northern parts of South-Asia travel to winter colonies, where they become
torpid, although they do not truly
hibernate
Hibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy characterized by low body-temperature, slow breathing and heart-rate, and low metabolic rate. It most ...
. In very dry periods during a food shortage they
estivate
Aestivation ( la, aestas (summer); also spelled estivation in American English) is a state of animal dormancy, similar to hibernation, although taking place in the summer rather than the winter. Aestivation is characterized by inactivity and ...
, where they live on their fat stores.
Rhinopomatidae live in colonies of thousands, where they gather in small, scattered groups. Mixed groups are common but groups with only males or females also occur. They live in roosts of a thousand or more members, and have one or two young per year.
[ They have poor flight endurance and fast fliers quickly become exhausted. They can also quickly run on the ground. They hunt small insects including ]beetles
Beetles are insects that form the Taxonomic rank, order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, Elytron, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, wit ...
that have flight altitudes of five to ten meters.
Classification
This family is closely related to Kitti's hog-nosed bat
Kitti's hog-nosed bat (''Craseonycteris thonglongyai''), also known as the bumblebee bat, is a near-threatened species of bat and the only extant member of the family Craseonycteridae. It occurs in western Thailand and southeast Myanmar, where i ...
, complementing the Rhinopomatidae in the superfamily Rhinopomatoidea. They are also closely related to horseshoe bats
A horseshoe is a fabricated product designed to protect a horse hoof from wear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface (ground side) of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall that is anatomically akin to the human toe ...
, Old World leaf-nosed bats and ''Plecotus
''Plecotus'' is a genus of Vespertilionidae, vesper bat, commonly called long-eared bats. They are found throughout Eurasia and North Africa, northern Africa. Many species in the genus have only been described and recognized in recent years.
Spe ...
'', the other members of the suborder Yinpterochiroptera
The Yinpterochiroptera (or Pteropodiformes) is a suborder of the Chiroptera, which includes taxa formerly known as megabats and five of the microbat families: Rhinopomatidae, Rhinolophidae, Hipposideridae, Craseonycteridae, and Megadermatida ...
. There are four species that appear in the drier areas of North Africa
North Africa, or Northern Africa is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region, and it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of Mauritania in t ...
and in southern Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an ...
. There are no known fossils
A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...
.
Family Rhinopomatidae
*Genus ''Rhinopoma''
**Lesser mouse-tailed bat
The lesser mouse-tailed bat (''Rhinopoma hardwickii'') is a species of microbat in the family Rhinopomatidae. Also referred to as Hardwicke's lesser mouse-tailed bat and long-tailed bat, it is named after Major General Thomas Hardwicke (1755– ...
, ''R. hardwickii'' Gray
Grey (more common in British English) or gray (more common in American English) is an intermediate color between black and white. It is a neutral or achromatic color, meaning literally that it is "without color", because it can be composed ...
, 1831
** Egyptian mouse-tailed bat, ''R. cystops'' Thomas
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the ...
1903
** Yemeni mouse-tailed bat, ''R. hadramauticum'' Benda ''et al.'' 2009
**Macinnes's mouse-tailed bat
The Macinnes's mouse-tailed bat (''Rhinopoma macinnesi'') 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
Shrubland, sc ...
, ''R. macinnesi'' Hayman
Hayman is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include:
Surname
* Al Hayman (1847–1917), business partner of Charles Frohman in ''Theatrical Syndicate''
*Andy Hayman, CBE, QPM (born 1959), retired British police officer, ...
, 1937
** Greater mouse-tailed bat, ''R. microphyllum'' ( Brünnich, 1792)
**Small mouse-tailed bat
The small mouse-tailed bat (''Rhinopoma muscatellum'') is a species of bat in the Rhinopomatidae family. It is found in Afghanistan, Iran, Oman, and possibly Ethiopia, ranging from the Sistan Basin in Iran well into the Helmand River
Th ...
, ''R. muscatellum'' Thomas
Thomas may refer to:
People
* List of people with given name Thomas
* Thomas (name)
* Thomas (surname)
* Saint Thomas (disambiguation)
* Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church
* Thomas the ...
1903
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q913927
Rhinopomatidae
Taxa named by Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire