Andersen, 1918
Andersen's Leaf-nosed bat
External characters (Table 46a, Table 46b)
This is a small/ medium-small species with an average forearm length for H. p. pomona from southern India of 39.0 mm (38.1-39.7 mm). The following external description is based on specimens of the larger race H. p. gentilis from north-east India and Nepal. As in H. fulvus the ears are large (Hpo1, Hfu1). The noseleaf is similar in structure to H. ater (Hat1) and in contrast to H. hypophyllus is without a supplementary leaflet (Hpo3). The pelage is comparable to H. fulvus. The hair tips on the dorsal surface are various shades of mid- to dark brown with the hair bases significantly paler (Hpo2). The ventral surface is pale throughout. The wing structure is similar to that of H. fulvus with the third metacarpal shorter than the fifth; in H. hypophyllus the fifth is shorter than the third. The wing membranes are a uniform dark brown.
Cranial characters
The skull of the nominate form H. p. pomona from southern India has an average condylo-canine length of 14.4 mm (14.2-14.6 mm); this is significantly smaller than H. fulvus (H. p. gentilis from north-east India and Nepal are larger, about equal to H. fulvus ). In H. p. pomona, the rostrum, zygomata and braincase are narrow and the skull appears elongated in comparison to that of H. ater . The palate is also very narrow and this is reflected in the breadth across the canines (C1-C1) and across the molars (M3-M3). In contrast to H. fulvus , the posterior part of the vomer is often inflated, not narrow. The horizontal ramus of each half mandible is very shallow.
Dentition
Upper toothrow length (C-M3) averages 5.6 mm (5.5-5.7 mm) in H. p. pomona . The dentition is essentially similar in morphology to that of H. fulvus except that the first lower premolar (pm2) is less reduced in both H. p. pomona and H. p. gentilis (Fig. 91). Its antero-posterior length and height is about two thirds or more that of the second premolar (pm4). In H. fulvus , its length is less than half and its height one quarter to a half that of pm4.
Variation
All specimens from southern India are referable to H. p. pomona . Skull size is small, with an average condylo-canine length of 14.4 mm (14.2-14.6 mm). Specimens from northern India and northern Myanmar are referred to H. p. gentilis . They are similar in cranial and dental morphology but larger with a condylo-canine length of 15.5 mm (15.0-16.0 mm).
Taxonomic remarks
This is problematical species, since the holotype in The Natural History Museum, London is comprised of a damaged skull only; the body in alcohol is according to D.A. Schlitter (Hill et al., 1986) in the Zoological Survey of India, Calcutta, a view conditionally supported by Corbet and Hill, 1992. However, it was not listed by Khajuria et al., 1977. Following Hill et al., 1986, specimens from north-east India, Bangladesh and Myanmar which were previously referred to H. fulvus are here included in H. pomona .