. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. THE DESERT BAT. 291 long, and contained within the interfemoral membrane; and the intermaxLlUu-y bones are present, and' T'ear four incisor teeth. In the lower jaw there are six incisors. The canines, as in Megadermu, are iargy iiowerful; tliere is a single pre-molar on each side iji the upper, and two in the lower jaw, and the true molars are three on each side in both jaws. These characters are common to all the species of the genus Nycteris. most of which are inhabitants of the continent of Africa. The Desert Bat (iV. tkebaica) i
. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. THE DESERT BAT. 291 long, and contained within the interfemoral membrane; and the intermaxLlUu-y bones are present, and' T'ear four incisor teeth. In the lower jaw there are six incisors. The canines, as in Megadermu, are iargy iiowerful; tliere is a single pre-molar on each side iji the upper, and two in the lower jaw, and the true molars are three on each side in both jaws. These characters are common to all the species of the genus Nycteris. most of which are inhabitants of the continent of Africa. The Desert Bat (iV. tkebaica) is found in the desert regions of Egypt and Abyssinia, and receives its name from its occuiTence in the Thebaid, that desert the caves of which gave shelter to so many hermits in early Christian times. It is a small Bat, the length of its head and body being about two and a half inches. Its ears are longer than the head,. and the tail is about as long as the body, and enclosed within an ample interfemoral membrane, which is stretched on each side by a long heel-spur. The fur is of a grey colour.* These Bats possess an exceedingly curious foculty, namely, the power of inflatuig the skin with air. The skin adheres to the body only at certain points, where it is connected by a loose areolar tissue, and the spaces thus left can be filled with air at the pleasure of the animal, through the large cheek-pouches, which have an opening at the bottom, and thus communicate with the spaces under the loose skin. When the animal chooses to iniiate its skin it fills its lungs with air, and then, closing the mouth and nostrils, and contracting the chest, forces the air through the openings in the cheek-pouches under the skin. Its return is prevented by .sphincter muscles, with which the above-mentioned apertures are provided, and also by large valves on the neck and back. By this means the Bat has the power of inflating its skin to such an extent as to resemble, according to Geoffroy, " a
Size: 1853px × 1348px
Photo credit: © Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjecta, booksubjectanimals
