Vespertilionidae
Author
Don E. Wilson
Author
Russell A. Mittermeier
text
2019
2019-10-31
Lynx Edicions
Barcelona
Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats
716
981
book chapter
56755
10.5281/zenodo.6397752
45351c32-25dd-422c-bdb2-00e73deb4943
978-84-16728-19-0
6397752
299.
Sri
Lankan Woolly Bat
Kerivoula malpasi
French:
Kérivoule du
Sri Lanka
/
German:
Sri-Lanka-Wollfledermaus
/
Spanish:
Querivoula
de
Sri Lanka
Taxonomy.
Kerivoula malpasi W. W. A. Phillips, 1932
,
“Kumbalgamuwa (
3,000 feet
[=
914 m
]) in the Mulhalkelle district of the Central Province,”
Sri Lanka
.
See
K. hardwickii
.
Kerivoula
malpasi is very closely related to
K. crypta
and might be a subspecies ofit. Monotypic.
Distribution.
Central highlands of
Sri Lanka
and one record from NE.
Descriptive notes.
Head-body
39-55 mm
, til
35-43 mm
, ear 6-
2 mm
{one speci men), hindfoot
5-8 mm
, forearm 317-
36 mm
. Pelage is long and silky. Dorsal pelage is dark brownish or gray to light brown; venteris a little lighter and grayer, especially on abdomen. Face is covered in hairs except on nostrils, bare parts of face and body are dark brown, and membranes are brown and semi-translucent. Ears are funnelshaped, with rounded tips. Tragus is long and attenuated, narrowing gradually toward sharp point; has prominent basal notch on posterior margin; and is slightly concave. Wings are attached at base oftoes, and calcaris well developed and curved. Skull is apparently similar to that of the Flat-skulled Woolly Bat (
K. depressa
) and relatively flattened.
Habitat.
Warm, montane well-sheltered forests at elevations of
500-1100 m
.
Food and Feeding.
No information.
Breeding.
No information.
Activity patterns.
The
Sri
Lankan Woolly Bat roosts in curled banana fronds.
Movements, Home range and Social organization.
The
Sri
Lankan Woolly Bat reportedly roosts alone.
Status and Conservation.
Not assessed on The IUCN Red List. The Sri Lankan Woolly Bat has a limited distribution and is currently known from a few specimens spread across five localities on
Sri Lanka
. A specimen collected in 2018 was the first in 23 years. It appears to be rare but might be more widespread.
Bibliography.
Gabadage et al. (2018), Phillips (1932), Tu Vuong Tan et al. (2018).