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Bats of Saudi Arabia By Abdulaziz Al-Agaili May 2003 table of contents


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Bats of Saudi Arabia


By
Abdulaziz Al-Agaili
May 2003

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Suborder Megachiroptera………………………………………………………………….4

Family Pteropodidae - Fruit Bats………………………………………………………….4

Subfamily Pteropodinae…………………………………………………………………...4

Ethiopian epauletted fruit bat Epomophorus labiatus ……….……...……………………4

Egyptian fruit bat - Rousettus aegyptiacus………………………………………………..5

Straw-colored fruit bat - Eidolon helvum ………………………………………………...6

Suborder Microchiroptera…………………………………………………………………7

Family Rhinopomatidae- Mouse-tailed Bats ……………………………………………..7

Greater mouse-tailed bat - Rhinopoma microphyllum…………………………………….7

Lesser mouse-tailed bat - Rhinopoma hardwickii…………………………………………7

Muscat mouse-tailed – Rhinopoma muscatellum…………………………………………7

Family Emballonuridae - Sheath-tailed Bats……………………………………………...9

Egyptian tomb bat - Taphozous perforatus ……………………………………………….9

Naked-bellied tomb bat - Taphozous nudiventris…………………………………………9

Family Nycteridae - Slit-faced Bats……………………………………………………...11

Aden slit-faced bat - Nycteris thebaica…………………………………………………..11

Family Rhinolophidae - Horseshoe Bats………………………………………………...12

Geoffroy’s horseshoe bat - Rhinolophus clivosus ……………………………………….12

Lesser horseshoe bat - Rhinolophus hipposideros……………………………………….13

Blasius’ horseshoe – Rhinolophus blasii ………………………………………………..14

Mediterranean Horseshoe Bat - Rhinolophus euryale…………………………………...15

Family Hipposideridae - Leaf-nosed Bats……………………………………………….16

Lesser leaf-nosed bat - Hipposideros caffer……………………………………………..16

Small leaf-nosed bat - Hipposideros megalotis………………………………………….17

Persian leaf-nosed – Triaenops persicus………………………..………………………..17

Trident leaf-nosed bat - Asellia tridens…………………………………………………..18

Small trident leaf-nosed bat - Asellia patrizii……………………………………………18

Family Molossidae - Free-tailed Bats……………………………………………………19

European free-tailed bat - Tadarida teniotis……………………………………………..19

Egyptian free-tailed bat - Tadarida aegyptiaca………………………………………….20

Lesser free-tailed bat - Tadarida pumila………………………………………………...21

Nigerian free-tailed bat - Tadarida nigeriae……………………………………………..22

Midas free-tailed bat - Tadarida midas………………………………………………….22

Family Vespertilionidae - Vespertilionid Bats…………………………………………..23

Subfamily Vespertilioninae……………………………………………………………...23

Notch-eared bat - Myotis emarginatus…………………………………………………...24

Rufous mouse-eared – Myotis bocagei…………………………………………………..25

Botta’s serotine bat - Eptesicus bottae…………………………………………………...25

Sind serotine bat - Eptesicus nasutus…………………………………………………….25

Kuhl’s pipistrelle - Pipistrellus kuhlii……………………………………………………26

Arabian pipistrelle – Pipistrellus arabicus………………………………………………26

Bodenheimer’s pipistrelle - Pipistrellus bodenheimeri…………………………………27

Schlieffen’s bat - Nycticeinops schlieffeni……………………………………………….27

Lesser yellow house bat - Scotophilus leucogaster ……………………………………..28

Hemprich’s long-eared bat - Otonycteris hemprichi…………………………………….29

Grey long-eared bat - Plecotus austriacus……………………………………………….30

Subfamily Miniopterinae………………………………………………………………...31

Schreiber’s long-winged bat - Miniopterus schreibersii ………………………………..31

Common noctule – Nyctalus noctula…………………………………………………….32



Western barbastelle – Barbastella barbastellus…………………………………………33

Family Emballonuridae…………………………………………………………………..34

Southern sheath-tailed - Coleura afra……………………………………………………34

Skull Key………………………………………………………………………………...35

Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………..56

SUBORDER MEGACHIROPTERA

Family PTEROPODIDAE - Fruit Bats

Subfamily: PTEROPODINAE

1- Tongue with tip rounded and not densely papillate, not highly extensible; cheek teeth not extremely reduced 2

2- No facial pattern of white nose and eye patches 4

3- Ears without white basal tufts 8

4- Size smaller, forearm 45-100; rostrum shallow, end of muzzle simple; white shoulder tuft in adult males 5

5- Cheek teeth 3/5; interfemoral membrane greatly reduced, no more than a narrow flange; calcar absent 6

6- Forearm 60-100mm 7

7- Six prominent palatal ridges, not more than two being post-dental; latter not differentiated from inter-dental ridges; post-dental palate strongly concave posteriorly Epomophorus

8- Forearm generally more than 100mm; tail present or absent 9

Forearm generally under 100mm; short tail present 10

9- Forearm generally 110-130mm; color generally tawny, with dorsal fur restricted to narrow median band, sharply demarcated from naked wing membranes; short tail; occipital region not tubular

Eidolon

10- Forearm 65-102mm; muzzle longer; M² not greatly reduced; ruff of stiff hair present or absent on lower neck in adult males



Rousettus
Ethiopian epauletted fruit bat - Epomophorus labiatus

 

Identification:


Two post dental palatal ridges; 4th palatal ridge much nearer 3rd than 5th. It is a medium-sized fruit bat. Total length of the single adult female 79 mm and forearm length of three adults 65.6-70.2 mm (Gaucher, 1992). Shoulder pouches lined with white hairs are well-developed in adult males. Males are larger than females.
Distribution:
Recorded only from Riyadh escarpment in Asir.


Egyptian fruit bat - Rousettus aegyptiacus
Identification:
This is one of the largest bats in Saudi Arabia. Wings from first toe; hair short and sleek; cheek teeth heavy; premaxillaries in contact, not co-ossified; adult males without collar of stiff hairs. Total length 134-167 mm; tail length 9-19 mm; forearm length 84-99 mm and wingspan about 60 cm. The muzzle is long, heavy and deep. The ears are somewhat short and not narrowed at their bases. The eyes are large. The wing membrane arises from the flanks thus the dorsal pelage is not narrowed. The second finger is clawed. The tail projects from the ventral surface of the interfemoral membrane to a distance of about 5-6 mm.
Distribution:
Known from Taif, Jeddah, Baha, Riyadh and vicinity of Abha. It is most likely present all along the western coast of the Kingdom.
Habitat:
Variety of habitats, lowlands to mountains .Egyptian fruit bats roost in caves in colonies as large as 9,000. Fighting is common when roosting together. During daytime it is often noisy and restless and even flies about from place to place. At night groups fly out of the roosts in search of ripe fruit. The large roosts are seldom closer than 60 km to one another.




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Breeding:
Females give birth to one young after a four month gestation period. Mating stars in June through September. They give birth from October through December resulting in one baby. Twins are rare. Females carry young at first then leave at roost. Weanlings fly early March. The longest recorded life span for Egyptian fruit bats in captivity was 22 years.
Straw-colored fruit bat - Eidolon helvum  
Identification:

This is the largest bat recorded in Saudi Arabia. Total length 160-210 mm; tail length 7-16 mm; forearm length 109-125 mm and wingspan 550-600 mm.

The eyes are large and the ears are oval-shaped and narrow. The wing membrane arises high up on the back so that the dorsal pelage is narrowed as a result of that. Their fur is a yellowish brown above and more of a tawny olive below. Neck hairs are longer and woolier than those on the rest of the body. The throats of males are deep yellow with cinnamon-colored neck hairs that are more noticeable than on females.
Habitat:

Forests and savannas. Straw Colored Fruit Bats are often found roosting in large colonies of 100,000 to 1,000,000 individuals. Often the trees in which they roost are stripped of their upper leaves. These Fruit Bats may also be found roosting in caves and lofts during the day.


Distribution:

Al Baha region and near Sabya south to the Yemen border. Straw Colored Fruit Bats can be found throughout most of Africa. They live in most forests and savannas south of the Sahara Desert and on the island of Madagascar.


Adaptations:

Long, narrow wings for long-distance flying. They can fly long distance; sometimes found 125 miles out to sea. Straw Colored Fruit Bats are guided by sight, but locate food by smell. They feed on fruit and nectar.


Breeding:

Females give birth to one young after a nine month gestation period. They breed between April and June, while their implantation occurs in October and give birth between December & January resulting in one baby. Twins are rare.. The longest recorded life span for a Straw Colored Fruit Bat in captivity was 21 years.


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SUBORDER MICROCHIROPTERA

Family RHINOPOMATIDAE- Mouse-tailed Bats
1- Forearm generally over 60mm; tail nearly always shorter than forearm; nasal inflation of skull relatively smaller microphyllum

Forearm generally less than 60mm; tail generally longer than forearm; nasal inflation of skull relatively larger hardwickii



Greater mouse-tailed bat - Rhinopoma microphyllum

Lesser mouse-tailed bat - Rhinopoma hardwickii

Muscat mouse-tailedRhinopoma muscatellum
Identification:
Greater mouse-tailed bat is a large mouse-tailed bat. Total length 132-145 mm; tail length 55-69 mm; forearm length 60-72 mm. Adult weight is about 6-14 grams. The tail is very long and slender, a large portion of it projecting free from the interfemoral membrane. The tail in this species is usually shorter than the forearm. The ears are united across the forehead, and the tragus is well developed.

Lesser mouse-tailed bat is a smaller bat than R. microphyllum, but otherwise very similar to it. Total length 110-140 mm; tail length 55-70 m; forearm length 48-59 mm. The tail is almost always longer than the forearm. Thus, it is relatively longer than that of R. microphyllum.

The soft fur is lacking on the face, rump, and posterior portion of the abdomen. The coloration is grayish brown or dark brown above and usually paler below. The large ears, connected by a band of skin across the forehead, extend beyond the nostrils when the ears are laid forward. The snout bears a small, rounded nose leaf. The valvular nostrils appear as slits that open forward and can be closed at will. The nasal chambers are swollen laterally, the muzzle having a distinct ridgelike outgrowth of skin. The nasal bones are expanded laterally and vertically, and the frontal bones are depressed, forming a concavity in the forehead. The teeth are of the normal insectivorous kind. The dental formula is: (i 1/2, c 1/1, pm 1/2, m 3/3) × 2 = 28. Mouse-tailed bats are usually found in treeless and arid regions. They roost in caves, rock clefts, wells, pyramids, palaces, and houses. R. microphyllum has inhabited certain pyramids in Egypt for 3,000 years or more. These bats often hang by the thumbs as well as the feet.

* R. muscatellum has a characteristic and unusual flight; it rises and falls, much like some small birds. Usually flying at least six to nine meters above the ground, this species travels by a series of glides, some of great length, and occasionally it flutters.


Distribution:
R. microphyllum is known from near Madina and the vicinity of Abha however it is expected to be present all along the Red Sea coast. R. hardwickii is known from several localities in the western region along the Red Sea from Midian in the north to the vicinity of Abha and Farasan Island in the south. It has also been recorded from near Riyadh.

Habitat:

These bats sometimes roost in colonies numbering many thousands of individuals. R. hardwickei, however, may roost alone or in small groups of 4-10. Several such groups may form a large, loose group of 80-100 individuals. The smaller groups may be sexually segregated for at least part of the year


Adaptations:

Fat, sometimes equaling the normal weight of the individual, accumulates in the fall beneath the naked skin, especially in the abdominal region; this fat is absorbed during the winter. R. microphyllum, at least, does not hibernate, but it does remain in torpor during the winter and does not move about in search of food. During this period the bat is able to survive for several weeks in captivity without food and water. The resorption of the accumulated fat in the winter suggests that torpidity is probably an adaptation to circumvent the scarcity of insect food during the cold season.


Breeding:

The reproductive pattern of R. microphyllum in Jodhpur, India, can be related to its seasonal movement, which occurs just before and after its winter torpor. The females are monstrous, mating in March and giving birth to a single young in July-August. Gestation lasts at least 123 days. The young are weaned after 6-8 weeks and attain sexual maturity in their second year of life. Young are born in June and July in India, females pregnant with single embryos have been taken in Egypt and Sudan in late March, and lactating females have been taken in the same countries in August.



Greater mouse-tailed bat-Rhinopoma microphyllum


Lesser mouse-tailed bat-Rhinopoma hardwickii



Family EMBALLONURIDAE - Sheath-tailed Bats

Genus: Taphozous
4 Lower incisors; 2 upper incisors (very minute, often absent); forearm more than 75; gular sac present or absent.
Egyptian tomb bat - Taphozous perforatus
Identification:
It is a medium-sized sheath-tailed bat similar to T. nudiventris but smaller. Total length 81-101 mm; tail length 21-27 mm; forearm length 59-65 mm. The hair on the dorsal and the ventral sides extend back to the origin of the interfemoral membrane. The calcar is less developed than T. nudiventris.
Distribution:

It is known in the western part of the Kingdom from near Taif, near Usfan, NE Jeddah; and near Abha.



Naked-bellied tomb bat - Taphozous nudiventris
Identification:
This is a large tomb bat. Total length 105-130 mm; tail length 25-33.5 mm; forearm length 65-79 mm. The posterior parts of both the back and the abdomen are void of hair, hence the name of this species. The extremity of the tragus is expanded and club-shaped. The tail emerges from the central part of the interfemoral membrane or slightly further back. The calcar is well developed.
Distribution:

It is known from near Taif, near Abha and Najran in the southwestern part of the Kingdom.







Family NYCTERIDAE - Slit-faced Bats

Genus: Nycteri

1- Posterior lower premolar very small, its tip reaching approximately to cingulum of anterior premolar; no marked concavity at centre of the posterior margin of tragus 2

2- Upper incisors bifid (tragus semilunate or pyriform) 3

3- Tragus pyriform, base of its posterior margin shallowly notched 4

4- Forearm 39-43, ear 25-28 thebaica


Aden slit-faced bat - Nycteris thebaica
Identification:
This is a medium-sized slit-faced bat. Total length 97-110 mm; tail length 47-58 mm; forearm length 42.6-47.0 mm. This bat is easily recognized by the structure of its muzzle, which has a deep median furrow and by the presence of lateral projections on the dorsal side of the muzzle. Its ears are large, measuring 28-34 mm, and their upper edges are rounded. The last tail vertebra is bifid, with a T-shaped form. There is a well-developed calcar which supports the outer edge of the interfemoral membrane. The pelage is long and dense. Its color in general is light brown above and lighter color or grayish white on the ventral side.

 

Distribution:


It is known from several localities in the western part of the Kingdom. These are: Wadi Sawawin; Jeddah and its vicinity; Al Baha; Sabiya; Abha and vicinity; Jizan and Najran.
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Family RHINOLOPHIDAE - Horseshoe Bats

Genus: Rhinolophus
1- Connecting process behind sella always well-developed, either rounded, erect or long and narrow; antitragus not greatly developed 2

2- Sella naked; connecting process rounded or pointed; greatest breadth of horseshoe generally under 9 3

3- Forearm less than 40mm, connecting process low and blunt; sella cuneate

hipposideros

Forearm over 40mm; erect connecting process and sella parallel-sided 4

4- Anterior upper premolar, when present, external to toothrow; canine and P4 not in contact; connecting process bluntly pointed 5

Anterior upper premolar in toothrow; canine and P4 not in contact; connecting process blunt or sharply pointed 6

5- Forearm 50-57mm clivosus

6- 1st phalanx of the 4th finger not notably shortened in relation to metacarpal length; connecting process rises to high and narrow horn 7

7- Sella cunete or wedge-shaped; no marked contrast between crown areas of anterior and posterior lower premolars; forearm 44-48 blasii

Sella parallel-sided; strong contrast between crown area of anterior and posterior lower premolars; posterior lancet of noseleaf gradually narrowing; forearm 45-50



euryale

Geoffroy’s horseshoe bat - Rhinolophus clivosus
Identification:

This is a medium-sized horseshoe bat with a mass of 16g. Total length 78-93 mm; tail length 23.0-35.5 mm; forearm length 45.6 –52.0 mm. Their unique, complex facial nose leaf makes them unmistakable, although it is difficult to distinguish between different species of horseshoe bats. The muzzle is covered by a nose leaf consisting of an erect part called the lancet and a lower horizontal horseshoe that covers the upper lip and surrounds the nostrils. There is also a perpendicular median outgrowth known as the sella, which has upper and lower processes. The upper process of the sella is bluntly pointed in side view and its anterior border is slightly concave. The ears are pointed and the tragus is absent. The color of the pelage is light gray-brown-above, and lighter below.

 

Distribution:

It has been recorded in the western region from Muwailih in the northwest on the Red Sea coast; Makka; Taif; Wadi Ad Dawasir; Al Baha; 50 km NNE Abha; Riyadh escarpment.


Habitat:

During the day they roost in caves and abandoned mines, hanging from their hind claws from the roof and walls in clusters, with the individuals slightly separated from one another. They leave their day roosts shortly after sunset to forage, and return to them just before dawn. During the night they establish feeding stations in trees, or even under the eaves or verandas of buildings.






Lesser horseshoe bat - Rhinolophus hipposideros
Identification:

This tiny bat has the characteristic horseshoe-shaped plate of skin around its nostrils. It is smaller than R. clivosus, but otherwise similar to it. Total length 55-77 mm; tail length 22-33 mm; forearm length 34-38 mm. The upper process of the sella is low and blunt in side view, while its lower process projects out quite clearly. The pelage is dense and soft. The color is grayish brown above and lighter below.


Habitat and flight

Despite its small size, the lesser horseshoe bat preys on relatively large insects: moths, crane flies and sedge flies. These it generally eats on a night-time perch, beneath which the wing remains of insects are to be found. This little bat seems particularly fond of unimproved grassland areas beside water.


Roosts

Roofs of barns, stables and rural houses are the preferred summer roosting places of the lesser horseshoe bat, and particularly where there is an opening large enough that they can fly directly in and out. Maternity colonies of 30 to 70 are normal, but exceptionally they form colonies as large as 200 bats.

Lesser horseshoe bats hibernate, sometimes in large groups, from October until late April or early May. Their winter roosts are most often in caves or tunnels. They hang by their feet, often in open and exposed positions but rarely in large clusters.
Distribution:

It has been recorded from Taif and the vicinity of Abha.




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