Chalinolobus neocaledonicus

Divljan, Anja & Hoye, Glenn, 2020, A review of the taxonomic status of the New Caledonia Wattled Bat Chalinolobus neocaledonicus Revilliod, 1914 (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) and Chalinolobus gouldii venatoris Thomas, 1908 from northern Australia, Zootaxa 4778 (1), pp. 135-158 : 140

The holotype of C. neocaledonicus

As the original account by Revilliod (1914) remains the only published description of the holotype, we provide additional observations here. The holotype is NMB 1751, body in alcohol, tongue preserved separately in alcohol; the extracted skull is NMB number Ost.5176, an intact cranium and dentaries, missing right zygomatic arch. Collected from a house in Canala, Noumea by F. Sarasin and J. Roux in 1913, exact date not cited.

An accurate determining of body fur colour of the holotype is difficult because it is an alcohol-preserved specimen and we were reluctant to risk degradation from drying the body. Fur colour could also have altered during a century of preservation. Dorsal fur colour is uniformly dark from the head and shoulders to the rump ( Fig. 2 ). The ventral surface also lacks a colour gradation from anterior to posterior, but has paler fur in the inguinal region. The ear margin terminates near the angle of the mouth in a simple, unenlarged join similar to that of C. nigrogriseus . A thin projection of skin exists on the lower lip near the angle of the mouth, forming a horizontal ledge with a linear, i.e. unwrinkled, outer margin. The upper incisors are not worn and there is no sign of a secondary cusp on I 1. A small anterior lingual cusp is present on P 4.

Selected cranial and dental measurements taken from the holotype are given in Table 1. Additional measurements (mm) made of the holotype are: bulla length, 3.22; least inter-bullae distance, 2.33; C 1 –M 3 length, 5.77; dentary length (anterior tip to posterior tip of angular process), 11.12; dentary height (coronoid process to ventral margin of dentary), 3.83. Digit 3 metacarpal length, 30.63 from inside wing (32.12 from anterior margin of FA); phalanx 1 length, 12.78; phalanx 2 length, 10.75; phalanx 3 length, 5.49; Digit 4, metacarpal, 29.81 mm (32.53); phalanx 1, 11.83; phalanx 2, 9.14; Digit 5, metacarpal, 27.8 (30.08); phalanx 1, 7.82; phalanx 2, 5.66; Tibia length, 13.63.

Our measurements of the holotype skull and wing digits taken by AD are a close match with those given in the original description. It is apparent that Revilliod (1914) measured wing metacarpals from the leading edge of the wing at the wrist. Notable differences are our CM 3 of 5.4 mm compared to 5.7 mm given by Revilliod and his measurement of 6.0 mm for CM 3 against our 5.77 mm. These discrepancies presumably reflect measurement error, slight differences in the placement of calliper blades or calliper precision. Our FA measurements of the holotype and a specimen of C. nigrogriseus (NMB 235) are about 1 mm greater than those of Revilliod.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Alcohol-preserved body of NMB 1751, holotype male of C. neocaledonicus: A, dorsal view; B, ventral view (images: AD).