Coelops frithii, Blyth, 1848

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Hipposideridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 227-258 : 235

21. East Asian Tailless Leaf-nosed Bat

Coelops frithii

French: Phyllorhine de rith / German: Ostasiatische Schwanzlose Blattnase / Spanish: Coelops de rith

Other common names: East Asian Tailless Roundleaf Bat, Tailless Leaf-nosed Bat

Taxonomy. Coelops jrithii Blyth, 1848 ,

“Soonderbuns [= Sunderbans] of Lower Bengal,” India.

Taxonomic revision of this species is needed, as diagnostic and geographical limits of each taxon are still unclear. Five subspecies are currendy recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

C. f. jrithii Blyth, 1848 -NE India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and possibly N Thailand. C. f. bemsteini Peters, 1862 — Sumatra, Java, and Bali.

C.f. formosanus Horikawa, 1928 — Taiwan I.

C. f. inflatus G. S. Miller, 1928 -SE & S China (Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan I), Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

C. f. sinicus G. M. Allen, 1928 — C China (Sichuan) Specimens from Malay Peninsula are not yet assigned to any subspecies.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 38-50 mm, forearm 34 44 mm; weight 3-7 g. Ears of the East Asian Tailless Leaf-nosed Bat are very large and rounded with antitragus at base. Noseleaf is distinct, with a large anterior leaf that covers muzzle, and divided by deep median emargination. There are two well developed supplementary lappets, rounded and elongated, projecting forwards under anterior leaf and extending beyond muzzle. Intermediate leaf possesses moderately developed median process. Pelage is long and soft, dark gray, or brown to chestnut-brown on dorsal side; ventral side is paler, brownish or ashy gray. Tail and interfemoral membrane are poorly developed. Skull is small; braincase is bulbous. In contrast to Hipposideros species, rostral swellings are flattened. Zygoma is without dorsal process. C1 is large, with well-developed posterior cusp. P2 is small and lies within the tooth row. Baculum is very small, with a bilobed base and slightly expanded tip. Dental formula for all members of Coelops is I 1/2, C 1/1, P 2/2, M 3/3 (x2) = 30. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 30 and FN = 56.

Habitat. Associated with forest habitats. Recorded from sea level up to 1370 m.

Food and Feeding. The East Asian Tailless Leaf-nosed Bat is insectivorous. Its highfrequency echolocation suggests that its prey is probably small insects, captured within cluttered space of forest habitats; prey also captured very close to water surface.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The East Asian Tailless Leaf-nosed Bat roosts in caves or hollow trees. Echolocation is of very high frequency, 350 kHz.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. East Asian Tailless Leaf-nosed Bats are known to roost in small colonies of 16 individuals or less.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on T/ie IUCN Red List. The East Asian Tailless Leaf-nosed Bat is a relatively widespread species but rather rare.

Bibliography. Bates, Bumrungsri, Francis, Csorba & Molur (2008), Bogdanowicz & Owen (1998), Corbet & Hill (1992), Francis (2008a), Lekagul & McNeely (1988), Simmons (2005).

Figures

1. Arabian Trident Leaf-nosed Bat (Asellia arabica), 2. Somalian Trident Leaf-nosed Bat (Asellia italosomalica), 3. Patrizi’s Trident Leaf-nosed Bat (Asellia patrizii), 4. Geoffroy’s Trident Leaf-nosed Bat (Asellia tridens), 5. Greater Leaf-nosed Bat (Doryrhina camerunensis), 6. Telefomin Leaf-nosed Bat (Doryrhina corynophyllus), 7. Cyclops Leaf-nosed Bat (Doryrhina cyclops), 8. Hill’s Leaf-nosed Bat (Doryrhina edwardshilli), 9. Fly River Leaf-nosed Bat (Doryrhina muscinus), 10. Semon’s Leaf-nosed Bat (Doryrhina semoni), 11. Northern Leaf-nosed Bat (Doryrhina stenotis), 12. Wollaston’s Leaf-nosed Bat (Doryrhina wollastoni), 13. Commerson’s Leaf-nosed Bat (Macronycteris commersonii), 14. Madagascar Cryptic Leaf-nosed Bat (Macronycteris cryptovalorona), 15. Giant Leaf-nosed Bat Macronycteris gigas rench: (Phyllorhine géante), 16. Sao Tome Leaf-nosed Bat Macronycteris thomensis rench: Phyllorhine de (Sao Tomé), 17. Striped Leaf-nosed Bat (Macronycteris vittatus), 18. Dong Bac Trident Bat (Aselliscus dongbacanus), 19. Stoliczka’s Trident Bat (Aselliscus stoliczkanus), 20. Temminck’s Trident Bat (Aselliscus tricuspidatus), 21. East Asian Tailless Leaf-nosed (Bat Coelopsfrithii), 22. Malayan Tailless Leaf-nosed Bat (Coelops robinsoni), 23. Solomons Leaf-nosed Bat (Anthops omatus)

Subspecies and Distribution. C. f. jrithii Blyth, 1848 -NE India , Bangladesh , Myanmar , and possibly N Thailand . C. f. bemsteini Peters, 1862 — Sumatra, Java, and Bali. C.f. formosanus Horikawa, 1928 — Taiwan I. C. f. inflatus G. S. Miller, 1928 -SE & S China (Fujian, Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan I), Thailand , Laos , Vietnam , and Cambodia . C. f. sinicus G. M. Allen, 1928 — C China (Sichuan) Specimens from Malay Peninsula are not yet assigned to any subspecies.