Emballonura serii, Flannery, 1994

Bonaccorso, Frank, 2019, Emballonuridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 350-373 : 361

25 . Sen’s Sheath-tailed Bat

Emballonura serii

French: Emballonure de Seri / German: Seri-reischwanzfledermaus / Spanish: Embalonuro de Seri

Taxonomy. Emballonura serii Flannery, 1994 ,

“ Matapara Cave near Medina, New Ireland [= Latangai],” Bismarck Archipelago , Papua New Guinea .

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Yapen I in Cenderawasih Bay off NW New Guinea and Bismarck Archipelago (Manus, Los Negros, Mussau, and New Ireland Is); possibly on Passant, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea. It may be present on more islands N of New Guinea.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 44-5—67 mm, tail 10-19 mm, ear 14—19 mm, hindfoot 6-9 mm, forearm 44 49 mm (males) and 44—53 mm (females); weight 3-9—4-8 g (males) and 4-5—7 g (females). Seri’s Sheath-tail Bat is one of the largest species of Emballonura . Dorsal hairs are 8—11 mm long and dark black-brown or brown; ventral hairs are tri-colored, having an indistinct off-white band at bases, prominent brown midsections, and white tips. Flight membranes and bare skin of forearm, face, ears, hindfoot, and tail are blackish brown. Claws are white. Mouth has thick, fleshy lips, and muzzle is lightly haired. Ears do not quite reach tip of snout when pressed forward. Long calcar arises from each heel and supports much of posterior edge of uropatagium in flight. Tragus is triangular, having small notch at base, and posterior upper margin curls forward.

Habitat. Lowland moist forests and clearings from sea level to elevations of c.300 m.

Food and Feeding. Sen’s Sheath-tailed Bat forages for insects in forests, including along human foot trails and in small clearings. It uses multiharmonic FM prey search calls.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Seri’s Sheath-tailed Bat is crepuscular and roosts on vertical walls in twilight zones of limestone caves. It emerges to forage shortly before sunset in open forest habitats. Greatest energy of echolocation call is 45 kHz in second harmonic; call initially rises very slighdy and has downward sweep at its termination.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Seri’s Sheath-tailed Bat roosts in small groups in caves that can also shelter Large-eared Sheath-tailed Bats ( E. dianae ), Raffray’s Sheath-tailed Bat ( E. raffrayand ), and New Guinea Pipistrelles {PipistreUus angulatus).

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Seri’s Sheath-tailed Bat has a large distribution, but its population is likely decreasing due to loss of forest habitat, forest fragmentation, and cave disturbance on the several islands in its distribution where human populations are rapidly increasing.

Bibliography. Bonaccorso (1998), Colgan & Soheili (2008), Flannery (1994, 1995b), Helgen (2008 a), Whitmore (2015).

Figures

On following pages: 22. New Guinea Sheath-tailed Bat (Emballonura furati); 23. Beccari's Sheath-tailed Bat (Emballonura beccarti); 24. Large-eared Sheath-tailed Bat (Emballonura dianae); 25. Seri'sSheath-tailed Bat (Emballonura sertii); 26. Pacific Sheath-tailed Bat (Emballonura semicaudata); 27. Western Sheath-tailed Bat (Paremballonura tiavato); 28. Peters's Sheath-tailed Bat (Paremballonura atrata); 29. African Sheath-tailed Bat (Coleura afra); 30. Seychelles Sheath-tailed Bat (Coleura seychellensis); 31. Madagascar Sheath-tailed Bat (Coleura kibomalandy); 32. Dark Sheath-tailed Bat (Mosia nigrescens); 33. Chestnut Sac-winged Bat (Cormura brevirostris); 34. Gray Sac-winged Bat (Balantiopteryx plicata); 35. Thomas's Sac-winged Bat (Balantiopteryx io); 36. Ecuadorian Sac-winged Bat (Balantiopteryx infusca).

Distribution. Yapen I in Cenderawasih Bay off NW New Guinea and Bismarck Archipelago (Manus, Los Negros, Mussau, and New Ireland Is); possibly on Passant, East Sepik Province, Papua New Guinea. It may be present on more islands N of New Guinea.