Roberts's flat-headed bat
Sauromys petrophilus (synonym: Mormopterus petrophilus ) is a type of bulldog bats ( Molossidae ), which is native in southern Africa. The small to medium sized species lives mainly in crevices and feed on small insects.
Features
Sauromys petrophilus is a small to medium sized bulldog bat. It reaches a body length 86-100 mm and a span of 251-275 mm, the weight is 9 to 22 grams. The coat is on the back side light gray to brown, but may be as dark in some areas. The bottom is on the throat, chest and abdomen creamy white with some brown streaks. Strip from the chest to the abdomen, which are typical of other related species lacking this kind, the wings are comparatively wide, the wing area is 81 to 96.9 cm ². The head is flat, the oval ears have a small tragus and have a length of 10 to 15 millimeters. The tail is 24 to 40 millimeters long.
Of the sympatric species of the genera Pug, Chaerephon and Tadarida they differ mainly by the puckered lips and the hair on the upper lip. Of the species of the genus Mormopterus they differ mainly by a different ear approach and the lack of a fillet gland.
Dissemination
The range of the species is in southern Africa and stretches from the West African coast from the border area between Angola and Namibia to the south of South Africa and from there to the north-east to Zimbabwe and western Mozambique. The altitudinal distribution ranges from 100 to 2000 meters.
Way of life
As habitat preferred the bat rocky regions and it needs crevices and caves as resting places during the day. They live in small groups in chipped rock, sandstone and granite.
Little is known about the lifestyle. The cranial morphology suggests that mainly feeds the bat of small and soft insects. Stomach contents and fecal samples showed mainly moths, small beetles and Hymenoptera as the main food. The water that the animals need, they get their food. She is a fast flyer and moves mainly in open landscapes, including over water surfaces.
The cries of the animals are usually in a frequency from 31.4 to 43.5 kHz to a minimum of 26.7 to 30.9 kHz. They last at 5.0 to 10.2 milliseconds.
System
Sauromys petrophilus was first described by Austin Roberts in 1917 as Platymops petrophilus and thus put together with Platymops Sea Tiger in a genus. It was developed by R. L. Peterson placed in the genus Sauromys and is the only species of this order monotypic genus. Alternatively, it is often slammed as Mormopterus petrophilus the genus Mormopterus.
Overall, with Sauromys petrophilis erogensis, S. p. fitzsomonsi, S. p. haagneri and S. p. umbratus and the nominate P. p. described petrophilus five subspecies.
The name of the genus Sauromys is derived from the name sauros for lizard and mys for " mouse " and is related to the discovery of the way along: it was found in search of scorpions under stones. The species name petrophilus means " stone love ", according to results in the name Sauromys petrophilus translated the non- common names " stone lovers lizards mouse ".
Threat and protection
The species is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN ) due to the size of the stock as not at risk ( least concern ). Within their areas of distribution Sauromys is petrophilus frequently and declines or threats in such a way that any risk category is justified are not known.