(Kuhl, 1819)
Daubenton's bat, Water bat
External characters (Table 70)
Based on extralimital material and on the description of laniger from China given by Allen, 1938. The forearm length averages 34.8 mm. The ears are relatively short and well rounded, with a distinct basal emargination on the anterior border. The face is "densely hairy" and is without naked areas around the eyes. The feet are large and usually exceed half the length of the tibiae. The wings are attached to the outer metatarsal of each foot. The interfemoral and wing membranes are a uniform brown. The pelage is dense and short. On the dorsal surface (Mda1), it is a "dull dark drabby brown" with a "sooty-grey tint". On the ventral surface, it is "everywhere dark at the base, tipped with brownish across the chest, and with paler greyish in the center of the abdomen".
Cranial characters
According to Allen, 1938, condylo-basal length averages 11.1 mm (10.6-11.9 mm). In contrast to M. longipes , the braincase is less distinctly elevated above the rostrum and there is no post nasal depression in the lateral profile. The braincase is robust, bulbous and rounded-off posteriorly. The supraoccipital just forms the most backward part of the skull. The lambdoid and sagittal crests are scarcely evident. The zygomata are very thin. The coronoid process of each half mandible is more elevated than that of M. longipes , its posterior border slopes very gently downwards towards the condyle. The angular process is weak.
Dentition
- According to Allen, 1938, the upper toothrow length (C-M3) averages 4.9 mm (4.8-5.0 mm). Unlike M. longipes , the upper canine exceeds the third upper premolar (PM4) in height and is nearly equal to it in crown area. The first (PM2) and second (PM3) upper premolars are reduced but to a lesser extent than those of M. longipes . PM3 is situated within the toothrow and is not crowded; it is one third the height and half or less the crown area of PM2.
- In the lower dentition, the canine and three lower premolars are distinctly smaller than those of M. horsfieldii (Fig. 146) and more comparable in size to those of M. longipes . The lower canine is equal in height and slightly exceeds the third lower premolar (pm4) in crown area. The second lower premolar (pm3) is situated in toothrow; it has half or more the crown area of the first lower premolar (pm2); both these premolars are small in comparison to the third (pm4).
Variation
The two known specimens from India are here referred to M. d. laniger .