(Peters, 1872)
Hutton's Tube-nosed bat; White-bellied Tube-nosed bat
External characters (Table 114)
With an average forearm length of 34.1 mm (32.8-35.4 mm), this species slightly exceeds M. cyclotis in size. As in M. cyclotis and in contrast to M. tubinaris , the posterior border of the ears are smoothly convex and without an emargination. The muzzle is typical of the genus with tubular protuberant nostrils (Mule1). The pelage of the single specimen seen from the region is thick and very soft. It is browner than the typical grey individuals of M. tubinaris and less reddish than the ferruginous examples. On the dorsal surface, the hair roots are mid-grey, the tips paler grey or brown. On the ventral surface, the hairs are predominantly pale, with darker roots. The interfemoral membrane is moderately hairy above, with long, pale brown hairs; it is naked below. The feet are hairy.
Cranial characters
The skull is essentially similar to that of M. cyclotis but larger with an average condylo-canine length of 15.2 mm (14.9-15.5 mm). The rostrum is robust and deep but narrower than that of M. leucogaster (Mule2). The palate is broad and nearly parallel sided. The coronoid process of each half mandible is large.
Dentition
- The teeth are robust with an upper toothrow length (C-M3) averaging 5.9 mm (5.8-6.1 mm). The first upper incisor (I2) is situated internally to the second (I3); such that it is partly obscured from view when the skull is viewed laterally. The crown area of the first upper premolar (PM2) is three-quarters or more the crown area of the second (PM4). The protocones of M1 and M2 are well developed; the mesostyle is reduced.
- The first lower premolar (pm2) is large, its crown area exceeding the trigonid of m1; it is three-quarters the crown area of the second premolar (pm4). Unlike M. cyclotis , the talonids of m1 and m2 are nearly equal in crown area to their respective trigonids, in M. cyclotis they are about half the size.
Variation
Specimens from the Indian subcontinent are referred to the nominate race M. h. huttonii .