Taphozous melanopogon phillipinensis
Philippine tomb bat

Philippine tomb bats (Taphozous melanopogon phillipinensis) are a subspecies of the widespread species, black-bearded tomb bats, found throughout much of south and southeast Asia and the Malay archipelago. Philippine tomb bats are found exclusively on the islands of the Philippines. (Corbet and Hill, 1992; Ingle et al., 2002; Nowak, 1997)

Philippine tomb bats inhabit a variety of areas, from rainforests to woodlands. They are often found in hilly forest country near water but they may roost in many places including tombs, caverns, caves, rock crevices, sea cliffs, and trees. They are also becoming common in urban areas, roosting in buildings and churches. The bats are very agile while crawling, and are able to cling to sheer rock surfaces. This enables them to live places where other bats may not. Also, they often roost in well-lit areas that other bats avoid. Philippine tomb bats are gregarious and their relatively large colonies have been recorded with up to 4,000 individuals. Typically, adult males stay within their defined "territory" on the wall, and groups of females roost around them. (Flannery, 1995; Lekagul, 1977; Nowak, 1997)

Philippine tomb bats have a head and body length between 62 and 100 mm, a tail length between 20 and 35 mm, and they weigh between 10 and 50 g. Their fur is white and tipped with pale brown to reddish-white. The fur on their underside is even lighter brown/tan to white. Their ears and membranes are thin and light colored, appearing white; the legs and feet of are covered with short fur. They have a simple muzzle, with no complex noseleaf. Their ears are short to moderate in length and have a short, rounded tragus. There is a well developed wing pouch that helps distinguish them from other Taphozous species. Juveniles are typically darker than adults. Adult males have a black "beard" of fur at the bottom of their jaw/top of their throat. This can make T. melanopogon phillipinensis easily identifiable, but the beard does not always appear. New research indicates this beard reflects seasonal changes and may have a role in mating systems.

Philippine tomb bats are unlike other Taphozous species in that they do not have the glandular sac that characterizes others in the genus. Instead, they have small pores in place of the sacs that open into the throat.

The wings are long and narrow, contributing to fast, long flights to forage. Philippine tomb bats fly high and fast, picking insects out of the air. Their wings are not adapted to agile flight or hovering and so they do not glean prey off the ground or off of plants. Instead, T. melanopogon phillipinensis catches flying insects by "netting" them with their flight membranes and eating them mid-air.

The tail of Philippine tomb bats penetrates the interfemoral membrane near the center and are exposed on the dorsal side; this gives them their nickname sac-winged bats. The dental formula is like other members of Emballonuridae: 2/3, 1/1, 2/2, 3/3. The first upper premolar is minute, and there is a large gap between the upper incisors. (Altringham, 1996; Lekagul, 1977; Nowak, 1997; Payne, 1985)

Lifespan in Philippine tomb bats is not known, but it is likely that they live longer than ten years under ideal conditions. (Ingle et al., 2002)

Philippine tomb bats are social members of Emballonuridae and roost in colonies of from 150 to 4,000 individuals. Males and females occupy different areas of roosting sites and each individual has a defined vertical territory. Philippine tomb bats remain in their roost relatively inactive until the same time everyday, around 20 to 25 minutes after sunset, when they the cave to feed.

Hunting territory is considerably larger than that of many other bat species. This is because T. melanopogon phillipinensis hunts high above the ground, traveling at high speeds.

Closely related species (T. longimanus) hibernate for short periods, but specific information for Philippine tomb bats is unavaiable. Seasonal hibernation is indicated by the accumulation of fat at certain periods of the year, but it is unconfirmed. (Lekagul, 1977; Nowak, 1997; Prater, 1965)

Home Range

The size of the home range of T. melanopogon phillipinensis is unavailable.

Philippine tomb bats communicate and perceive their environment via echolocation. Though they have rather large and well-developed eyes, echolocation is the primary method that these bats use to locate, identify, and track prey as well as perceiving their environment and avoiding obstacles. By sending out short bursts of sonic and ultrasonic waves from their mouths, which then bounce off objects, these bats can efficiently move through their environment, even in the dark. There is new research that indicates that these bats also use echolocation to communicate with each other, but specific mechanisms are not yet known.

Detailed information on communication in Philippine tomb bats is unavailable. However, males are known to secrete a sticky substance during mating season which sticks to their beard. This substance likely contains pheromones or hormones, and so plays a role in chemical communication.

Although details are lacking, some tactile communication is undoubtedly of importance between mothers and their offspring, as well as between mates. (Altringham, 1996; Ingle et al., 2002; Nowak, 1997; Schober, 1984)

Philippine tomb bats are insectivores, catching their prey while soaring fast and high above the canopy. Bats in the genus Taphozous forage at relatively high altitude and high speed, catching flying insects directly in their mouths, or by scooping them up with wing/tail membranes.

Philippine tomb bats cover more area while hunting, and do not concentrate on small areas like other bats. Philippine tomb bats, like other predators, follow their prey's movements to new hunting grounds. Seasonal changes in prey density also cause T. melanopogon phillipinensis to move to new hunting grounds. (Altringham, 1996; Ingle et al., 2002; Nowak, 1997; Prater, 1965)

Information on the specific predators is unavailable. Hawks and owls have been observed to prey on adult Philippine tomb bats and the vunerable young can fall victim to predatory birds, reptiles, mammals, and even large insects. Predation is reduced because they are most active at night and are able to avoid predators. Adults of Taphozous species are even harder to prey upon because they fly at such relatively high altitudes and speeds; generally only other flying animals can catch them. Philippine tomb bats are relatively light colored, but they forage around dusk when it is not yet completely dark.

Philippine tomb bats are often plagued by species-specific parasites that contribute to mortality. (Lekagul, 1977; Nowak, 1997; Payne, 1985; Prater, 1965)

Philippine tomb bats and other bats play an invaluable role in the ecosystem. Insectivorous bats consume millions of pounds of insects every year, helping to stop the spread of disease and limit crop damage. (Ingle et al., 2002; Lekagul, 1977; Nowak, 1997; Prater, 1965)

There are no known adverse affects of Philippine tomb bats on humans. Like other bats, they can carry and transmit rabies. (Flannery, 1995; Ingle et al., 2002; Nowak, 1997)

Farmers must deal with millions of dollars worth of crop damage per year, due to destructive insect species. Bats of the family Emballonuridae consume tons of insects per year, providing a natural solution to insect pest problems. (Altringham, 1996; Lekagul, 1977; Prater, 1965)

Philippine tomb bats are not known to be threatened or endangered. They are not listed on any government or third-party watch list. (Nowak, 1997)