Rhinopomatidae

Mouse-tailed bats are a group of insectivorous bats of the family Rhinopomatidae with only three to five species, all contained in the single genus Rhinopoma. They are found in the Old World, from North Africa to Thailand and Sumatra, in arid and semi-arid regions, roosting in caves, houses and even the Egyptian pyramids. They are relatively small, with a body length of just 5 to 6 centimetres^[1]. They weigh between 6 to 14 g.

Mouse-tailed bats get their name from their long tails, which are almost entirely free of the wing membrane. Uniquely among living insectivorous bats, these tails are nearly as long as their entire body. They also possess a small, rounded, nose-leaf, and a band of skin across the forehead, joining their ears^[2]. They feed on insects, such as flies and beetles.

Mouse-tailed bats become torpid during cold weather, although they do not truly hibernate. They live in roosts of a thousand or more members, and have one or two young per year^[2].

Classification

FAMILY RHINOPOMATIDAE

• Genus Rhinopoma
  • Lesser Mouse-tailed Bat, Rhinopoma hardwickei
  • Macinnes's Mouse-tailed Bat, Rhinopoma macinnesi
  • Greater Mouse-tailed Bat, Rhinopoma microphyllum
  • Small Mouse-tailed Bat, Rhinopoma muscatellum
  • Rhinopoma hadramauticum

References

• Benda, P.; Reiter, A.; Al-Jumaily, M.; Nasher, A.K.; Hulva, P. 2009. A new species of mouse-tailed bat (Chiroptera: Rhinopomatidae: Rhinopoma) from Yemen. Journal of the National Museum (Prague) 177 (6): 53-68.