Hollow-faced bat  (Nycteris tragata)

Biology

Although this insect-eating species is capable of complex echolocation calls involving a rapid, low intensity sweep of the frequency range, it is also thought to hunt simply by listening for sounds made by the insects themselves. Its large wing area and comparatively low body weight allows it to take off nearly vertically from the forest floor when hunting, possibly with heavy prey (2). It tends to hover over its prey before snatching it up into the air (5).

There are thought to be two breeding seasons per year, with females giving birth to a single pup (2). At first the pup is carried in foraging flights, which may well limit the diet of the hollow-faced bat, as it can only take lighter prey. The pup learns quickly to fly and forage alone, and at one year old will be sexually mature (2).

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