(Pallas, 1767)
Painted bat
External characters (Table 117)
This is a relatively small bat with an average forearm length of 34.7 mm (31.5-37.9 mm). The muzzle is very hairy with only the nostrils naked; they are slightly protuberant and face outwards and slightly downwards. The upper and lower lips are also hairy. The ears are relatively large; the anterior border of each is smoothly concave; the tip rounded off; there is a distinct concavity just below the tip on the posterior border. The tragus is tall and narrow; its anterior margin is slightly convex, the posterior margin has a small basal projection at the widest part of the tragus, above which there is a small, shallow concavity. The pelage is long, dense and woolly. On the dorsal surface, it is bright orange to tawny-red from the tips to the roots. On the ventral surface, it is buff coloured, with a distinct orange hue on the flanks. The wings are bright orange (in living individuals; pale brown in dead specimens) adjacent to the body and on either side of the metacarpals, above and below; the remainder is black. The interfemoral membrane is orange to scarlet; it is hairy above on the half proximal to the body and along each femur and tibia; it is nearly naked below. There is a well defined fringe of hairs on the posterior border of the membrane. The feet are hairy. The wings are attached to the bases of the outer toes.
Cranial characters
The skull is of moderate size with an average condylo-canine length of 12.8 mm (12.2-13.3 mm). The rostrum is delicate and shallow with the narial opening extending posteriorly to a point adjacent to the second upper premolar (pm4). The postorbital constriction is narrow. The braincase is inflated and considerably elevated above the rostrum. The palate is only slightly convergent anteriorly, there is a considerable post palatal extension. In the mandible, the coronoid process is not enlarged, only just exceeding the condyle in height. The angular process is small.
Dentition
- Upper toothrow length (C-M3) averages 5.7 mm (5.5-5.8 mm). The first incisor (I2) is large and bicuspidate; the principal cusp exceeds the third premolar (PM4) in height and is two-thirds the height of the canine. The second incisor (I3) is smaller, not reaching the secondary cusp of I2. The canine is unicuspid with a well defined cingulum. The first premolar (PM2) is equal in height to the second (PM3) but with its crown more circular in outline than the ovate shape of PM3. The third premolar (PM4) is two-thirds the crown area of M1. M1 and M2 are normal with well developed parastyles and mesostyles. M3 is reduced with the metastyle absent.
- The lower incisors are usually tricuspidate, although the first (i2) may occasionally have a fourth cusp. The lower canine has distinct cingular cusps, anteriorly and posteriorly. The three lower premolars are situated in the toothrow, the third (pm4) is the largest. In m1 and m2, the crown area of the talonid exceeds the trigonid. m3 is about three quarters or less the crown area of m2 ; the talonid and trigonid are about equal in size.
Variation
Specimens from the Indian Subcontinent are referred to the nominate race K. p. picta (Hill, 1965).