Greater Tube-nosed Bat (Murina hilgendorfi) lives in temperate forests across East Asia. It feeds on insects and spiders. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Greater Tube-nosed Bat
- In Japan the species is known as "tengu komori", a name taken directly from the legendary Tengu creature of folklore. The Japanese name highlights a cultural link rather than describing any anatomical feature of the bat. This local nickname is used whenever the animal is referred to in Japanese contexts.
- The bat has a slender face equipped with distinctive tubular nostrils, and its ears bear a prominent tragus that extends over half the ear's height. Its fur is a soft, curly dark grey colour, accented by long, silvery guard hairs that give it a slightly shimmering appearance. These physical traits give the species its characteristic look among tube-nosed bats.
- When hunting, the bat flies close to the ground, often just above the surface, and is capable of hovering in place to capture prey. Its diet consists mainly of insects, especially moths and beetles, which it catches during these low-level flights. This hunting style allows it to exploit the abundant nocturnal insect fauna found in its forest habitats.
- Hilgendorf's tube-nosed bat occupies a broad swathe of East Asia, being recorded from China, Russia (Primorye and Sakhalin), Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Korea and the Japanese islands of Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, yet it is still regarded as a naturally rare species. Its overall range is described as widespread, but the bat is seldom encountered in surveys.
- Originally described as a subspecies of Murina leucogaster and given the name Murina leucogaster hilgendorfi, this bat has since been re-evaluated and recognised as a distinct species, Murina hilgendorfi. The taxonomic revision reflects differences sufficient to separate it from its former conspecific, and it is now listed under its own binomial in scientific references.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeEast Asia
HabitatTemperate forests
DietInsects and spiders
About the Greater Tube-nosed Bat
In the twilight skies of eastern Asia, the Greater Tube-nosed Bat dances on leathery wings, its oversized nostrils twitching with every subtle vibration in the air. With an elegance that belies its peculiar appearance, this bat navigates the forest canopy with precision, homing in on the faint ultrasonic echoes that reveal the presence of unsuspecting insects. As it flits through the shadows, its distinctive, tube-like nostrils quiver with an almost comical intensity, a testament to the remarkable adaptability of this fascinating, yet little-known, creature.
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