Cyclops roundleaf bat

About the Cyclops roundleaf bat

The cyclops roundleaf bat or cyclops leaf-nosed bat (Doryrhina cyclops) is a species of bat in the family Hipposideridae found in the forests of equatorial Africa. It is placed in the genus Doryrhina together with the closely related greater roundleaf bat (Doryrhina camerunensis).

Cyclops roundleaf bats are relatively small, with adults ranging from 10 to 13 centimetres (3.9 to 5.1 in) in total length, including a tail approximately 3 centimetres (1.2 in) long. With an average weight of 35 grams (1.2 oz), females are significantly larger than males at just 29 grams (1.0 oz). The body is covered in thick woolly fur, which is a dark brown in colour, grizzled with lighter flecks on the tips of the hairs. The wings are very dark brown, almost black, in colour.

The ears are long and narrowly pointed. The nose-leaf has a distinctive shape, with a rounded horseshoe shape over the muzzle and a posterior leaf with two projections on each side. Both parts of the leaf also possess small club-like structures projecting from their mid-line. The "cyclops" part of the bat's name comes from the presence of a narrow circular opening in the centre of the forehead, just behind, and normally... Wikipedia →