MORPHOLOGICAL DIFFERENTIATION IN TWO CLOSELY-RELATED MOUSE-TAILED BAT SPECIES (CHIROPTERA: RHINOPOMATIDAE) CAPTURED FROM MALAKAND DIVISION, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN - M. Salim; A. Javid; M. Mahmood-ul-Hassan; Faiz-ur-Rahman3and Z. Ali (Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, 2017)
Morphological differences aid in limiting intra-species variations. Present investigation was carried out to understand morphological differences in two closely related congeners, the greater mouse-tailed bat Rhinopomamicrophyllum (Brünnich, 1782) and the lesser mouse tailed bat Rhinopomahardwickii (Gray, 1831). Variations in external body, cranial and bacularfeatures were recorded and compared. During present survey, specimens of R. microphyllum(n=58) and R. hardwickii (n=25) were roosting at two different caves (N34º 26.783′ E71º 49.070′ and N34º 26.818′ E71º 48.973′) in Malakand division, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK). Out of these, 3 specimens of R. microphyllumand 5 specimens of R. hardwickii were captured. R. hardwickiifrom KPK was recorded only from Amb prior to the present investigation indicating range extension of the species.
Keywords: journal article; Cranial measurements; baculum size; R. microphyllum; R. hardwickii; Malakand