Indonesian tomb bat explained

The Indonesian tomb bat (Taphozous achates) is a species of sac-winged bat in the family Emballonuridae. It is found only in Indonesia.

Taxonomy

The Indonesian tomb bat was described as a new species in 1915 by British mammalogist Oldfield Thomas. The holotype had been collected on the Indonesian island of Savu in 1896 by British naturalist Alfred Hart Everett.[1] The inspiration for the species name "achates" is the character of Achates from a Latin epic poem, The Aeneid. Oldfield Thomas frequently employed names from mythology and the Classics when naming new species of mammal.[2]

Description

In many characteristics it is similar to the black-bearded tomb bat, though it can be differentiated by its conspicuously larger skull. Individuals have a forearm length of approximately .[1]

Notes and References

  1. Notes on Taphozous and Saccolaimus. Thomas. O.. 1915. The Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 24. 60–61.
  2. Book: Beolens . B. . Watkins . M. . Grayson . M. . The Eponym Dictionary of Mammals . Johns Hopkins University Press . 2009 . 978-0-8018-9533-3 . 2.