Bronze tube-nosed bat
The bronze tube-nosed bat is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in Southeast Asia, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand.
Taxonomy
The bronze tube-nosed bat was described as a new species in 1964 by British mammalogist John Edwards Hill. The holotype had been collected near the village of Janda Baik in Peninsular Malaysia.
Description
It is considered a medium-sized member of the genus Murina. Its forearm length ranges from. The ears are long, relatively big for the genus, with round tips and smooth outer edges. Individuals are bicolored, with their backs dark brown and bellies dark gray. Its hairs are frosted golden orange on the back and yellowish brown on the belly.
Biology
It is insectivorous and forages for its prey in cluttered forest understories. It roosts in vegetation during the day. It is not often encountered by researchers, so little is known about its life cycle timing. A pregnant female was documented in June and a lactating female was once found in March.
The bronze tube-nosed bat is found in Southeast Asia, including Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Its habitat includes lowland forests of above sea level.
Conservation
As of 2020, it is considered a vulnerable species by the IUCN. It meets the criteria for this classification due to its ongoing suspected population decline of at least 30% from 2005-2020. Its primary threat is habitat destruction from deforestation for logging and agriculture, as well as wildfires. Its population is likely to decline further as more habitat is lost.