New Bat Has Odd-Shaped Nose
by Jennifer Viegas
A new species of bat has just been discovered in Vietnam, according to a paper published in the Journal of Mammalogy. One of the bat's most distinctive visual features is an unusual nose that somewhat resembles the head of an owl.
To see that shape in the above images, look for the bat's nostrils, which become the eyes of the "owl."
The scientific name for this newest member of the bat community is Hipposideros griffini, belonging to the family known for its distinctive noses that help bats to focus echolocation calls. The bat's pointy ears then collect the returning calls, which allow the listener to create a full and accurate mental image of its surroundings. This sophisticated system is one reason why carnivorous bats are able to hunt so well in the dark, finding tiny insects in no time at all.
The new species was discovered during a survey of bats in Vietnam over a span of three years. Eleven of 308 bats of the Hipposideros genus that were captured and handled for study displayed differing characteristics from all known taxa, so project leader Vu Dinh Thong of Hanoi's Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources and his team established the new species.
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