Nocturnal bat. Insectivorous, feeding on moths and beetles. Lives in groups of around ten individuals. Flying rapidly at high altitudes. The Egyptian tomb bat uses echolocation (at a quasi-constant-frequency calls with two prominent harmonics, lower harmonic with an end frequency 27 to 29 kHz) to detect prey. Little is known about the breeding biology of this species, except that the breeding season takes place in January and female gives birth to a single young once year in June after a gestation period of nine weeks. Mother carries and suckles young until they begin to forage at seven weeks.
The Egyptian tomb bat is a small bat. Fur fine, silky, with varies color of dark brown and grey on the upperparts, brownish grey on the underparts. Hairs cover both sides of body right to proximal end of tail. Face distinctive with triangular and pointed muzzle. Ears long, narrow, sharply-pointed with club-shaped tragus and some of hairs on the posterior base. Antitragus very small, shorter than lower margin of pinna. Wings long, narrow and dark brown in the centre and creamy color at the tips. Flight membrane brown and smaller than naked-bellied tomb bat.
Narrow (Sinai, Nile Valley and Delta).
The Egyptian tomb bat lives in Egypt or ancient tombs, caves, crevices, abandoned buildings, gardens. It roosts in rock crevices, on walls or near ground where temperature <32°C and relative humidity >35%.
Body length 94–112 mm, forearm 59.2–66.0 mm, weight 19–24 gm.
Native, resident.
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr.
Published: August 21, 2013
Health officials confirmed Wednesday that bats in Saudi Arabia were the source of the mysterious virus that has sickened 96 people in the Middle East, killing 47 of them. A match to the virus was found in a fecal sample of this type of bat, the Taphozous perforatus.
The Egyptian tomb bat (Taphozous perforatus) is a species of sac-winged bat in the family Emballonuridae.[1] It is a medium- to large-sized microbat with a mass of approximately 30 g (1.1 oz).[5] It is an aerial insectivore, foraging in open space.[5] Based on individuals captured in Ethiopia, it is thought to feed predominantly on Lepidoptera, but is also known to feed on Isoptera, Coleoptera and Orthoptera.[5]
Its total body length is 64.8–80 mm (2.55–3.15 in), with different subspecies varying in size. Its forearms are 60.2–65.3 mm (2.37–2.57 in) long. Its ears are 15–23 mm (0.59–0.91 in) long.[6]
Mammals of Africa follows Mammal Species of the World in recognizing four subspecies.[3][4]
An analysis of the bat's feces done by J. Rydell and D. W. Yalden in 1997 in Ethiopia deduced its diet is mostly moths (57%). Other prey includes: termites (14%), beetles (10%), katydids and crickets (8%), bugs (3%), lacewings (2%), ants (1%), and flies (1%).[10][4]
Juvenile bats (pups) and lactating females have been encountered in July. Parturition, or giving birth, likely occurs in late May and early June. They are polyestrous, capable of becoming pregnant multiple times a year. Pregnancies can occur in quick succession, with one female identified that was simultaneously lactating and pregnant.[6]
Michel Anciaux de Faveaux reports the following fleas, bat-flies, ticks, and mites have been found as ectoparasites on this species:[4]
Based on a study of Egyptian specimens, A. E. Yaseen and colleagues report its chromosome number is 2n = 42 and its autosomal fundamental number is 64.[11][4]
An isolate of the MERS-CoV from the first patient identified was found in an Egyptian tomb bat near the victim's home in Saudi Arabia. The isolate, found in a fecal pellet from the bat, was found to be a 100% match with the London victim.[12][13]
Its type locality is Kom Ombo, Egypt.[4] Geoffroy's initial description was based on specimens from Kon Ombo and Thebes but he didn't specify which was the type location; D. Kock designated Kom Ombo the type locality in 1969.[14] It is found in Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, India, Iran, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitat is dry savanna.[15] In South Asia, it prefers tropical thorn forests. It avoids deserts and forests. It is not found at elevations above 200 m (660 ft).[1]
It is currently assessed as least concern by the IUCN. It meets the criteria for this listing because it has a large population, a wide distribution, and its population trend is currently stable. A threat facing the populations in South Asia is destruction of the thorn forests. Thorn forests are currently being destroyed for agriculture, mining, and stone quarries.[1]
{{cite book}}: External link in |postscript=The Egyptian tomb bat (Taphozous perforatus) is a species of sac-winged bat in the family Emballonuridae. It is a medium- to large-sized microbat with a mass of approximately 30 g (1.1 oz). It is an aerial insectivore, foraging in open space. Based on individuals captured in Ethiopia, it is thought to feed predominantly on Lepidoptera, but is also known to feed on Isoptera, Coleoptera and Orthoptera.
