E. Geoffroy, 1818
Tomb bats; Pouched bats
These are small or medium sized Sheath-tailed bats; in some species there is a well developed gular sac and/or gland on the throat (BW7) and a radio-metacarpal pouch on the wing (Fig. 52). The tragus of each ear is expanded distally forming a club-shaped extremity (BW11). In the skull, the premaxillae are expanded above and the basisphenoid pits are divided by a median septum. There are two pairs of lower incisors.
Dental formula: i - 2 - c 1 pm - 2 - 4 m 1 2 3 = 30.
1 2 - 1 - 2 - 4 1 2 3
The genus includes 17 species in three subgenera (Taphozous , Liponycteris and Saccolaimus ) with a geographical range that extends from Africa to Australia (Corbet and Hill, 1992). Six species are present in the Indian Subcontinent.
Species of Taphozous encountered in the Indian Subcontinent:
Taphozous longimanus
Taphozous melanopogon
Taphozous perforatus
Taphozous theobaldi
Taphozous nudiventris
Taphozous saccolaimus
Species identification
Jump to the Text Key of this genus Page 3: Genus Taphozous.