Mauritian tomb bats communicate primarily through audible calls, chirruping while at rest but screeching when encountering aggressive situations. Whenever another member of a roosting group approaches, the members of the group already in the roost will emit three-syllable calls at 2-3 second intervals. The reason for these particular social calls is currently unknown. Like most other mammals, they are likely to use chemical cues and touch as well in social communication.
Mauritian tomb bats perceive their environment in different ways depending on the amount of light available. During daylight hours, they rely primarily on vision to identify intruders or prey that come too close to the roost. Once darkness has completely fallen, they rely on orally emitted echolocation sounds to forage.
Communication Channels: tactile ; acoustic ; chemical
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; echolocation ; chemical
Mauritian tomb bats are widespread throughout Africa and neighboring islands. They are not listed as requiring special conservation action under any current programs.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern
There are no known adverse affects of T. mauritianus on humans.
Mauritian tomb bats help humans by controlling pest populations. The insects they consume may carry diseases that harm humans or may simply be considered nuisance species.
Positive Impacts: controls pest population
Mauritian tomb bats are important in controlling pest populations in the ecosystems they occupy. They consume large numbers of insects nightly. Mauritian tomb bats also host parasites in the genus Anchitrema.
Commensal/Parasitic Species:
Although they have been observed to dart from their perches during daylight hours to capture and eat prey items that wander too close, T. mauritianus is primarily a night-foraging species. Moths found close to their daytime roosts are the staple of their diet, supplemented by termites, butterflies, and a variety of other insects. They typically do not return to their roost to feed during nighttime foraging, which is evidenced by the lack of prey debris or droppings beneath roosting points.
Mauritian tomb bats use vision to pick out potential prey during daylight hours, rather than echolocation. At night, they use orally emitted echolocation sounds to detect prey at long range over open areas.
Animal Foods: insects
Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore )
Mauritian tomb bats (Taphozous mauritianus) are found widely distributed throughout the middle to southern regions of Africa, as well as on several offshore islands. Individuals have also been recorded on the islands of Madagascar and Bourbon, as well as a handful of islands in the Indian Ocean.
Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )
Although generally found in moist, open habitats, T. mauritianus can also be found in savanna regions south of the Sahara that receive at least 500 mm of rainfall each year. Records of T. mauritianus in areas with less rainfall are usually close to swamps and rivers. These bats may be dependent on open water for hunting.
Habitat Regions: tropical ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest ; rainforest
Wetlands: swamp
Other Habitat Features: riparian
There is little research information available regarding the lifespan of T. mauritianus in the wild or in captivity.
Mauritian tomb bats are distinguishable from other bats by an entirely white ventral surface, combined with mixed-gray dorsal pelage. They have sleek, short hair. Their wings are long and narrow, generally with a pale, parchment-like coloration, and are attached at the ankle. The long, narrow tip of the wing is shortened somewhat to facilitate crawling when the wings are folded. The ears are erect, triangle-shaped, with rounded edges and no papillae on the inner margins.
Mauritian tomb bats do not exhibit sexual dimorphism in coloration or size, although there is evidence of geographic variation in size. In South Africa, the measurements (in mm) of males and females, respectively, are: length of head and body, 101 to 109, 105 to 116; length of forearm, 61 to 63, 61 to 66; and length of tail, 17 to 25, 20 to 23. A typical male body mass (in g) in Southern Africa is 20 to 36, while an average female mass is 27.5 to 31.6. The average wingspan is 181 to 204 mm.
Range mass: 20 to 36 g.
Range length: 101 to 116 mm.
Range wingspan: 181 to 204 mm.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes alike
Snakes as well as nocturnal raptors occasionally prey on Mauritian tomb bats, although specific predators are rarely named in the literature. Mauritian tomb bats occasionally host parasites in the genus Anchitrema. These parasites may be transferred to them by African sheath-tailed bats, Coleura afra, which sometimes roost with Mauritian tomb bats.
Known Predators:
There is little published research dealing specifically with the mating systems of T. mauritianus. It is likely that they are similar to other Taphozous species in this regard, with individuals engaging in polygynous relationships during mating seasons.
Mating System: polygynous
There is conflicting evidence regarding reproductive cycles of T. mauritianus. Some research suggests the breeding season is in December, with births in April to May. Other research suggests that they are either polyestrous or breed throughout the year in some regions of Africa, with births occurring from March to April, as well as November to December. Given the wide geographic range of this species, it is likely that different reproductive strategies occur in different parts of the range. Females give birth to a single young, which clings to its mother’s abdomen at all times until it is old enough to fly and forage on its own.
Breeding interval: Mauritian tomb bats breed up to twice a year in some parts of their range.
Breeding season: Birth generally occur from March to April and November to December, although local patterns may vary.
Range number of offspring: 1 (high) .
Average gestation period: 2 months.
Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous
Parental investment in T. mauritianus is restricted to the female of any mating pair, and is similiar to the majority of other bat species. The female gives birth to a single young, with remains with the mother at all times until it is able to fly on its own. Although there is little to no research in this particular area, it is possible that this time spent with the mother allows the offspring time to observe hunting behavior and to learn other necessary behaviors for later in life.
Parental Investment: pre-fertilization (Provisioning, Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female)
