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EGYPTIAN SLIT-FACED BAT Nycteris thebaica
Identification Although this is not the only long-eared (3.4 cm) bat in
the region, this species has a shallow-forked tail-tip and a long-lobed
slit down the centre of the face that is unique to this group of bats.
The fur of this species is very variable: it is usually buffy-brown, but in
desert areas it may be greyish-white. The underparts are always paler.
Size Wingspan 24 cm.
Habitat and Behaviour This species has a very wide habitat tolerance
and is not fussy about roosting sites. Roosts may contain anything
from a few individuals to several hundred. Unlike many bats that feed
in flight, this species has fixed feeding sites to which it returns with its
insect prey, usually moths, beetles and grasshoppers, some of which
is snatched off the ground. A litter of inedible fragments accumulates
below the perch.
Distribution and Status The species occurs across North Africa and
mainly in the western sector of the Arabian Peninsula, but also in
Riyadh in the east.