Variegated Butterfly Bat

About the Variegated Butterfly Bat

The variegated butterfly bat (Glauconycteris variegata) is a species of vesper bat. It is sometimes also called the leaf-winged bat, or simply the butterfly bat. It is not currently endangered, but may be threatened by habitat loss in some parts of its range.

Variegated butterfly bats are relatively small bats, averaging 10 centimetres (3.9 in) in total length, with a 4.7 centimetres (1.9 in) tail, and weighing around 11 grams (0.39 oz). Females are slightly larger than males, with an average wingspan of 32 centimetres (13 in), compared with a typical male wingspan of 31 centimetres (12 in).

The body is covered in long, silky fur of highly variable colour, although usually yellowish or light grey, and lacking the prominent patterns found on some closely related species. The fur on the undersides is white or very pale grey, and that on the face and ears is brown. The wing membranes also have a sparse covering of hair, and have a distinctive reticulated pattern of dark veins, from which the bat takes the first part of its name.

The bat has a domed head and a short snout with a deep groove running between the nostrils. The lower lip is large and padded, but the upper... Wikipedia →