Hairless bat

Hairless bat
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Molossidae
Genus: Cheiromeles
Species: C. torquatus
Binomial name
Cheiromeles torquatus
Horsfield, 1824

The hairless bat (Cheiromeles torquatus), also called the naked bulldog bat[2] and greater naked bat,[1] is a species of bat in the family Molossidae found in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines.[1]

This species is widespread in its range. It is rare in some areas and common in others; it is considered to be an agricultural pest in some rice-growing areas.[1] The bat roosts in caves and hollow trees, forming large colonies.[1] It is caught and eaten by indigenous Malaysians.[1]

This bat is a hawking insectivore, using echolocation to find insects on the wing.[3]

The hairless bat is mostly hairless, but does have short, bristly hairs around its neck, on its front toes, and around the throat sac, along with fine hairs on the head and tail membrane.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Csorba, G., et al. 2008. Cheiromeles torquatus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.3. Downloaded on 22 March 2015.
  2. Leong, T. M., et al. (2009). The naked bulldog bat, Cheiromeles torquatus in Singapore—past and present records, with highlights on its unique morphology (Microchiroptera: Molossidae). Nature in Singapore 2, 215-30.
  3. Kingston, T., et al. (2003). Alternation of echolocation calls in 5 species of aerial-feeding insectivorous bats from Malaysia. Journal of Mammalogy 84(1), 205-15.
  4. Thomson, P. (2002). "Cheiromeles torquatus". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 29 October 2013.
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