Dobson, 1876
Desert Yellow bat
External characters (Table 102)
This is a relatively small Vespertilionid bat, comparable in body size to Miniopterus schreibersii but with a shorter forearm, averaging 36.2 mm (34.1-37.3 mm) in length. The muzzle is broad, flattened and essentially naked anteriorly. The nostrils are circular and open obliquely; the lips are fleshy. The ears are of moderate size with rounded tips; the anterior margin of each is without a basal lobe; the tragus is long and relatively narrow with a triangular basal lobe. The pelage is short and fine. On the dorsal surface, it is pale brown, tinged with fawn; it is paler, greyish white on the ventral surface. The hair bases are pale above and below. The ears, wings and interfemoral membrane are a uniform brown. Males with a large penis (Spa1).
Cranial characters
The skull (Fig. 221) is relatively robust, with an average condylo-canine length of 14.1 mm (13.8-14.8 mm). The rostrum is broad and deep with slight supraorbital ridges and small postorbital processes. The narial emargination is large, elongated posteriorly, V-shaped but with a rounded posterior border. The anterior emargination of the palate is wide and U-shaped; the post-palatal extension is narrow, with a small, delicate, palatal spine. Older individuals have a distinct sagittal ridge on the posterior braincase and well developed lambdoid crests. The zygomata are very delicate.
Dentition
- Upper toothrow length (C-M3) averages 5.6 mm (5.5-5.9 mm). The upper incisor (I2) is large, unicuspid and canine-like, it has a distinct posterior cingular cusp and is situated closely adjacent to the canine (Fig. 222). There is no second incisor. The upper canine is unicuspid with a flattened, faintly grooved anterior face and a broad cingular flange, internally. The small upper premolar (PM2) is absent. The large upper premolar (PM4) is compressed between the canine and the first upper molar (M1), it has a small protocone. The three upper molars all have strong protocones.
- The first lower premolar (pm2) is much reduced, its crown area is 1/3 to 1/2 that of the second (pm4); it is compressed in the toothrow between the canine and pm4. The third lower molar (m3) is slightly reduced, the talonid a little narrower than the trigonid.
Variation
All specimens from the Indian subcontinent are referred to the nominate form Scotoecus p. pallidus .