Bats of Penang National Park

1. Bats of Penang National Park Family: Pteropodidae Cynopterus brachyotis Short-nosed fruit bat Cynopterus horsfieldii Horsfield’s fruit bat Cynopterus sphinx Greater Short-nosed fruit bat Family: Rhinolophidae Family: Megadermatidae Rhinolophus lepidus Blyth’s horseshoe bat Rhinolophus affinis Intermediate horseshoe bat Megaderma spasma False vampire bat Family: Hipposideridae Family: Vespertilionidae Hipposideros atrox Lesser bicoloured roundleaf bat Hipposideros cineraceus Ashy roundleaf bat Myotis adversus Large-footed Myotis Pipistrellus tenuis Least pipistrelle Hipposideros armiger Great roundleaf bat Hipposideros larvatus Intermediate roundleaf bat Kerivoula hardwickii Hardwicke’s wooly bat Miniopterus magnater Large bent-winged bat Hipposideros galeritus Cantor’s roundleaf bat Hesperoptenus blanfordi Least false serotine Tylonycteris robustula Greater bamboo bat Facts • Bats are the only mammal with the ability of true flight. • Two types of bats; Fruit and nectar feeders, and insect eating bats. • Bats are crucial in maintaining the ecosystem; as seed dispersers, pollinators and insect regulators. • They roost in various places such as caves, rock crevices, in the internodes of bamboos, pitcher plants and unfurled banana leaves. • Up to date, there are 35 species of bats recorded in Penang National Park; nine were new records to the park. Tylonycteris pachypus Lesser bamboo bat • Photos by Isham Azhar and Faisal Ali Anwarali Khan • Poster prepared by Isham Azhar