Roberts's flat-headed bat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Roberts's flat-headed bat |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Sauromys
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| Species: |
petrophilus
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| Synonyms | |
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Mormopterus petrophilus (Roberts, 1917) |
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The Roberts's flat-headed bat (scientific name: Sauromys petrophilus) is a unique type of free-tailed bat. It lives in southern Africa. This bat is the only species in its group, called Sauromys. Its scientific name means "rock loving lizard-mouse". The common name honors Austin Roberts, who was the first to describe this amazing bat.
What Does This Bat Look Like?
The Roberts's flat-headed bat is a medium-sized bat. It measures about 10 cm long, including its 3 cm tail. Its wings can spread out to be about 25 to 27 cm wide. These bats usually weigh between 9 and 22 g.
Their bodies are light grey-brown to dark brown. Their bellies are a creamy-white color. The bat's ears are shaped like ovals. They both start from the same spot on its head. This is different from a similar bat group called Mormopterus.
As its name suggests, this bat has a very flat head. It does not have a raised ridge on its head called a sagittal crest. Male bats of this species also do not have a scent gland on their throats. This helps tell them apart from other free-tailed bats. Their wing area is about 81 to 97 cm2.
Where Does This Bat Live?
Roberts's flat-headed bat lives in southern Africa. You can find it in places like western Mozambique and eastern Zimbabwe. It also lives across northern and western South Africa and southern Botswana. You might also see it in western Namibia and possibly the southwestern part of Angola.
In these areas, the bat likes to live in dry savanna lands. It also enjoys Mediterranean-type shrubby areas and rocky places.
How Does This Bat Behave and Live?
These bats are active at night, which means they are nocturnal. They are often seen flying over water. This is where they find most of their food. They mainly eat beetles, bugs, and Hymenopteran insects like wasps and ants. They also eat softer insects sometimes, such as moths, flies, and Neuropterans.
Roberts's flat-headed bats use special sounds to find their way around and hunt. These sounds are called frequency modulated calls. Their calls range from 27 to 44 kHz.
During the day, these bats rest in cracks in rocks. These resting spots are called roosts. A roost might have up to ten bats living in it. They often huddle together in smaller groups. These groups can have up to four bats packed closely together. Scientists have seen pregnant female bats in November. However, not much else is known about how they have babies or their full life cycle.
