Kerivoula pellucida
Common name: The Clear-Winged Woolly Bat
Distribution of Kerivoula pellucida
Kerivoula pellucida. If you look carefully you can see that this female is lactating -- there is milk in the mammary glands
Physical Description
Wings: The wing membrane is very pale greyish brown and are unique among the Kerivoula because they are translucent, meaning light passes through them. It is even possible to read print through the membrane! This is how this species gets its name, because pellucida comes from the latin word for transparent, “pellucidus”. The wings are relatively large and rounded, and such a light fluffy body on so big a wing area enables the bat to fly very slowly and avoid obstacles even in the densest parts of the forest. In fact, K. pellucida is probably the most manoevrable bat in the whole reserve.
Fur: Like all of the Kerivoula, or woolly bats, Kerivoula pellucida has long fluffy fur, which in this species is a light buffy-brown color with pale bases to the hairs.
Ear: The ears are large and funnel-shaped, another characteristic of the Kerivoula, and in this species they are darker at the edges and paler at the base. The tragus, inside the ear, is very long and pointed, and pale like the ear base.
Nose: The nose is simple, but the face and sometimes the ears are often a pinkish yellow color.
Tail: The tail is very long and the tail membrane large. The bat uses this tail membrane partly to help it brake during flight, but it also acts as a sort of scoop that helps the bat to catch insects.
Interestingly, adult males often have a gland near the end of the tail. But so far we don’t know what its function is.
Size: This is a pretty small bat, with an average forearm of around 31 mm and an average weight of just 4.5 g, that’s less than a nickel.
Ecology
Kerivoula pellucida is relatively common in the understorey of Krau Wildlife Reserve. Elsewhere, it has been found roosting in dead curled banana leaves and foraging in the upperstorey of tall forests. In Krau an individual followed on release roosted in a cluster of dead leaves in the understorey with other individuals. We believe that Kerivoula pellucida is a very social species: individuals captured in harp traps frequently roost in tight clusters, and they will fly together when released. Although we can’t hear them without a bat detector, they often produce special calls called “contact” calls while they are flying. These are different from their echolocation calls and probably enable members of a group to keep in touch as they are foraging.
Where they can be found
Borneo, Philippines, Java and Sumatra, and Peninsular Malaysia
