Leach, 1821
Yellow bats
Externally, bats of this genus (She2) are comparable to Eptesicus (Ese1), although the ears are relatively smaller. The tragus of each ear is characteristic in shape, with the tip projecting forwards (Fig. 167). The skull (She1) is similar to Eptesicus (Fig. 174), but has the braincase narrower and deeper and the lambda more prominent and sharply projecting. Scotophilus is further distinguished by the absence of the second upper incisor (I3) and by certain peculiarities of the cheekteeth. M1 and M2 have their main cusps displaced outwards, the paracone and metacone close together and the mesostyle extremely reduced or even absent, thus distorting the normal W pattern. M3 is reduced, with only two commissures, of which the second is very short (Fig. 171). The anterior lower premolar (pm2) is small, squeezed between the canine and the large premolar (pm4). The anterior lower molars have the hypoconid and entoconid so reduced in size that the talonid is narrower than the trigonid; the talonid of m3 is greatly reduced, with a single cusp only.
Dental formula: i - 2 - c 1 pm - - - 4 m 1 2 3 = 30.
1 2 3 1 - 2 - 4 1 2 3
The genus includes ten species with a geographical range that includes South Africa to Senegal, Sudan, Somalia and Arabia, Madagascar; Afghanistan to Indonesia, Philippines and Taiwan (Koopman, 1993). Two species are present in the Indian subcontinent:
Species of Scotophilus encountered in the Indian Subcontinent:
Scotophilus heathii
Scotophilus kuhlii
Species identification
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