''Scotophilus'' is a genus of
vespertilionid bats commonly called yellow bats. They are found in southern Asia and Africa. They are the only members of the
tribe
The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English language, English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in p ...
Scotophilini.
Species
*
East African yellow bat
East or Orient is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth.
Etymology
As in other languages, the word is formed from the fac ...
, ''Scotophilus altilis''
*
Andrew Rebori's house bat
Andrew Rebori's house bat (''Scotophilus andrewreborii'') is a species of bat found in Africa.
Taxonomy and etymology
It was described as a new species in 2014.
The eponym for the species name "''andrewreborii''" is Andrew N. Rebori (1948&ndash ...
, ''Scotophilus andrewreborii
''
*
Lesser yellow bat, ''Scotophilus borbonicus''
*
Sulawesi yellow bat, ''Scotophilus celebensis''
*
Eritrean yellow bat, ''Scotophilus colias''
*
Sody's yellow bat, ''Scotophilus collinus''
*
African yellow bat
The African yellow bat (''Scotophilus dinganii'') is a species of bat in the family Vespertilionidae, the vesper bats. Other common names include African yellow house bat, yellow-bellied house bat, and Dingan's Bat. It is one of fifteen species i ...
, ''Scotophilus dinganii''
*
Ejeta's yellow bat, ''Scotophilus ejetai''
*
Greater Asiatic yellow bat
The greater Asiatic yellow bat (''Scotophilus heathii'') is a species of vesper bat. It is found in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
Lik ...
, ''Scotophilus heathi''
*
Lesser Asiatic yellow bat
The lesser Asiatic yellow bat (''Scotophilus kuhlii'') is a species of vesper bat. It is found in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China ...
, ''Scotophilus kuhlii''
*
White-bellied yellow bat
The white-bellied yellow bat (''Scotophilus leucogaster'') or white-bellied house bat, is a species of vesper bat in the genus ''Scotophilus'', the house bats. It can be found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African ...
, ''Scotophilus leucogaster''
*
Livingstone's yellow bat, ''Scotophilus livingstonii''
*
Marovaza yellow bat, ''Scotophilus marovaza''
*
Schreber's yellow bat
Schreber's yellow bat (''Scotophilus nigrita'') or the giant house bat, is a species of vesper bat. It is found in Benin, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Togo, and Zimb ...
, ''Scotophilus nigrita''
*
Western greenish yellow bat, ''Scotophilus nigritellus''
*
Robbins's yellow bat, ''Scotophilus nucella
*
Nut-colored yellow bat, ''Scotophilus nux''
*
Robust yellow bat
The robust yellow bat (''Scotophilus robustus'') is a species of vesper bat. It is found only in Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: Ré ...
, ''Scotophilus robustus''
*
Malagasy yellow bat
The Malagasy yellow bat (''Scotophilus tandrefana''), sometimes known as the western yellow bat, is a species of vesper bat endemism, endemic to Madagascar.
Taxonomy and etymology
It was species description, described as a new species in 2005. ...
, ''Scotophilus tandrefana''
*
Trujillo's yellow bat
Trujillo's yellow bat or Trujillo's house bat (''Scotophilus trujilloi'') is a species of vesper bat endemic to Kenya.
Taxonomy and etymology
It was described as a new species in 2014. The holotype was collected in 1985 in Kwale County, Kenya. ...
, ''Scotophilus trujilloi''
*
Eastern greenish yellow bat, ''Scotophilus viridis''
Physical characteristics
The African yellow house bat (''Scotophilus dinganii'') is larger than the lesser Asiatic yellow house bat but smaller than the giant yellow house bat. The average body length is 130 mm and the weight is about 27 grams. The African yellow house bat's face looks similar to that of a dog. The wings can be shades of either olive, grey or red. The back is covered with soft, short fur with a hint of brown, and the abdomen is covered with bright yellow fur. The color of the interfemoral membrane is brown and transparent.
The lesser Asiatic yellow house bat (''S. kuhlii'') is smaller and leaner than the African yellow house bat. The total body length is about 120 mm and the average body weight is around 16 grams.
The forearm length can extend up to 52 mm. A unique physical characteristic of the lesser yellow house bat is the tail, which is long and covered with the interfemoral membrane between the hind legs. The lesser Asiatic yellow house bat has pointy ears and a dog-like face with a dull muzzle. The lesser Asiatic yellow house bat has soft dense yellowish-brown fur on the back. The abdomen fur is composed of either a white or off-white color.
The greater Asiatic yellow house bat (''Scotophilus heathii'') is yellow-brown in color with a small hint of green on the back. The average forearm length is about 58 mm. The face of the greater Asiatic yellow house bat, like the other two, also resembles a dog's face. The belly is covered with bright yellow fur.
Behavior and ecology
Although an individual may roost singly, yellow house bats are grouping mammals. The amount of grouping yellow house bats varies depending on the capacity of a living place. A large cave can generate colonies of less than a hundred; otherwise, groups of 12 to 30 bats max is the common grouping amount in artificial habitats. Some yellow house bats may have more than just one roosting site around the foraging areas. This behavior serves as a mechanism of avoiding predation, interpreted by biologists. Yellow house bats are quite common in suburban areas. They live in nooks and crannies of houses, and are very quiet. Thus, it is difficult for humans to detect their movements nearby because they tend to fly very low at a steady speed, and they only go out for food when the sun sets. Once they go out for food, they continue to feast for approximately 2 hours to reach their full satiety, then rest during daytime.
Reproduction
Like most other species of bats, yellow house bats give birth annually. A birth will often consist of two twin bats. The newborn bats are capable of flight at a very early age, allowing them to defend themselves and participate in the feeding frenzy.
Yellow house bats have a unique method of ensuring its pups' survival. When these bats breed, the female will postpone fertilization if necessary in order to time the birth so that the pups are born when prey is at its peak in numbers.
Yellow house bats are polygynous; they have multiple sexual partners during their mating season. The males of this species are competitive for female attention. They will defend the female if other males come into its territory.
[Crichton, Elizabeth G; Krutzsh, Philip H. Reproductive biology of bats. Academic Press, 2000] The range of a male's territory depends on the resources that are readily available at the time.
The more abundant the food and shelter for the male, the smaller the territory it needs to defend. The female moves from roost-to-roost, usually in different male territories. Yellow house bats feed for about two hours a day.
Diet
Yellow house bats are fond of small insects. Depending on the habitats at the different regions, yellow house bats have different food preys. They prefer to feed on airborne insects, hymenopterans and dipterans, which can be found under the canopies of tall trees and riparian forests at nights. Small insects such as wasps, bees, moths, and beetles are all fearful of yellow house bats. Larger soft-bodied insects can also become yellow house bats' food.
Predators
Although secondary consumers such as owls, hawks, raccoons, snakes and
gymnogene
The African harrier-hawk, harrier hawk or gymnogene (''Polyboroides typus'') is a bird of prey. It is about in length. It breeds in most of Africa south of the Sahara. The only other member of the genus is the allopatric Madagascar harrier-haw ...
consume yellow house bats, these animals do not target bats as a primary food source due to the bats' nocturnal activity, while other predators tend to be diurnal.
Habitat and distribution
![Scotophilus kuhlii (Bukidnon, Philippines) 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/87/Scotophilus_kuhlii_%28Bukidnon%2C_Philippines%29_2.jpg)
Yellow house bats live in various habitats, ranging from woodland savannas, forests to mountains. However, they can also co-exist with humans in rural and urban areas. In the natural environments, they roost in dark caves, the dried leaves of palm trees, hollow tree trunks and so forth. In the vicinity of people, they live in crevices, cracks and holes in building walls, on the roofs of old houses and between overlapping corrugated iron sheets. Yellow house bats derive their name from their ease of adaptation to human presence. Whether they reside in natural surroundings or man-made constructions, they tuck themselves into narrow dark clefts. Some yellow house bats have a high tolerance for harsh weather; it is reported that African Yellow House Bats can live in both dry and moist Saharan habitats.
The Sulawesi Yellow House Bat (''Scotophilus celebensis'') received its name from its location in
Sulawesi
Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
. The population is currently unknown, as is the population trend. They tend to live in rather small colonies.
The Sody's Yellow House Bat (''Scotophilus collinus'') can be found in western
Java
Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...
,
Bali
Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...
,
Lombok
Lombok is an island in West Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia. It forms part of the chain of the Lesser Sunda Islands, with the Lombok Strait separating it from Bali to the west and the Alas Strait between it and Sumbawa to the east. It is rou ...
,
Flores
Flores is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, a group of islands in the eastern half of Indonesia. Including the Komodo Islands off its west coast (but excluding the Solor Archipelago to the east of Flores), the land area is 15,530.58 km2, and th ...
,
Timor
Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is East Timor–Indonesia border, divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western p ...
,
Semau
Semau, also known as ''Pusmau'' and ''Pasar Pusmau,'' is an island in the Lesser Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is located 20 miles off the harbor of Kupang. The inhabitants of Samau are the Helong people, who some believe are the original inh ...
and
Rote islands in Indonesia, and
Sabah
Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indone ...
in Malaysian Borneo. They have also been found on
Lembata
Lembata is an island in the Lesser Sunda Islands, also known as Lomblen island; it is the largest island of the Solor Archipelago, in the Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia. It forms a separate regency of the province of Nusa Tenggara Timur. The len ...
and the
Aru Islands
The Aru Islands Regency ( id, Kabupaten Kepulauan Aru) is a group of about 95 low-lying islands in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia. It also forms a regency of Maluku Province, with a land area of . At the 2011 Census the Regency had a po ...
, possibly also on two islands in Indonesia. Like the Sulawesi Yellow House Bat, very little to nothing about its population is known.
The African Yellow (House) Bat (''Scotophilus dinganii'') has a range in sub-Saharan Africa, from
Senegal
Senegal,; Wolof: ''Senegaal''; Pulaar: 𞤅𞤫𞤲𞤫𞤺𞤢𞥄𞤤𞤭 (Senegaali); Arabic: السنغال ''As-Sinighal'') officially the Republic of Senegal,; Wolof: ''Réewum Senegaal''; Pulaar : 𞤈𞤫𞤲𞤣𞤢𞥄𞤲𞤣𞤭 ...
and the
Gambia
The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...
in the west to
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
in the east, south to
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
,
Lesotho
Lesotho ( ), officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a country landlocked country, landlocked as an Enclave and exclave, enclave in South Africa. It is situated in the Maloti Mountains and contains the Thabana Ntlenyana, highest mountains in Sou ...
and
Eswatini
Eswatini ( ; ss, eSwatini ), officially the Kingdom of Eswatini and formerly named Swaziland ( ; officially renamed in 2018), is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. It is bordered by Mozambique to its northeast and South Africa to its no ...
. There is no recording of this bat's population either.
The Greater Asiatic Yellow House Bat (''Scotophilus heathii''), also known as the Common Yellow House Bat, is located in South and Southeast Asia, ranging throughout
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
,
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
,
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
,
Afghanistan
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...
,
Bangladesh
Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
,
Nepal
Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne,
सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...
,
Pakistan
Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
and
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
. The bat has been documented from sea level to . The population is high and stable.
The Lesser Asiatic Yellow House Bat (''Scotophilu kuhlii'') has a range similar to that of the Greater Asiatic Yellow House Bat's location, with the exception of some countries. The population trend is also the same as the Greater Asiatic Yellow House Bat.
References
Further reading
* JACOBS, D. S.; EICK, G.N.; SCHOEMAN, M.C.; MATTHEE, C.A. 2006. Cryptic species in an insectivorous bat, ''Scotophilus dinganii''. Journal of Mammalogy 87: 161–170.
* GOODMAN, S. M.; JENKINS, R. K. B.; RATRIMOMANARIVO, F. H. (2005). A review of the genus ''Scotophilus'' (Mammalia, Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) on Madagascar, with the description of a new species. Zoosystema 27 (4), 867-882.
* GOODMAN, S. M.; RATRIMOMANARIVO, F. H.; RANDRIANANDRIANINA, F. H. (2006). A new species of ''Scotophilus'' (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from western Madagascar. Acta Chiropterologica 8 (1), 21-37.
* Altringham, John. Bats: Biology and Behavior. Oxford University Press, 1996
* Crichton, Elizabeth G; Krutzsh, Philip H. Reproductive biology of bats. Academic Press, 2000
* David S Jacobs, Geeta N Eick, M Corrie Schoeman, Conrad A Matthee. "CRYPTIC SPECIES IN AN INSECTIVOROUS BAT, SCOTOPHILUS DINGANII."Journal of Mammalogy 87.1(2006):161-170.
* M. van der Merwe, "Amniogenesis in the African yellow bat, Scotophilus dinganii". African Zoology, 15627020, Oct2006, Vol. 41, Issue 2.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scotophilus
Bat genera
Taxa named by William Elford Leach