Paratriaenops auritus (G. Grandidier, 1912)

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Rhinonycteridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 194-209 : 208-209

7.

Grandidiefs Trident Bat

Paratriaenops auritus

French: Tr aen ps de Grand d er German: Grand drer-Dre zahnblannase Spanish: R non terio de Grındıdıer

Other common names: Golden Trident Bat

Taxonomy. Triaenops aurita [sic] G. Grandidier, 1912 ,

“environs de Diegosuarez, dans Fextrême Nord de Madagascar [Diana Region, Antsiranana, northern Madagascar].

Paratriamops aurituswas formerly included in R. fuırula; however, it was demonsuated to represent a distinct species based on morphological and genetic comparisons. Monotvpic.

Distribution. Endemic to Madagascar, where it occurs at elevations of 50-200 m in the most exueme N; S distributional limits lie at c. 14 S between Ambilobe and Antsohihy.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 47-64 mm, tail 19-28 mm, ear 15-20 mm, forearm 43-51 mm; weight 5-8 g. No specific data are available for hindfoot length. Grandidier`s Trident Bat small, but on average, the largest species of Paratriamops. Pelage has slightly darker tinge dorsally than ventrally, being reddish golden, orange, or bright brown. Wing membranes are dark brown, and ears and noseleaf are pale grayish. Noseleaf is large, narrow, and rounded, with strap-like, longitudinal, and anteriorly deeply bifurcated projection across anterior part of anterior leaf, above deep anterior medial emargination. Three tall pointed projections are present on posterior part of posterior noseleaf, its anterior part has in medial position short, laterally flattened, and slightly upward directed projection. Total width of three posterior projections is almost entire width of posterior leaf. Posterior leaf is scalloped by numerous cells, small and more or less equal in size, ananged in two transversal rows, separated from each other by fleshy septa, except central pair of cells of posterior row, which are separated by an incomplete septum. Tall posterior projections are not emarginated at their bases. There are no lateral supplementary leaflets, but thickened ridge beneath margin of anterior noseleaf. Ears are large and pointed, with anterior margin evenly rounded. Skull has very prominent nasal swellings laterallv and dorsally. Braincase s slightly higher than rostnrm, and there depression between rostrum and braincase, with low but long sagittal crest. Wide plates are present on dorsal sides of zygomatic bones. Greatest skull lengths are 16-8-18-8 mm, condylo-canine lengths are 14-8-16-2 mm, zygomatic widths are 8 -4-9-3 mm, and upper tooth row (C'-M") lengths are 5 -8-6-5 mm. is bilobed; C' slender, with slight cingulum; posterior secondary cusp represented rather as ridge extending onethird the crown height; P’ is small and extruded; C' and P‘ are in or nearlv in contact; and M‘ is only little reduced, with metacone. is bicuspid, I, is tricuspid and larger than C, is slender, P? has about two-thirds the crown area and one-half the height of P‘, and M‘ is unreduced. Baculum is simple, narrow, and c. l-8 mm long, with pointed distal tip, and broad and rounded proximal epiphysis; baculum width is c.0-5 mm (i. e. c.28 % of baculum length).

Habitat. Lowland dry deciduous forests combined with limestone karst.

Food and Feeding. No infonnation.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Grandidiefs Trident Bat roosts at great depths in underground spaces; prefers narrow corridors c. 200 m from roost entrances. most probably does not enter torpor or hibernate. Echolocation consists of multiharrnonic QCF calls, with pulse composed of long CF component, complemented at start and end by two short FM components (FM-CF-FM). lnitial FM component has small upward sweep (not always detectable); terminating FM component is steep sweep of 5-7 kHz. Peak frequencies of females are lower than males. Calls last 4 -6-22 -3 milliseconds; interpulse intervals are 17 -8-101 milliseconds; CF component maximum frequencies are 106-5-110-2 kHz (mean 108 -8 kHz) in males and 95 -6-97-2 kHz (mean 96 -4 kHz) in females; CF component minimum frequencies are 104-8-108 -2 kHz (mean 106 -5 kHz) in males and 93 -8-94-1 kHz (mean 93 -9 kHz) in females; and end frequencies are 80-1-107-6 kHz (mean 82 -9 kHz).

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Grandidier's Trident Bats roost in large colonies; largest numbers recorded were c. 2000 individuals in a natural cave and c. 1000 individuals in a mine.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List. Grandidier`s Trident Bat has small, fragmented, and declining distribution. 1t is regarded as threatened particularly from habitat destruction and fragmentation and disturbance at cave roosts. 1 t occurs in Ankarana, Analarnerana, and Daraina reserves in northern Madagascar, which cover a significant part of its distribution.

Bibliography. Goodman (2011), Goodman à Ranıvo (2008). Goodman, Andrıafıdıson er al (2005). Grandıdıer (1912) H (1982a). Kofoky er al (2009), Peterson et al (1995), Rakotondremanana & Goodman (2017). Ramasındrazana er al (2013). Ranıvo à Goodman (2006)

Figures

1. Orange Diamond-faced Bat (Rhmonícteris aurantia), 2. Persian Trident Bat (Triaenops persicus), 3. Yemeni Trident Bat (Tnaenops paruus), 4. African Trident Bat (Triaenops afer), 5. Rufous Trident Bat (Triaenops menamena), 6. Percival`s Trident Bat (Cloeotis pemivali), 7. Grandidiefs Trident Bat (Paratnaenops auritus), 8. Trouessart’s Trident Bat (Paratriaenops furcula), 9. Paulian ’ Trident Bat s (Paratriaenops pauliani)

Distribution. Endemic to Madagascar , where it occurs at elevations of 50-200 m in the most exueme N; S distributional limits lie at c. 14 S between Ambilobe and Antsohihy.