Hildegarde's tomb bat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Hildegarde's tomb bat |
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| Conservation status | |
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| Genus: |
Taphozous
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| Species: |
hildegardeae
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| Hildegarde's tomb bat range | |
Hildegarde's tomb bat (Taphozous hildegardeae) is a special kind of bat. It belongs to a group called sac-winged bats. You can find these bats living near the coast in Kenya and Tanzania. They like to eat in tropical dry forests and sleep in caves. This bat is active during the day, which is unusual for bats! Sadly, it is an endangered species. The bat's scientific name, hildegardeae, honors an anthropologist named Hildegarde Beatrice Hinde.
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About Hildegarde's Tomb Bat
Hildegarde's tomb bat is a medium-sized bat. It has a long, pointed nose and big eyes. There is a deep dip between its eyes. Its lower lip has a small groove. The ears are shaped like triangles and point backward. This bat does not have a nose-leaf or throat pouches.
Its wings are long and thin. The bat's body is covered in fur. The fur on its back is light grayish-brown. Its belly fur is white. Adult male bats have a black patch on their throat. This patch makes a fluid that can stain their chest fur yellowish-brown. The wing membranes are mostly white, with brown lines near the body. Its tail sticks out from the top of the membrane between its legs.
Where These Bats Live
This bat lives only in East Africa. You can find it along the coast of Kenya and Tanzania. Its home stretches from the Tana River in Kenya to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. It also lives on the islands of Pemba and Zanzibar.
These bats need caves or underground spots to sleep. They also need dry forests to find food. Most of these bats stay in one area. However, some bats in southeastern Kenya are larger and darker. They fly to a different, unknown place every year.
Daily Life of the Bat
Hildegarde's tomb bat is a diurnal animal. This means it is active during the day. It hunts for food in the forests. It eats grasshoppers, butterflies, and moths.
At night, these bats rest in caves or other underground places. They often share their sleeping spots with the African sheath-tailed bat (Coleura afra).
Why This Bat Needs Help
This bat lives in a fairly small area. Its total home range is about 20,000 square kilometers (about 7,700 square miles). We know of about ten places where these bats live.
The biggest dangers to this bat are people disturbing its caves. Also, the forests where it hunts are being damaged. Because of these threats, the International Union for Conservation of Nature says this bat is an endangered species. This means it is at high risk of disappearing forever.
