Commerson's Leaf-nosed Bat
Hipposideros commersoni
Conservation Status
Near ThreatenedMammalia · Chiroptera · Hipposideridae
About
Commerson's roundleaf bat, also known as Commerson's leaf-nosed bat, is a species of bat endemic to Madagascar. It is named after French naturalist Philibert Commerson (1727-1773). Bat populations of Africa or São Tomé and Príncipe formerly considered part of this species are now classified separately as M. gigas, M. thomensis or M. vittata, while one from Madagascar was split off to become M. cryptovalorona. It was formerly placed in the genus Hipposideros, but moved to the resurrected Macronycteris in 2017 on the basis of molecular evidence.
Fun Fact
Commerson's leaf-nosed bats have an elaborate horseshoe-shaped nose leaf that helps focus their echolocation calls into a narrow beam, working like a biological satellite dish for sonar.
Quick Facts
Habitat
Forests and caves
Diet
Insectivore
Lifespan
8-12 years
Threats
- Deforestation
- Illegal Wildlife Trade
- Wildfire