Phoniscus atrox
Common name: The Gilded Groove-toothed Bat
The most distinctive feature of Phoniscus atrox is the beautiful golden brown tips to the dark brown fur. The gold is especially obvious on the head
Distribution of Phoniscus atrox
Physical Description
Fur: The most distinctive feature of Phoniscus atrox is the beautiful golden brown tips to the dark brown fur. The soft fluffy hairs actually have four bands of colors: light grey or brown near the base, then a buffy, light brown color, followed by a dark brown band and then the golden tips.
Bands of fur color
The forearm, legs, tail and feet are also thinly covered with fine hairs of gold.
Ears: The ears are funnel shaped like the Kerivoula to which Phoniscus is closely related, and there is also a long pointed tragus, that is typically without pigment so it appears a whitish pink, in contrast to the brown ears. At the base of the tragus is a small notch; the Kerivoula don’t have this, so it helps us distinguish the Phoniscus from the Kerivoula.
Look at the distinctive notch at the base of the very long tragus.
Teeth: Although you can’t see them, the long canines have a groove running from top to bottom, and this helps us tell the Kerivoula and Phoniscus apart, because the canines in the Kerivoula are smooth.
Nose: The nose is simple.
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. After successfully catching an insect, he will duck his head down and grab it from the tail membrane scoop with his mouth.
Wings: The wings are a dark brown, and broadly rounded, making this bat very maneuverable when flying through the forest understory.
Size: Phoniscus atrox is a small bat, with an average forearm of about 34 mm and an average weight of just under 5 g, a little bit less than a nickel.
Ecology
Although we don’t have a lot of information, it seems that Phoniscus species often roost in abandoned or suspended bird’s nests, and we have found one Phoniscus atrox doing this in the reserve.
Where they can be found
South Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Borneo
