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Stoliczka's trident bat facts for kids

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Stoliczka's trident bat
Stoliczka's trident bat.png
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Genus:
Aselliscus
Species:
stoliczkanus
Stoliczka's Trident Bat area.png
Stoliczka's trident bat range
Synonyms
  • Asellia stoliczkanus Dobson, 1871
  • Phyllorhina stoliczkanus Dobson, 1871
  • Phyllorhina trifida Peters, 1871
  • Triaenops wheeleri Osgood, 1932

Stoliczka's trident bat (Aselliscus stoliczkanus) is a small and interesting type of bat. It belongs to a family of bats called Hipposideridae. You can find this bat living in several countries across Asia, including China, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

How Scientists Name and Group Stoliczka's Trident Bat

Scientists like to give every animal a special name. This helps them study and understand living things. In 1871, a scientist named George Edward Dobson first described this bat. He gave it the name Asellia stoliczkanus.

The very first bat of this type that scientists studied is called a holotype. This special bat was found by Ferdinand Stoliczka on Penang Island in Malaysia.

Later, in 1952, another scientist named Colin Campbell Sanborn looked closely at this bat again. He decided that some other names given to similar bats were actually the same species. These are called synonyms. He also moved the bat to a new group, or genus, called Aselliscus.

What Stoliczka's Trident Bat Looks Like

Stoliczka's trident bat is a small bat. Its head and body are about 40–50 mm (1.6–2.0 in) long. That's about the length of your thumb! Its forearm, which is part of its wing, is about 39–44 mm (1.5–1.7 in) long. The bat's tail is also fairly short, measuring about 30–40 mm (1.2–1.6 in).

The fur on its back has two colors. Near the skin, the fur is almost white. But the tips of the hairs are brown, making the bat look brown overall. The fur on its belly is a lighter color than its back.

One special thing about this bat is its nose-leaf. This is a unique shape on its nose. It has three points along the top edge. There are also two smaller leaf-like parts on each side of its nose.

Where Stoliczka's Trident Bat Lives

Stoliczka's trident bat lives in many parts of Asia. You can find it in countries like China, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

These bats can live in different places, from low areas to high up in the mountains. They have been found from 20–2,100 m (66–6,890 ft) above sea level. They prefer to live in warm, wet forests, like lowland subtropical and tropical forests.

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