not hang from their roosts but cling upside down to the roost wall. The tail is held slightly curved out over the bat. At closer quarters, further distinguished by the pig-like snout, ears meeting over the forehead, and simple tragus. Other than size, the two Egyptian species are very difficult to tell apart, the critical difference being the relative lengths of the tail and the forearm, the tail being shorter than the forearm in the Larger Rat-tailed Bat Rhinopoma microphyllum and longer in the Lesser Rat-tailed Bat Rhinopoma hardwickii. The Larger is a much rarer species.
LARGER RAT-TAILED BAT (GREATER MOUSE-TAILED BAT) Rhinopoma microphyllum (Brunnich, 1782) Pl. 4
Larger Rat-tailed Bat (Rhinopoma microphyllum)
Subspecies occurring in Egypt: R. m. microphyllum.
Arabic: Abu dhayl al-kabir
Identification: Length 124–146mm; Tail 52–65mm; Forearm 64–71mm. Rat-tailed bats distinguished by slightly upturned snout and long, slender tail though this feature is almost impossible to see in flight. At rest, e.g., on cave wall, tail curves forward in crescent. Largest of the rat-tailed bats, though size is not a useful field feature. Eyes distinct and well-developed ears with sickle-shaped tragus. Thumbs elongated and feet slender. Long tail surrounded by flight membrane only at base. Fur fine, pale gray-brown above, slightly paler below. Lower back and abdomen, face, lips, and upper throat naked. Specimens from Upper Egypt may relate to R. m. tropica.
Range and status: Africa from Morocco south to Nigeria, and east to Sudan and Egypt. Also further east to Arabia, Iran, Pakistan, India, and to Thailand and Sumatra. In Egypt, recorded from Delta, Cairo region, Luxor (mummified), and Aswan (?). Everywhere much rarer than Lesser Rat-tailed Bat.
Habitat: Cultivated areas of Nile Valley and Delta. Has been found in same roosts as Lesser Rat-tailed Bats, though always much rarer.
Habits: Little known. In India, breeding thought to be in June. No evidence from Egypt.
Similar species: See Lesser Rat-tailed Bat below.
LESSER RAT-TAILED BAT (LESSER MOUSE-TAILED BAT) Rhinopoma hardwickii Gray, 1831
Pl. 4
Lesser Rat-tailed Bat (Rhinopoma hardwickii)
Subspecies occurring in Egypt: R. h. arabium and R. h. cystops.
Arabic: Abu dhayl al-saghir
Identification: Length 101–144mm; Tail 46–73mm; Forearm 47–59mm; Weight 10–15g. Very delicately built rat-tailed bat with very long, slender tail only bounded by flight membrane at base. In hand, forearm-to-tail ratio important. Fur fine. Color uniform pale gray-brown, paler below but with some variation. Two subspecies in Egypt. R.h. arabium from northern Egypt, inc. Cairo and the Fayoum, browner above and below, though can be gray tinged. R.h. cystops from Luxor south to Sudanese border, on average smaller, paler, grayer, described as ‘pearl gray’ below. Flight peculiar, fluttery, and bird-like.
Range and status: East and North Africa. Arabia east to Iran, Pakistan, India to Indonesia. In Egypt, R. h. arabium in Cairo and its environs, inc Wadi Digla, recorded north to Wadi Natrun, and in the Fayoum (Qasr Qarun). R. h. cystops from Asyut region south to Luxor (common in Dendera Temple), and south to Aswan and Sudanese border.
Habitat: Dry caverns and caves, often roosting deep in rock, ruins, temples, tunnels, mosques, and buildings, often on desert margins. Roosts may be shared by much rarer Larger Rat-tailed Bat and with Egyptian Free-tailed Bat Tadarida aegyptiaca.
Habits: Emerges at dusk. Colonies fairly small though up to 200 have been recorded. Food probably small insects. In autumn, lays down fat reserves and, thus, can remain active year round. In roosts, voice is audible as high-pitched chirp. Females with suckling young observed just south of Aswan at Kalabsha in July. When sharing with Egyptian Free-tailed Bat, tends to roost higher than latter species and readily distinguished by smaller size, more rapid flight, and higher voice.
Similar species: Larger Rat-tailed Bat is larger, more heavily built and, most importantly, its tail is shorter than forearm (longer in present species).
Sheath-tailed and Tomb Bats—Family Emballonuridae
c. 50 species worldwide with 2 in Egypt.
Small- to medium-sized bats. Egyptian species small, with long ears and variable tragus. Eyes more prominent than in most insectivorous bats. In the hand, the tail is diagnostic, emerging from the interfemoral membrane about two-thirds of the way down its length with the latter third free, but often not exceeding the interfemoral membrane in length. When roosting, clings to walls not hanging free. Egyptian species difficult to tell apart except in the hand where differences are obvious, otherwise habits are best distinction.
GEOFFROY’S TOMB BAT (TOMB BAT) Taphozous perforatus (E. Geoffroy St-Hilaire, 1818)
Pl. 4
Subspecies occurring in Egypt: probably T. p. perforatus,
Arabic: Abu buz al-saghir, Khuffash al-maqabir
Identification: Length 94–112mm; Tail 20–27mm; Forearm 61–66mm. Male slightly smaller than Female. Small bat with narrow-based, almost mushroom-shaped tragus. Ears long and narrow Geoffrey’s Tomb Bat with hair tufts at the base of the back of each ear. Fur silky, extending to base of tail both above and below. Above, brown with hair bases white; below, variable grayish brown fur extending to tail root above and below. Wing membrane brownish with pale outer edge to forearm. Tail does not exceed interfemoral membrane in length.
Geoffroy’s Tomb Bat (Taphozous perforatus)
Range and status: Africa south of Sahara to Botswana, north to Sudan and Egypt. East to Arabia, Pakistan, and northwestern India. In Egypt, recorded from the Delta, Wadi Natrun, Cairo and environs (inc. Abu Rawash, Saqqara, and Giza), Fayoum, south along Nile Valley to Luxor and Aswan, down to Sudanese border. Red Sea coast near Quseir. Can occur in large numbers.
Geoffrey’s Tomb Bat Taphozous perforatus
Habitat: Roosts in deep caverns, limestone caves, sometimes near sea, and crevices, old buildings, and ruins. Degree of light does not seem to be important.
Habits: Poorly known. Roosts can be large but elsewhere reported to be between 6–10 individuals. Often hangs from wall close to ground. Flies at dusk (even recorded flying by day) but also at night. Breeding probably April/May in Egypt. Generally one young.
