Greater mouse-tailed bat
{{Short description|Species of bat}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Greater Mouse Tailed bat (Rhinopoma microphyllum).jpg
| image_alt = The image is a drawing of a bat
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| genus = Rhinopoma
| species = microphyllum
| authority = (Brünnich, 1792)
| synonyms =
| range_map = Greater Mouse-tailed Bat area.png
| range_map_caption = Greater mouse-tailed bat range
}}
The greater mouse-tailed bat (Rhinopoma microphyllum) is a species of bat in the Rhinopomatidae family.{{Cite journal | url=https://academic.oup.com/mspecies/article-pdf/doi/10.2307/3504243/8071428/542-1.pdf | doi=10.2307/3504243| jstor=3504243| title=Rhinopoma microphyllum| journal=Mammalian Species| issue=542| pages=1–5| year=1996| last1=Schlitter| first1=Duane A.| last2=Qumsiyeh| first2=Mazin B.| doi-access=free}}
Range and habitat
It is found in Algeria, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, the Central African Republic, Chad, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Israel, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sudan, Thailand, Tunisia, Western Sahara, and Yemen. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.
Biology and ecology
According to a recent research published in Royal Society of London, the greater mouse-tailed bat hibernates at the unusually warm and constant temperature of 68 °F in caves in Israel's Great Rift Valley. From October to February, these bats were discovered semi-conscious, breathing only once every 15–30 minutes, with extremely low energy expenditures.{{cite journal | url=http://www.sciguru.org/newsitem/18645/bat-species-first-mammal-found-hibernating-constant-warm-temperatures | title=Subtropical mouse-tailed bats use geothermally heated caves for winter hibernation |author1=Eran Levin |author2=Brit Plotnik |author3=Eran Amichai |author4=Luzie J. Braulke |author5=Shmulik Landau |author6=Yoram Yom-Tov |author7=Noga Kronfeld-Schor | journal= Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences|date=April 2015 | volume=282 | issue=1804 | pages=20142781 | doi=10.1098/rspb.2014.2781| pmid=25740890 |pmc=4375864 }}
The species Rhinopoma microphyllum eats exclusively insects.{{cite web |last1=Krause |first1=Jennifer |title=Great Mouse-Tailed Rat |url=http://www.mbgnet.net/sets/desert/animals/bat.htm. }}{{Dead link|date=March 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} A study on its diet revealed that the species is primarily a Coleoptera feeder in both maternity and summer quarters, although a more diverse feeding habit is found in the summer roosts. Other prey types include Diptera, Neuroptera and Hymenoptera.{{cite journal |last1=Hemmati |first1=Zeinab |last2=Sharifi |first2=Mozafar |title="Variation in the Diet of the Greater Mouse-Tailed Bat, Rhinopoma Microphyllum (Chiroptera: Rhinopomatidae) in South-Western Iran." Taylor & Francis |doi=10.1080/09397140.2002.10637923 |s2cid=84603080 }} They mate at the beginning of spring.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Rhinopomatidae}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q1830890}}
Category:Mammals of North Africa
Category:Mammals of the Middle East
Category:Mammals of Bangladesh
Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
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