Greater Mouse-tailed Bat (Rhinopoma microphyllum) lives in subtropical or tropical dry shrubland across Africa and Asia. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Greater Mouse-tailed Bat
- A handful of caves in Israel's Great Rift Valley keep the greater mouse-tailed bat at a steady 68 °F during hibernation – a temperature more like a warm kitchen than a freezer. From October through February the bats become semi-conscious, surfacing to breathe just once every 15–30 minutes. This ultra-low metabolism shows how some mammals can slash energy use without the deep freeze most think is required.
- When they do eat, these bats turn the night into a beetle buffet, with Coleoptera making up the bulk of their meals in both maternity and summer roosts. In summer roosts they broaden the menu to include flies, lacewings and wasps. Their picky palate reveals a tight link between insect availability and bat foraging strategy.
- From the deserts of the Sahara to the jungles of Thailand, the species spans at least 30 countries across Africa, the Middle East and South-Asia, favoring subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. Such a wide but specific habitat range underscores the bat’s adaptability to arid environments while remaining tied to particular vegetation types.
- The bat was first described in 1782 by Brünnich, who named it Vespertillio microphyllus after a specimen collected by P. Forsskål at the Giza pyramids during the Danish Arabia Expedition of 1761-67. The original sample now rests in Copenhagen’s Zoological Museum, linking modern research to a historic journey across continents. This lineage shows how early exploration still informs today’s taxonomy.
At a glance
RangeAfrica and Asia
Habitatsubtropical or tropical dry shrubland
DietColeoptera and other insects
About the Greater Mouse-tailed Bat
The greater mouse-tailed bat, Rhinopoma microphyllum, is found from Algeria and Egypt to Thailand and Myanmar, inhabiting subtropical or tropical dry shrubland. In Israel’s Great Rift Valley it hibernates in caves at a constant temperature of about 68 °F from October through February, breathing only once every 15–30 minutes. It eats insects, primarily beetles (Coleoptera), with other prey such as flies, lacewings and wasps also taken, and it mates at the beginning of spring.
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