Maggie Taylor's roundleaf bat explained

The Maggie Taylor's roundleaf bat (Hipposideros maggietaylorae) is a species of bat in the family Hipposideridae. It is found in West Papua (Indonesia) and Papua New Guinea.

Taxonomy and etymology

It was described as a new species in 1981 by James Dale Smith and J. Edwards Hill. The holotype had been collected in 1979 in Lengmebung Cave on New Ireland Island. The eponym for the species name "maggietaylorae" is Margaret (Maggie) Taylor. Taylor had financed Smith's research expedition to the Bismarck Archipelago in 1979.[1]

Description

It has a forearm length of . It has dense, woolly fur that is shorter on the head and neck than the rest of the body. Its back fur is grayish brown, while its belly fur is grayish white. It has a dental formula of for a total of 30 teeth.[1]

Range and habitat

It is found on the island of New Guinea (both the Indonesian and the Papua New Guinean sides) as well as several islands of the Bismarck Archipelago of Papua New Guinea. It has been documented at elevations up to above sea level.

Conservation

As of 2021, it is evaluated as a least-concern species by the IUCN. No major threats to this species have been identified.

Notes and References

  1. Smith. J. D.. Hill. J. E.. 1981. A new species and subspecies of bat of the Hipposideros bicolor-group from Papua New Guinea, and the systematic status of Hipposideros calcaratus and Hipposideros cupidus (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Hipposideridae). Contributions in Science. 331. 331. 1–19. 10.5962/p.241265.