55.

Malayan Greater Bamboo Bat

Tylonycteris malayana

French: Vespertilion de Malaisie / German: Malaya-Bambusfledermaus / Spanish: Tilonicterio de Malasia

Other common names: Malayan Bamboo Bat

Taxonomy. 7ylonycteris malayana Chasen, 1940,

“Jor, Batang Padang district, Perak, Malay States [= Malaysia].”

Previously considered a subspecies of 1. robustula, but elevated to species status as a result of recent phylogenetic studies. 1. malayana is sister species to 1. tonkinensis. The exact distributional limit between the two is currently uncertain. The recently described subspecies eremtaga is sister to all other populations of 7. malayana . Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

T.m.malayanaChasen,1940—NEIndia(Mizoram),andmainlandSEAsia;possiblyalsoChina(Yunnan)butthesepopulationsneedtobeconfirmed.

T. m. eremtaga C. Srinivasulu et al., 2018 — North Andaman I in the Andaman Is.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 36—-37-3 mm, tail 26-3-27-8 mm, ear 10-2 mm, hindfoot 5-8-6-2 mm, forearm 23-3-27-5 mm; weight 6:5-8-5 g. The Malayan Greater Bamboo Batis the largest species of Tylonycteris . Head is dorso-ventrally flattened and broadened. Dorsal pelage is glossy dark brown to grayish brown (subspecies eremtaga) with light-tipped hairs (giving the glossy appearance); ventral pelage is paler grayish brown to sandy brown. Membranes are dark brown. Ears are subtriangular, relatively long with a broadly rounded tip; tragus is short and blunt. Base of thumbs and soles of hindfeet have well-developed rounded fleshy pads for gripping smooth surfaces. Wing membrane attaches at base of metatarsus; uropatagium extends to tip oftail, and calcar is over halfway to tail from ankle. Baculum of eremtaga is located at tip of short penis (which has a globular glans); base is broad, flared, knob like, and slightly concave or notched; shaft is long, straight, and has slight ventral concavity beneath broadly rounded tip; shaft when viewed laterally is long and straight with flared base (unlike in nominate, where shaft curves dorsally along its glans). Skull is small, flattened and broad; rostrum is short and broad; there is no sagittal crest; lambdoid crests are weakly developed. P? is large, narrow, and bicuspid; P* is unicuspid and subequal in height to second cusp of P?; C! has distinct second cusp; P* has crown area about half that of M!; M! slightly exceeds M? in breadth and has distinct protocone; three lowerincisors are tricuspid; lower premolars are subequalin size. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 32 and FN = 56 (Peninsular Malaysia).

Habitat. Both intact and disturbed forest habitats with abundant bamboo. Recorded at elevations up to 1000 m in India.

Food and Feeding. The Malayan Greater Bamboo Batis insectivorous,taking a variety of insect prey. It has been recorded feeding on termites; more specific data are not available.

Breeding. Breeding takes place once a year, and females usually give birth to twins in April. Weaning occurs by late May in Malaysia, when young become volant and independent. Males and females become sexually mature and breed in their first year. Males become fertile from mid-October to mid-March; females enter estrus from mid-November to when ovulation occurs in mid-January. Gestation appears to last 84-91 days.

Activity patterns. Malayan Greater Bamboo Bats are nocturnal, leaving their roosts around dusk to forage. They roost inside hollow bamboo internodes and some roosts have also been found in rock crevices. Call shapeis a steep FM/QCF sweep with average maximum frequency of 105-7 kHz, minimum frequency 43-2 kHz, peak frequency 52-3 kHz, and call duration 3-6 milliseconds, in Singapore. In Thailand, average peak frequency was recorded at 51 kHz, maximum frequency 137-2 kHz, minimum frequency 39-7 kHz, duration 3-3 milliseconds, and pulse interval 12-8 milliseconds.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Malayan Greater Bamboo Bat has been recorded roosting with the Indomalayan Lesser Bamboo Bat (7. fulvida), although only rarely. Males typically roost alone, whereas females are more gregarious. Colonies with up to 32 bats have been recorded. Both sexes switch roosts often.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed as a distinct species on The IUCN Red List, but makes up most of what was formerly recognized as T. robustula, which was listed as Least Concern.

Bibliography. Huang Chujing et al. (2014), Hughes et al. (2011), Medway (1972, 1973), Medway & Marshall (1970), Pottie et al. (2005), Tu Vuong Tan, Csorba et al. (2017), Srinivasulu et al. (2018), Yong et al. (1971).