African sheath-tailed bat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids African sheath-tailed bat |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Coleura
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| Species: |
afra
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| African sheath-tailed bat range | |
The African sheath-tailed bat (Coleura afra) is a small bat species. It belongs to a group of bats called sac-winged bats. These bats are special because part of their tail is covered by a membrane, like a sheath.
About This Bat
What They Look Like
The African sheath-tailed bat is quite small. It usually weighs about 10 to 12 grams. This is similar to the weight of two teaspoons of sugar. Female bats are a little bit bigger than males. Their forearms, which are part of their wings, are about 45 to 55 millimeters long.
Their fur is a deep brown color. It is a bit lighter on their belly. Their nose looks like a pointed cone. The skin around their nose is black and bare.
What They Eat
These bats are insectivorous. This means they only eat insects. They especially like to eat beetles and lepidopterans, which are moths and butterflies. How much they eat depends on the season. They eat a lot more during the rainy season.
How They Live Together
African sheath-tailed bats live in large groups. These groups can have more than 50,000 bats! They make their homes in caves. Inside these big groups, they have a special social structure. They form smaller groups called harems. A harem usually has about 20 female bats. One male bat typically looks after these females.
Young female bats sometimes stay with the group they were born into. But young male bats move away. They join other groups made up only of male bats. These are called bachelor clusters.
Where They Live
The African sheath-tailed bat is found in many countries. You can find them in Angola, Benin, and the Central African Republic. They also live in the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Other places include Ivory Coast, Djibouti, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. They are also in Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, and Kenya. You can find them in Madagascar, Mozambique, Nigeria, and Somalia. Finally, they live in Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda, and Yemen.
Their natural homes are places like dry savannas. They also live in subsaharan shrublands and tropical dry shrublands. Caves and hot deserts are also common habitats for them.
