Gilded tube-nosed bat  (Murina rozendaali)

The gilded tube-nosed bat is classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List (1).

The gilded tube-nosed bat (Murina rozendaali) belongs to a genus of bats which are characterised by their conspicuous tube-like nostrils (5).

The gilded tube-nosed bat is distinguished from other members of the genus Murina by its longer skull length and the golden tips to the dark brown fur on the upperparts (3). The underparts of the gilded tube-nosed bat are white with a buffy or yellow tinge (4).

Like all Murina species, the gilded tube-nosed bat has rounded ears and a long and pointed tragus (4). The long tail of the gilded tube-nosed bat is almost completely enclosed within the tail membrane, which stretches between the ankles (4) (5) (6).

Gilded tube-nosed bats found in Peninsular Malaysia are significantly smaller than those from Sabah in Borneo (7).

The gilded tube-nosed bat occurs in Peninsular Malaysia and at a few locations in Sabah, Borneo (1). In 2006, it was also recorded for the first time in central Kalimantan in Borneo (8), and it may also potentially occur in Thailand (1).

This rare, patchily-distributed bat inhabits lowland dipterocarp forest, where it has been observed flying low over streams (1) (2).

Little is known of the biology and life history of the gilded tube-nosed bat. It is an insectivorous species (6), which flies low over the ground when hunting, skimming over the surface of crops and grass in search of prey (5).

Other bats in the genus Murina have been known to roost in the dead dry leaves of cardamom plants, in caves (5) and even in suspended birds’ nests (9). It is thought that the gilded tube-nosed bat is most likely to roost in foliage, and its roost sizes are likely to be small (1).

The lowland forest on which the gilded tube-nosed bat depends is rapidly declining due to logging and agriculture (1), particularly oil palm plantations (10). Fire has also become a significant threat to the forests of Malaysia and Indonesia in recent years. Tropical forests do not burn under natural conditions, but logging activities, which leave fuelwood on the forest floor and expose the understorey to drying, have created flammable conditions (10).

There are no specific conservation measures known to be in place for the gilded tube-nosed bat, but it does occurs in Krau Wildlife Reserve in Malaysia (1), which may offer the resident population some protection.

A number of conservation organisations, such as WWF, are also working to conserve forests in the regions inhabited by this elusive bat (11).

Learn more about bat conservation:

• Bat Conservation International:
  http://www.batcon.org/

Find out more about conservation in Malaysia and Borneo:

• Conservation International: Biodiversity Hotspots - Sundaland:
  http://www.biodiversityhotspots.org/xp/Hotspots/sundaland
• WWF - Heart of Borneo Forests:
  http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/where_we_work/borneo_forests/