| Pallid long-eared bat | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Vespertilionidae |
| Genus: | Nyctophilus |
| Species: | N. daedalus |
| Binomial name | |
| Nyctophilus daedalus | |
| Synonyms | |
Nyctophilus bifax daedalus | |
Nyctophilus daedalus is a species of bat in the family Vespertilionidae, a flying mammal endemic to northern Australia. They are also referred to as the pallid long-eared bat [1] or northern long-eared bat.
High levels of morphological variation within the species indicates that it is a composite of a number of distinct forms. [3]
The description for this species was published by Oldfield Thomas in 1915. [2] The taxon emerged from the author's reëxamination of the genus Nyctophilus, seen as allied to his description of a new genus Pharotis . [4] [2] The taxon was recognised as a species by Tom Iredale and Troughton, but later authors assigned it as a synonym or subspecies of Nyctophilus bifax or Nyctophilus gouldi . [5]
The author's type specimen was collected at Daly River in the Northern Territory. This type, a male, was provided to the author by the Christiania Museum (Oslo Museum), and notes the collection by Knut Dahl in July 1894. Two other specimens were examined, Thomas reporting their locations as Melville Island and Port Essington. [2]
The common name northern long-eared bat also refers to another species of the 'long-eared bats', Nyctophilus arnhemensis . [6]
Similar in habit and appearance to the species Nyctophilus bifax , to which it was earlier placed as a subspecies, but distinguished for a preference to wetter forest environments. They are recorded using perches when seeking prey. [7] As with N. bifax, the superficial appearance is brown fur at the back, ranging in colour from light to dark, and notably paler fur on their bellies. There are minor fleshy protuberances behind the nostrils, and little of the ridge feature of the nostrils found in other nyctophilus species. The forearm (tibia) measurement is 37 to 46 millimetres in length, and their weight ranges from 7 to 13 grams. [6]
The species is found in the Top End, and at the Kimberley and Pilbara regions in the north west of the continent. The population in the Pilbara is geographically remote. The wetter forest types associated with the species include monsoon forest and riparian habitat. They select roosts in tree hollows and beneath the foliage of trees, especially near the base of pandanus leaves. [7]
A population occurs within a park near the territory's capital Darwin, at the Holmes Jungle Nature Park. [7]
Vespertilionidae is a family of microbats, of the order Chiroptera, flying, insect-eating mammals variously described as the common, vesper, or simple nosed bats. The vespertilionid family is the most diverse and widely distributed of bat families, specialised in many forms to occupy a range of habitats and ecological circumstances, and it is frequently observed or the subject of research. The facial features of the species are often simple, as they mainly rely on vocally emitted echolocation. The tails of the species are enclosed by the lower flight membranes between the legs. Over 300 species are distributed all over the world, on every continent except Antarctica. It owes its name to the genus Vespertilio, which takes its name from a word for bat, vespertilio, derived from the Latin term vesper meaning 'evening'; they are termed "evening bats" and were once referred to as "evening birds".
The New Guinea big-eared bat or Papuan big-eared bat,, is a vesper bat endemic to Papua New Guinea. It is listed as a critically endangered species due to ongoing habitat loss. It is the only known member of the genus Pharotis, which is closely related to Nyctophilus.
Gould's long-eared bat is a microbat found in southern regions of Australia. It occurs in eastern Australia, from Queensland to Victoria, and in a smaller isolated range in the south-west of Western Australia.
Nyctophilus arnhemensis, known as the northern or Arnhem long-eared bat, is a species of Chiroptera (bats) native to northern regions of Australia. The distribution range is from north-western Queensland to northern Western Australia.
The eastern long-eared bat, species Nyctophilus bifax, is a small flying mammal, a vespertilionid bat. It is found in eastern Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Nyctophilus geoffroyi is a vespertilionid bat, a flying nocturnal mammal found in Australia, The species is relatively common. They have been referred to as the lesser long-eared bat.
The Lord Howe long-eared bat was a vespertilionid bat known only by a single specimen, a skull found on Lord Howe Island in 1972. A mammalian insectivorous species resembling the long-eared Nyctophilus, with an elongated head that is comparatively larger, about which almost nothing is known. The bat may have been casually observed in flight during the twentieth century, but is likely to have become extinct since the island's discovery and occupation. The demise of N. howensis is possibly the result of shipwrecked rats and the owls introduced to control them.
The south-eastern long-eared bat or Corben's long-eared bat, is a species of bat found in Australia. It occurs in the woodlands of the Murray Darling Basin and adjacent areas.
The pygmy long-eared bat is a vesper bat, found in the north of the Australian continent. An insectivorous flying hunter, they are one of the tiniest mammals in Australia, weighing only a few grams and one or two inches long.
The flute-nosed bat is a vespertilionid bat with an unusually shaped nose, the tubular nostrils facing outward from the end of the muzzle. They occur in the north of the Australian state of Queensland, in Indonesia, and on Papua New Guinea.
The southern forest bat is a vesper bat found in Australia.
The Vespertilioninae are a subfamily of vesper bats from the family Vespertilionidae.
Nyctophilus is a genus of the vespertilionids or vesper bats. They are often termed Australian big-eared bats or long-eared bats, as the length of their ears often greatly exceeds that of the head. This genus occurs in the New Guinean-Australian region.
The New Caledonian long-eared bat is a vesper bat found in New Caledonia. They are only recorded at Mount Koghis, near Nouméa, and the population is decreasing.
Thomas's big-eared brown bat is a species of vesper bat found in South America.
The Tasmanian long-eared bat is a species of vesper bat endemic to Tasmania.
Nyctophilus major, referred to as a western long-eared bat, is a species found in forests and woodlands of Southwest Australia.
Vespertilionini is a tribe of bats in the family Vespertilionidae. The largest of the tribes in Vespertilioninae, it contains many genera found throughout the Old World and Australasia.
Ward's long-eared bat is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in mountainous regions of South Asia and adjoining regions.
