MORPHOLOGICAL VARIATION IN BEARDED TOMB BATS (TAPHOZOUS) IN MALUKU TENGGARA AND NUSA TENGGARA TIMUR, INDONESIA

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 1 decade ago

Abstract - Bearded Tomb Bats, Taphozous melanopogon and T. achates. were recently collected on Wetar, Tanimbar and Kai Islands, eastern Indonesia. Morphological comparisons of skull, dentary, dental and external characters and a univariate and multivariate statistical analyses of 138 specimens, indicated that the animals from Wetar Island were T a. achates. Those from the Tanimbar and Kai Islands were morphologically distinct from both T. melanopogon and T. a. achates, but were closer to the latter taxon. They are herein described as a new subspecies of T. achates, T. achates minor.