Variegated butterfly bat
The Reticulated butterfly bat ( Glauconycteris variegata ) is a species of bat in the family of Myotis bats, which is native to Africa.
The genus name is derived from the Greek " Glaucos " ( " blue - gray ") and " Nycteris " ( " night hunter " ) and refers to the grayish coat color of the animals. The species name " variegata " ( "changeable, colorful ") and the English name "Butterfly bat" ( "Butterfly Bat" ) describes the characteristic pattern on the wings.
Description
The total length of reticulated butterfly bat is 105.0 mm in females and 101.6 mm in males with a body weight of 10.3 to 11.5 g The Reticulated Butterfly bat differs from other species of the genus Glauconycteris by the lack of fur patterns in the area of the face, the back or the abdomen. Instead, this type has a pronounced pigmentation of the veins in the wing membrane. The bright peritoneum she shares with Glauconycteris argentata, but has not so pronounced Venenpigmentierung latter as Glauconycteris variegata. The fur of the reticulated butterfly bat is yellowish - brown to light gray, which distinguishes it from its sister species Glauconycteris curryae and Glauconycteris egeria, both of which enjoy darker brown to black fur. The base of the hair at the back is dark, is obscured by the bright peaks, however. The hair of the peritoneum are monochrome gray to white. The skin of the face and ears are brown.
Way of life
The Reticulated butterfly bat is found in savannas and bushland and is like most bats nocturnal. During the day they hang in groups of up to ten animals under leaves or palm fronds. Since not wrap the animals in their flight skin does not serve the pattern on the wings probably the camouflage. The Reticulated Butterfly bat has broad wings and is therefore at a relatively slow speed flight from an average of 4 m / s ( minimum 3.3 m / s ) is very maneuverable. The echolocation calls move between 30 and 70 kHz and are therefore not applicable to the human ear heard. However emitted social calls can be perceived by people during the flight. Glauconycteris variegata feeds exclusively on insects, where moth with soft bodies are preferred. The species was observed as she hunts in the light of street lamps and water.
The Reticulated butterfly bat is monoöstrisch, the seasonal reproductive cycles vary by region. The gestation period is three months and it is only given birth to a cub.
Dissemination
The Reticulated Butterfly bat comes before south of the Sahara. Their range extends north from Senegal to Somalia and south through the northeastern Namibia and northern Botswana to South Africa. There is no evidence of the central regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, southern Cameroon and southern renin. Also not shown is this kind in the coastal areas of Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Glauconycteris variegata comes up at an altitude of 1000 m above sea level. M. before. It is classified by the IUCN due to the widespread than safely.