Taphozous perforatus, E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1818

Bonaccorso, Frank, 2019, Emballonuridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 350-373 : 351

2 . Egyptian Tomb Bat

Taphozous perforatus

French: Taphien perforé I German: Ägyptische Grabfledermaus / Spanish: Tafozo egipcio

Other common names: African Taphozous, Geoffrey'sTomb Bat, LesserTomb Bat, PerforatedTaphozous Bat

Taxonomy. Taphozous perforatus E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1818 ,

Royal Tomb, Kom Ombo, Nile Valley , Egypt.

Taphozous perforatus is in the subgenus Taphozous . Four subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

. p. perforatus E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1818 — Nile Valley in Egypt and N Sudan.

. p. haedinusThomas, 1915 - Middle East (Israel, Arabian Peninsula, and S Iran) E to India, and E Africa from Djibouti to Kenya (including Lamu I) and Tanzania; it may also occur in Eritrea.

. p. senegalensis Desmarest, 1820 - scattered localities in W Africa, from S Mauritania, Senegal, and Guinea-Bissau E to NW Nigeria and W Cameroon; it may occur in Guinea and Ivory Coast.

. p. sudani Thomas, 1915 — C & S Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, and S through the Congo Basin to N & E Botswana, S Zimbabwe, and NE South Africa.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 71—85 mm, tail 22—30 mm, ear 15—20 mm, hindfoot 13—15 mm, forearm 54-67 mm; weight 23—33 mm. Dorsum of the Egyptian Tomb Bat is mousy gray, pale ash-brown (North Africa), or dark brown (Southern Africa). Throat and beard are buff, and gular pouch is present.

Habitat. Primarily open woodland lowlands including Acacia (Fabaceae) and other types of thorn forest. The Egyptian Tomb Bat will forage in anthropomorphic settings including palm groves and gardens.

Food and Feeding. Fecal material from Egyptian Tomb Bats in Ethiopia contained Lepidoptera (56%), Isoptera (14%), Coleoptera (10%), Orthoptera (8%), Hemiptera (3%), Neuroptera (2%), Diptera (1%), Hymenoptera (1%), and unidentified insect parts (5%).

Breeding. Egyptian Tomb Bats are polyestrous and capable of becoming pregnant twice a year. Females have been found simultaneously lactating and pregnant. Gravid females have been found in November in south-eastern Zimbabwe, each with a single fetus in the right uterine hom.

Activity patterns. Egyptian Tomb Bats roost in rocky outcrops, stone buildings, wells, tunnels, and tombs.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. In southern Africa, Egyptian Tomb Bats typically roost in tight clusters of 6-8 individuals deep in protected crevices of rocky outcrops, cracks or gaps in stone or concrete buildings, or deep cave recesses. In West Africa, colonies of hundreds of individuals form day roosts.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on TheIUCNRed List. The Egyptian Tomb Bat has a large distribution and presumably large and stable overall population. It is present in many protected areas including Mapungubwe National Park in South Africa. No direct conservation measures are currently needed; however, it has not been recorded in protected areas in Pakistan or India. Being little studied, research on its distribution, abundance, reproduction, and ecology is needed.

Bibliography. Bates & Harrison (1997), Bates, Harrison & Muni (1994a, 1994 b, 1994c), Bhat & Sreenivasan (1990), Brosset (1963), Harrison (1962), Harrison & Bates (1991), Hayman & Hill (1971), Koopman (1993), Meester eta/. (1986), Molur eta/. (2002), Rosevear (1965), Rydell & Yalden (1997), Skinner & Chimimba (2005), Smithers &Wilson (1979).

Figures

On following pages: 4. Hamilton'sTomb Bat [Taphozous hamiltoni); 5. Hildegarde'sTomb Bat (Taphozous hildegardeae}; 6. Long-winged Sheath-tailed Bat (Taphozous longimanus); 7. Black-beardedTomb Bat (Taphozous melanopogoh); 8. Theobald'sTomb Bat (Taphozous theobaldi); 9. Indonesian Tomb Bat (Taphozous achates); 10. Arnhem Sheath-tailed Bat (Taphozous kapalgensis}; 11. Coastal Sheath-tailed Bat (Taphozous australis}; 12. Common Sheath-tailed Bat (Taphozous georgianus); 13. Hill's Sheath-tailed Bat (Taphozous hilli); 14. Troughton's Sheath-tailed Bat (Taphozous troughtoni); 15. Pel's Pouched Bat (Saccolaimus peli); 16. Bare-rumped Sheathtailed Bat (Saccolaimus saccolaimus); 17. Papuan Sheath-tailed Bat (Saccolaimus mixtus); 18. Yellow-bellied Sheath-tailed Bat (Saccolaimus flaviventris).

Subspecies and Distribution. . p. perforatus E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1818 — Nile Valley in Egypt and N Sudan. . p. haedinusThomas, 1915 - Middle East (Israel, Arabian Peninsula, and S Iran) E to India, and E Africa from Djibouti to Kenya (including Lamu I) and Tanzania; it may also occur in Eritrea. . p. senegalensis Desmarest, 1820 - scattered localities in W Africa, from S Mauritania, Senegal, and Guinea-Bissau E to NW Nigeria and W Cameroon; it may occur in Guinea and Ivory Coast. . p. sudani Thomas, 1915 — C & S Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, and S through the Congo Basin to N & E Botswana, S Zimbabwe, and NE South Africa.