Gray, 1838
Fulvous Leaf-nosed bat
External characters (Table 45)
This is a medium-small species of Hipposideros with characteristically very large ears, the tips of which are very slightly pointed (Hfu1). The forearm length, which averages 40.4 mm (38.4-44.0 mm), exceeds that of H. ater and to a lesser extent H. p. pomona . The structure of the wings is essentially similar to H. ater (Hat1) with the third metacarpal significantly shorter than the fourth. The feet are small. The noseleaf has a greatest width of about 5 mm (BW18); its general morphology is similar to that of H. ater . As in H. ater , the pelage is variable in colour including dull yellow, pale grey, dull brown and golden-orange. Adults weigh between 8 to 9 grams (Gopalakrishna, 1969). The baculum is small and comparable to that of H. ater . It has a straight shaft with a simple base and tip (Fig. 88).
Cranial characters
The skull, with an average condylo-canine length of 15.6 mm (15.0-16.4 mm) exceeds in size that of H. ater (Fig. 85) and H. p. pomona . The rostrum is relatively more robust and in consequence the braincase appears to be proportionately smaller. There is no frontal depression. The zygomata are more flared postero-laterally, exceeding the braincase in width; in H. ater they are about equal in breadth. The palate is also significantly broader than that of H. ater , both anteriorly and posteriorly. This is reflected in the C1-C1 and M3-M3 measurements. The tympanic bullae are subequal in size with the cochleae. The anterior border of mesopterygoid space is usually V-shaped. The skull differs from that of H. pomona in having the posterior part of the vomer slender, not bulbous. The angular process of each half mandible is powerfully angulated outwards.
Dentition
- Upper toothrow length (C-M3) averages 6.3 mm (6.0-6.9 mm). The dentition is more robust than that of H. ater and the upper incisors (I2) are more widely spaced from each other. The canine has a well defined cingulum internally and a broad base. The first upper premolar (PM2) is minute; it is either situated in the toothrow or displaced externally; the canine is sometimes in contact with the second premolar (PM4). M3 includes a parastyle, mesostyle and two commissures; a vestige of a third commissure is sometimes present.
- In contrast to H. pomona , the anterior lower premolar (pm2) is more reduced (Fig. 91). Its length (antero-posterior diameter) is less than or equal to one half that of the second premolar (pm4), its height is one quarter to one half that of pm4. In H. pomona , pm2 is less reduced, its length and height are about two thirds that of pm4.
Karyology
2N= 32, FN= 60; all the autosomes are biarmed and can be arranged into nine pairs of metacentric and six pairs of submetacentric chromosomes. The presumptive X chromosome is a medium-sized submetacentric and the Y is the smallest acrocentric (Ray-Chaudhuri et al., 1971).
Variation
Provisionally specimens from peninsular India and Sri Lanka are referred to H. f. fulvus (Hfu2), whilst those from Pakistan and northern India are assigned to H. f. pallidus on account of their paler dorsal pelage.
Taxonomic remarks
It should be noted that specimens referred to Hipposideros bicolor (Temminck, 1834) by Brosset, 1962b, Patil and Chaundhari, 1965, Gopalakrishna, 1969, Usman, 1988 and various other authors are here referred to Hipposideros fulvus . For an explanation see Hill et al., 1986.