Cynopterus sphinx (Vahl, 1797)

Voon-Ching Lim, Rosli Ramli, Subha Bhassu & John-James Wilson, 2017, A checklist of the bats of Peninsular Malaysia and progress towards a DNA barcode reference library, PLoS ONE 12 (7), pp. 1-65 : 8-9

Cynopterus sphinx [Vahl, 1797]

Vespertilio sphinx Vahl, 1797: 123 ; Tranquebar , Madras, INDIA (Collector unknown; Type unknown) [ 72].

Cynopterus sphinx [ 73].

Common English name: Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat

Barcode Index Number: DNA barcodes recorded as C. sphinx are associated with BIN, BOLD: AAA 3386, but there are no DNA barcodes from Peninsular Malaysia. Another BIN ( BOLD: AAD 9139) contains a single DNA barcode of C. sphinx from India and DNA barcodes recorded as Pteropus vampyrus , P. lylei , and Rousettus leschenaultii , which we suspect may represent erroneous records or contamination.

Remarks: C. sphinx resembles C. cf. brachyotis closely in morphology and both taxa overlap in forearm measurements [ 14]. However, examination of specimens from Peninsular Malaysia identified as C. sphinx , C. cf. brachyotis SUNDA and C. cf. brachyotis FOREST revealed that C. sphinx is 8.9% from C. cf. brachyotis SUNDA and 7.5% divergentfrom C. cf. brachyotis FOR- EST in mtDNA (combined control region and cytochrome b) [ 64]. Our examination of DWNP specimens labelled as C. sphinx and C. cf. brachyotis from Peninsular Malayia revealed that the taxa can be differentiatied by a distinctive lower last molar. Specimens labelled as C. sphinx have lower teeth which are almost uniform in size whereas specimens of C. cf. brachyotis have non-uniformed lower teeth with extremely small lower last molars [ 74].

IUCN status: Least Concern

Recorded at: Perak: Selama [ 49], Taiping [ 64]; Kelantan: Gunung Reng and Lojing Highlands [ 62], Gunung Stong State Park [ 67]; Perlis: Wang Kelian State Park [ 50], Kuala Perlis, Perlis State Park and Kangar [ 64]; Pahang: Cameron Highland [ 64].

C. sphinx is commonly found in disturbed habitats and ecotones but not in the forest interior [ 14, 65].