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Old World Sucker-Footed Bat: Myzopodidae

Behavior And Reproduction

Little is known about the behavior and mating habits of these bats. Their suction disks allow them to cling onto smooth surfaces, yet they do not appear to hold the bat's body as tightly to a vertical surface as those of the disk-winged bats. The bats probably use the pads to hold on to the smooth, hard stems and leaves of palms and other smooth surfaces.

They have been found roosting (resting or settling) in the unrolled leaf of a traveler's palm. One bat was discovered over a small stream, another in a vanilla plantation, and one in a sparsely forested area over a path close to a stream. These bats have also been recorded flying over urban areas. They probably roost in a variety of palm species and other similar types of plants.

Like all bats, Old World sucker-footed bats are nocturnal, meaning that they are active at night. One bat was caught in a net about one hour after sunset.

Old World sucker-footed bats can maneuver (mah-NOO-ver) well in flight. They have been observed spending long periods of time hovering over freshly dug and planted paddy fields, as well as within forest clearings. It is assumed they were feeding in these areas.

FAMILY MATTERS

The relationship between the Old World sucker-footed bat and the New World disk-winged bats has long interested researchers given that both families feature suction-like disks. The Old World sucker-footed bat, now only found in Madagascar, is thought to have lived in East Africa at one time. The suction cups appear to have evolved independently of those found on disk-winged bats. Sucker-footed bats were discovered in 1878 and classified as a distinct family in 1904. They were considered closely related to the disk-winged bats, and grouped together under one superfamily. Yet recent findings have put this relationship in question. The sucker-footed bat may have evolved at a much earlier date than the disk-winged bats, and may not be able to be grouped with any other bat family.

These bats use echolocation (eck-oh-loh-KAY-shun) to capture their prey. Echolocation is the process for locating objects by emitting, or sending out, sounds, which are reflected back to the bat by objects in the sound's path. Old World sucker-footed bats emit relatively long echolocation calls with complex frequency modulated (FM) calls.

No information is available about this species' mating and breeding habits.

Old World sucker-footed bat (Myzopoda aurita). (Illustration by Jonathan Higgins. Reproduced by permission.)

Additional topics

Animal Life ResourceMammalsOld World Sucker-Footed Bat: Myzopodidae - Physical Characteristics, Behavior And Reproduction - GEOGRAPHIC RANGE, HABITAT, DIET, OLD WORLD SUCKER-FOOTED BATS AND PEOPLE, CONSERVATION STATUS