Mauritian Tomb Bat (Taphozous mauritianus) lives in tropical forests across Eastern Africa islands. It feeds on insects and fruit. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Mauritian Tomb Bat
- Its kidneys are proportionally huge, giving it a mean renal index of 5.55, which lets the bat conserve water in arid habitats. The large inner medulla of the kidney, which collects waste, is very large compared with the overall organ size, allowing the animal to remove most waste from the water it drinks. This adaptation enables the species to survive in dry, semi-arid regions such as the Sudan and Chad where water is scarce.
- Urine produced by this bat can reach a predicted mean maximum concentration of 3,921 mosmol/kg. This physiological trait aids its survival in habitats with less than 500 mm of annual rainfall, such as the Sahara-edge regions where it is found.
- Colonies can swell to over a hundred individuals, as recorded at Ghana's Shai Hills Resource Reserve. While the species normally forms small groups of around five, these larger gatherings show that it can temporarily assemble in much bigger numbers when suitable roosting sites are available. Such large roosts are unusual for a bat that typically roosts loosely spaced on building walls or tree trunks.
- The Mauritian tomb bat emits its echolocation calls in short bursts of two or three pulses separated by long silent intervals, a rhythm that is unique among African bats. This pattern, together with its ability to lower frequencies below 20 Hz for insects that hear bat calls and raise them above 25 Hz in tighter habitats, lets researchers spot it in recordings. Such flexible frequency use also expands the range of environments the bat can hunt in.
- Day-roosting spots of the Mauritian tomb bat are often marked by rectangular brown stains about 150 mm long and 100 mm wide. These markings are created by a mixture of gular-sac secretions and urine that accumulate over time. The stains persist on surfaces such as building walls or tree trunks, indicating where the bats repeatedly take off. Their presence therefore reveals the preferred perching locations of the species.
Sources
Every fact above was checked against these pages, and kept only where one of them states it.
At a glance
RangeEastern Africa islands
HabitatTropical forests
DietInsects and fruit
About the Mauritian Tomb Bat
In the velvety darkness of the Indian Ocean's tropical isles, the Mauritian Tomb Bat unfurls its leathery wings, a master of nocturnal navigation, as it takes to the star-studded skies with an effortless elegance. With each beat of its wings, it weaves a hypnotic path through the swaying palm fronds and colonial ruins, its large, spherical eyes drinking in the faint luminescence of a moonlit world. As it flits and darts, its high-pitched calls echo through the night air, a haunting serenade to the island's secret realms.
Hear the Mauritian Tomb Bat, and 4,400+ more
Real recorded sounds, 11 nature games and a free Daily 5, 1v1 quiz duels, conservation wins and a safe Kids mode. Free on Feravox.
