|
 |
||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
Gambian epaulet bat - EPOMOPHORUS GAMBIANUS
Possibly Endangered
Class: Animals with Milk Glands (Mammalia)
The Name "Bat": "Bat" comes from Old Norse "ledhrblaka," "leather flapper." It became "bakka" and then "bat."
Location: Central Africa below the Sahara.
Habitat: Open woodland and savanna, but occasionally the rain forest.
Description: This bat is of medium size, with long, doglike muzzle and small rounded ears. The fur is soft, light or reddish brown with large white tufts ("epaulets") on the shoulders of males. It also has white patches at base of its ears. Its length not including the tail is about 6.3 in, with a forearm of about 3.3 in, and it weighs 3.5 to 5.5 oz.
Behavior: This species derives its name from the showy white shoulder patches on the males which can be emphasized by the males. The function of this show is unknown, but it is believed to be a sexual signaling. Gambian epaulet bats roost during the day in mango or other trees, or in bamboo reeds. They hang upside down alone or in small groups of up to twenty. This bat feeds on fruit, such as mangos and wild figs, but prefers to eat the nectar of baobab, sausage tree, and locust-bean trees. The evidence suggests that certain flowering trees depend upon this bat for pollination, and in turn, the bat's distribution might be linked to the abundance of such flowering, nectar-producing trees. Perhaps a symbiotic relationship.
Reproduction: Unknown.
Go to the Bats Page to get a general discussion of this flying mammal.
Go to the Bats Index to study the other bats included in America Zoo.
From Address Labels to Zoo Toys... All Creatures Great and Small You'll Find It at the America Zoo Gift Shop Realistic Stuffed Animals & Animal Figurines Wildlife Decor for Your Home Animal Books, Magazines, and Educational Materials A Wide Variety of Wildlife Gifts & Apparel and Much, Much More  ↓ For Your Favorite Little Animal Lover ↓
Home Animal Research Library About AmericaZoo
|
