Nycteris tragata
Common name: The Malayan Slit-faced Bat.
Nycteris tragata is the only member of the family Nycteridae in Malaysia
Nycteris tragata
Distribution of Nycteris tragata
Physical Description:
Tail: The tail is very long – as long as the head and body of the bat combined – and is fully enclosed in a very large tail membrane. At the very tip of the long tail is a Y-shaped piece of cartilage which is only found in species of Nycteris.The tail and tail membrane are so large that the bat has to fold it back over its back when roosting.
Y-shaped cartilage at the tip of the tail
See how the huge tail membrane is folded back over the bat's back when roosting
Ear: The ears are very long, brown and separated at the base. There is a short, rounded tragus deep in the ear that curves forward. The very long ears probably help the bat listen for the rustling of insect prey in the leaf litter.
Side view of Nycteris ear to show the small club-like tragus
Nose: The Nycteris are called the slit-faced bats because the face has a deep groove in the middle, that runs from the nostrils to a point between the eyes. Either side of this slit are folds of skin forminging leaflets.
Fur: The fur is long and fluffy and is reddish-brown to light brown with paler bases.
Wings: The wing and tail membranes are brown. Not only is the tail membrane very large, but the wings are very borad and rounded, giving a very large total wing area. Even the wing membrane in fornt of the forearm is large, so large in fact that the bat has particularly long thumbs to help support and control it. This huge wing and tail area probably make it possible for the bat to take off directly from the ground with large prey items (big insects like crickets).
Size: Nycteris tragata is one of our larger forest bats, with an average forearm length of 51 mm and an average weight of about 17 g.
The hollow of a fallen tree is a favorite Nycteris tragata roost. At least two individuals were found in this roost.
Ecology
This is mainly a forest species. They roost in small groups of 2-8 individuals in tree holes, hollows in fallen trees and similar man-made hollows such as culverts, as well as in crevices in large boulders and deep in the caverns of limestone caves. Although they use echolocation to find their way around the the forest, it is thought that they find their prey by listening for them. Hanging from a perch in the understorey they use their large ears to help them listen for the rustling of insects in the leaf litter. Their huge wing and tail area enables them to lift off from the ground with relatively large insect prey.
Where they can be found
Thailand, Myanmar, Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo, Java, Sumatra.
