Francais | English | Espanõl

Seychelles sheath-tailed bat

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Coleura seychellensis)

Jump to: navigation, search

iSeychelles sheath-tailed bat

Conservation status

Image:Status iucn3.1 CR.svg
Critically endangered (CR)

</div>

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Chiroptera
Family:	Emballonuridae
Genus:	Coleura
Species:	C. seychellensis

Binomial name

Coleura seychellensis
(Peters, 1868)

The Seychelles sheath-tailed bat (Coleura seychellensis) is a sac-winged bat. It occurs in the central granitic islands of the Seychelles Islands north of Madagascar. It probably was abundant throughout the Seychelles in the past, but it has declined drastically and is now extinct on most islands.

It is one of the most endangered animals, fewer than 100 are believed to exist in the world. The Seychelles sheath-tailed bat has suffered from habitat deterioration due to the effects of introduced plant species. The largest surviving roost is on Silhouette Island, although small roosts do exist on Mahe and formerly also Praslin and La Digue islands.

The weight of Seychelles sheath-tailed bats averages about 10 - 11 g (0.4 oz). Bats in this genus generally roost in caves and houses, in crevices and cracks. In the 1860's, the Seychelles sheath-tailed bat was reported to fly around clumps of bamboo towards twilight, and in the daytime to be found roosting in the clefts of the mountainside facing the sea and with a more or less northern aspect. These hiding places were generally covered over with the large fronds of endemic palms. The Seychelles sheath-tailed bat is insectivorous. Its colonies are apparently divided into harem groups.