Taphozous nudiventris
naked-rumped tomb bat

Taphozous nudiventris is widely distributed, occurring through much of northern and central Africa, the Middle East, India, and other sub-Himalayan areas, and into the Malay Peninsula. Countries in which naked-rumped tomb bats are known to occur include: Algeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ghana, India, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kenya, Mauritania, Morocco, Myanmar, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, United Republic of Togo, and Turkey. (Mickleburgh, et al., 2004; Harrison and Bates, 1991; Mickleburgh, et al., 2004)

Naked-rumped tomb bats are found in arid habitats, including dry grasslands, deserts, and scrub forests. (Mickleburgh, et al., 2004)

Naked-rumped tomb bats roost in crevices in well-lit caves, old abandoned buildings, and sandstone hills. Sometimes they occupy the nests of swifts and are found in association with Rousettus leschenaulti and Hipposideros speoris. The roosts of T. nudiventris often contain only a few individuals, however, some roosts have been found with hundreds of individuals. (Bates and Harrison, 1997; Mickleburgh, et al., 2004; Qumsiyeh, et al., 1998)

Taphozous nudiventris is large compared to other species of Taphozous. It is similar to Taphozous perforatus but the length of the forearm is larger in T. nudiventris, ranging from 64 mm to 83 mm. This species is divided into two subspecies, T. n. nudiventris, which includes all specimens from the Levant and southern Arabia, and T. n. magnus, which includes specimens from Iraq, Bahrain, and Das Island. Taphozous nudiventris magnus is larger than T. n. nudiventris). Sexual dimorphism is apparent, with males larger than females in all characters except total length and forearm length. Males have a gland on the upper part of their chest, which is absent in females. The pelage is short and fine. It is brown or grayish on the dorsal surface and light grey on the ventral surface. The lower back and abdomen are naked of hair, giving them their common name: "naked rumped tomb bat." (Harrison and Bates, 1991; Qumsiyeh, 1985)

The skull is large and robust with well developed sagittal and lamdoidal crests. It is similar in size to T. saccolaimus and T. theobaldi. The skull of T. nudiventris can be distinguished from T. saccolaimus by the tympanic bullae, which are completely ossified in the former, but not in the latter. Compared to T. theobaldi, T. nudiventris has broad zygomatic arches and less developed basisphenoid pits. (Bates and Harrison, 1997; Harrison and Bates, 1991)

Naked rumped tomb bats breed seasonally during the autumn. There has been little research on their mating system. In the closely related species, Taphozous melanopogon, the sex ratio in colonies varies throughout the season. There is an equal ratio of males and females during the breeding season but during the non-breeding season there are more males than females, suggesting some differences in roosting preferences of males and females. (Sapkal and Kahmre, 1983; Harrison and Bates, 1991; Sapkal and Kahmre, 1983)

In Iraq, insemination in females happens in autumn before naked rumped tomb bats migrate to winter roosts. The fertilization of the egg is delayed until 3 to 7 days after females awake from hibernation at the end of March. A single offspring is born in the last week of May. The offspring remains naked and blind for three weeks and travels on its mother's back during this time period. By the end of August the young are capable of flight. (Bates and Harrison, 1997; Bates and Harrison, 1997; Harrison and Bates, 1991; Qumsiyeh, et al., 1998)

In India, copulation and fertilization take place at the same time, during the last week of March and the first week of April. The gestation period is about 98 days, and birth occurs in mid-July. Full adult size is reached in about six months. Females are sexually mature at about nine months and males at about twenty months. (Bates and Harrison, 1997)

For three weeks after the young are born they cling to their mother in flight. Lactation lasts for about six weeks. (Bates and Harrison, 1997; Harrison and Bates, 1991)

Not much is known about longevity in T. nudiventris

In southern Iraq T. nudiventris individuals hibernate from the end of November until the end of March. They store fat reserves for hibernation. They tend to have a strong and unpleasant odor from accumulated wastes in roosts. (Bates and Harrison, 1997; Harrison and Bates, 1991; Bates and Harrison, 1997; Harrison and Bates, 1991)

The home range of T. nudiventris is large. This species has a strong, fast and straight flight and it is thought to travel far from its roost when hunting. (Qumsiyeh, 1985; Qumsiyeh, 1985)

Naked rumped tomb bats communicate through loud metallic squeaking. They use echolocation to aid in hunting and flight. Also, the glandular sacs on their chests may be used for territorial scent marking. (Harrison and Bates, 1991)

Naked rumped tomb bats are insectivorous. Moth scales were found in large quantities in stomach contents, being especially common in the Gharbiya province when cotton leaf worms, Spodoptera littoralis, are abundant. In addition, they feed on beetles, cockroaches, house crickets, wasps, grasshoppers, and winged ants. (Qumsiyeh, 1985; Qumsiyeh, 1985; Bates and Harrison, 1997; Qumsiyeh, 1985)

In Palestine, T. nudiventris has been found in the pellets of barn owls, Tyto alba. (Qumsiyeh, 1985)

Taphozous nudiventris is host to many different parasites including Trypanosoma longiflagellum, Lecithodendrium duboisi, Prosthodendrium parvouterus, Plagiorchis koreanus and Pycnoporus heteroporus. It is also considered a predator to many insects, which helps keep insect populations in check. (Al-kuwari and Kaltham, 1999; Bates and Harrison, 1997; Kifune, et al., 1986; Marinkelle, 1977; Saoud and Ramadan, 1976)

The guano of these bats is used as fertilizer by people in some regions. These bats also feed on insects that cause extensive crop damage. (Harrison and Bates, 1991)

There are no reported negative economic effects of T. nudiventris on humans.

In some areas populations of T. nudiventris have declined. In 1958 the government of Israel authorized the use of ethylene-dibromide to fumigate caves inhabited by fruit bats, Rousettus aegyptiacus, because they were considered agricultural pests. Many insectivorous bats that shared the same roosts, including T. nudiventris, were harmed as a result of this campaign. This caused the population increase of a noctuid moth, which, in turn, increased crop damage. It has also been noted, in India, that the population size of this species at many of its former roosts has decreased significantly. However, because naked-rumped tomb bats are widespread and fairly common, they are considered "least concern" by the IUCN. (Bates and Harrison, 1997; Makin and Mendelsson, 1985; Mickleburgh, et al., 2004)