c. 50 species worldwide with 2 in Egypt.
Small- to medium-sized bats. Egyptian species small, with long ears and variable tragus. Eyes more prominent than in most insectivorous bats. In the hand, the tail is diagnostic, emerging from the interfemoral membrane about two-thirds of the way down its length with the latter third free, but often not exceeding the interfemoral membrane in length. When roosting, clings to walls not hanging free. Egyptian species difficult to tell apart except in the hand where differences are obvious, otherwise habits are best distinction.
GEOFFROY’S TOMB BAT (TOMB BAT) Taphozous perforatus (E. Geoffroy St-Hilaire, 1818)
Pl. 4
Subspecies occurring in Egypt: probably T. p. perforatus,
Arabic: Abu buz al-saghir, Khuffash al-maqabir
Identification: Length 94–112mm; Tail 20–27mm; Forearm 61–66mm. Male slightly smaller than Female. Small bat with narrow-based, almost mushroom-shaped tragus. Ears long and narrow Geoffrey’s Tomb Bat with hair tufts at the base of the back of each ear. Fur silky, extending to base of tail both above and below. Above, brown with hair bases white; below, variable grayish brown fur extending to tail root above and below. Wing membrane brownish with pale outer edge to forearm. Tail does not exceed interfemoral membrane in length.
Geoffroy’s Tomb Bat (Taphozous perforatus)
Range and status: Africa south of Sahara to Botswana, north to Sudan and Egypt. East to Arabia, Pakistan, and northwestern India. In Egypt, recorded from the Delta, Wadi Natrun, Cairo and environs (inc. Abu Rawash, Saqqara, and Giza), Fayoum, south along Nile Valley to Luxor and Aswan, down to Sudanese border. Red Sea coast near Quseir. Can occur in large numbers.
Geoffrey’s Tomb Bat Taphozous perforatus
Habitat: Roosts in deep caverns, limestone caves, sometimes near sea, and crevices, old buildings, and ruins. Degree of light does not seem to be important.
Habits: Poorly known. Roosts can be large but elsewhere reported to be between 6–10 individuals. Often hangs from wall close to ground. Flies at dusk (even recorded flying by day) but also at night. Breeding probably April/May in Egypt. Generally one young.
Similar species: Egyptian Sheath-tailed Bat Taphozous nudiventris, see below.
EGYPTIAN SHEATH-TAILED BAT (NAKED-BELLIED TOMB BAT, NAKED-RUMPED BAT) Taphozous nudiventris Cretzschmar, 1830
Pl. 4
Subspecies occurring in Egypt: T. n. nudiventris.
Arabic: Abu buz al-kabir
Egyptian Sheath-tailed Bat (Taphozous nudiventris)
Identification: Length 112–136mm; Tail 22–34mm; Forearm 26–29mm. Large sheath-tailed bat. Ears long, narrow, blunt-tipped, and set wide apart on head. Tragus distinctive, thick-based with clear lobes and flat top. Muzzle, chin, sides of face, and lower back and front are entirely naked. Fur short, pale brown on back, grayer and lighter below. Sexes distinguished in hand by presence of small gular sac in male. Tail length very variable.
Egyptian Sheath-tailed Bat Taphozous nudiventris
Range and status: Africa south to Democratic Republic of Congo. Arabia and southwestern Asia east to Burma. In Egypt, Delta (Gharbiya Governorate), Cairo and environs (inc. Giza where it roosts at each of the three pyramids), Fayoum, Nile Valley south to Luxor (Karnak). Red Sea near Quseir. Can be common.
Habitat: Roosts in very dense colonies in crevices in cliffs, often sandstone, old ruins, wells, mosques, etc.
Habits: Dense colonies can be detected by accumulated droppings and unpleasant ‘rubbery’ smell. Voice loud squeak, described as metallic Tends to hang from walls rather than roofs. May travel long distances from roosting to feeding sites. Flight fast, high, and direct. In Egypt, accumulates fat in autumn and Hies throughout the year. In the Delta, said to be especially common in July and August when it feeds on the adult moth of the Cotton Leaf Worm Spodoptera littoralis, a pest species. Remains have been found in Barn Owl pellets.
Similar species: Geoffrey’s Tomb Bat is fully furred with (in the hand) a differently shaped tragus. Egyptian Slit-faced Bat, also common around the pyramids, has a much more erratic flight, is fully furred, and tail is totally surrounded by flight membrane.
Slit-faced Bats—Family Nycteridae
11 species worldwide with 1 in Egypt
Small- to medium-sized insectivorous bats with large, elongated ears that are held straight up from the head, not angled outward. Tragus small. The name comes from the distinct slit or furrow down the center of the face, which runs from between the eyes to the snout. Eyes very small. Tail structure is unique in that the tip is T-shaped.
EGYPTIAN SLIT-FACED BAT Nycteris thebaka E. Geoffroy St-Hilaire, 1813
Pl. 4
Subspecies occurring in Egypt: N. t. thebaica.
Arabic: Khuffash tiba
Identification: Length 84–126mm; Tail 45–56mm; Forearm 43–49mm. Small, broad-winged bat with rather broad, erect ears up to 40mm long. Tragus simple, rounded, and relatively small. Tail long but entirely enclosed within flight membrane and, uniquely amongst Egyptian bats, tip T-shaped. Wings broad and rounded. Distinguished from other Egyptian bats by lobed groove running down center of face. Eyes small but distinct. Fur rather long. Brownish to brown-gray above, paler below. Naked skin of muzzle and base of ears pale pink.
Range and status: Throughout Africa except Sahara and rainforest regions. Palestine and Israel and western Arabia, vagrant in Corfu. In Egypt, Delta, Wadi Natrun, Cairo and its environs (inc. Giza pyramids), Fayoum (inc. Shakshuk), and Nile Valley south to Dendera, Luxor, Aswan, and Sudanese border. Records from Red Sea at Quseir.
Egyptian Slit-faced Bat (Nycteris thebaica)
Habitat: Wide habitat tolerance. Roosts in caves, tombs, ruins, houses, wells, etc. Not a desert species.
Egyptian Slit-faced Bat Nycteris thebaica
Habits: Roosts in colonies ranging from a few individuals to several hundred. Reported to fly early and feeds on insects, inc. moths, grasshoppers, beetles, and also, reportedly, scorpions. Prey carried to regular feeding points that can be told by the accumulation of inedible prey parts. Flight erratic. In Egypt, from early March males leave colonies and females form maternity roosts, though individual males remain. Breeding April-July. Generally 1 young. Outside breeding season may roost with Arabian Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus clivosus.
Notes: According to Qumsiyah (1985), a further species Nycteris hispida