Naked Bat Naked Bat (Cheiromeles torquatus)
Family: MOLOSSIDAE
Medium small to large bats distinguished by their thick tail which protrudes for well over half its length from the interfemoral membrane. The muzzle lacks a noseleaf and projects well beyond the lower jaw. Lips often somewhat wrinkled. Ears thick, sometimes joined over the top of the head by a band of skin. Wings long and narrow.

Premaxillary bones of skull well developed and attached to the palate and the maxillaries, forming small foramina.

Genus Cheiromeles: large and naked with only scattered hairs on the skin. Ears separate. Skull very robust with a prolonged sagittal crest. Anterior lower premolar minute.

Measurements: FA 74-83, Wt 150-175kg (5 specimens).

Identification: Body almost completely naked except for scattered short hairs and a cluster of long hairs around a scent gland in its neck. Bare skin of body dark grey. In flight can often be recognized by its large size, strong flight and the audible clicking of its echolocation call as it searches for insects. Exposed tail and large separate ears can sometimes be seen as well.

Ecology and Habitat: Roosts in large caves or hollow trees, sometimes associated with Free-Tailed Bats, Tadarida mops. Feeds in open areas over streams or clearings or high over the forest canopy.

Distribution: Borneo: C.t. torquatus. Recorded from scattered localities in the north and west, including Niah, the Baram district and the Kuching area in Sarawak.

Genus Tadarida: fur thick and short. The subgenus Chaerephon has an extra small upper premolar which is lacking in the subgenus Mops. Upper incisors long and well-developed, evenly spaced between the canines.