Nycteris tragata [Andersen, 1912]

Petalia tragata Andersen, 1912: 546; Bidi Caves, Sarawak, Borneo, MALAYSIA (Cecil J. Brooks, Esq., presenter; BM(NH) 1903.3.31.1) [109].

Nycteris tragata [8].

Common English name: Malayan Slit-faced Bat

Barcode Index Number: BOLD: AAD 1297 (5 DNA barcodes from Peninsular Malaysia; Fig 3)

Remarks: Two names for bats in the genus Nycteris, N. javanica and N. tragata, have been used in Peninsular Malaysia. All records of N. javanica in Peninsular Malaysia are from old reports dated before the year 2000 [23, 41, 42, 43, 45, 57]. N. tragata was considered a synonym of N. javanica by Medway [23]. The taxa were later considered to be distinct with N. javanica being confined to Java and some of the surrounding islands [110] whereas N. tragata occurs in Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo [11, 110]. In this checklist, we treat previous reports of N. javanica as reports of N. tragata and recognise only one species, N. tragata, occurring in Peninsular Malaysia.

IUCN status: Near Threatened

Recorded at: Pahang: Krau Wildlife Reserve [11], Kuala Atok, National Park [44], Lata Bujang Forest Reserve [56], Jengka [100]; Perlis: Wang Kelian State Park [50]; Johor: Endau- Kota Tinggi Forest Reserve [56]; Kelantan: Air Panas-Gua Musang [61]; Melaka: Unspecified [68]; Negeri Sembilan: Gunung Angsi Forest Reserve [100, 101]; Selangor: Semangkok Forest Reserve [101]; Perak: Temengor Forest Reserve [111]; Kedah: Bukit Hijau [100].

N. tragata is confined to mature primary forests and roosts in small groups in hollowed trees, caves, crevices of large boulders and man-made hollows such as culverts [11, 14].