New sucker-footed bat discovered in Madagascar
Scientists have discovered a new species of bat that has large flat
adhesive organs, or suckers, attached to its thumbs and hind feet. This is a
remarkable find because the new bat belongs to a Family of bats endemic to
Madagascar--and one that was previously considered to include only one rare
species. The new species, Myzopoda schliemanni, occurs only in the dry western
forests of Madagascar, while the previously known species, Myzopoda aurita,
occurs only in the humid eastern forests of Madagascar, according to new
research recently published online in the journal Mammalian Biology. The new
species is obviously different from the known species based on pelage
coloration, external measurements and cranial characteristics, according to the
researchers.
Myzopoda are often found in association with broad-leaf plants, most notably
Ravenala madagascariensis or the Travelers' Palm, a plant that is endemic to
Madagascar but has been introduced to numerous tropical countries. Myzopoda are
found in association with such plants because they can use their suckers to
climb and adhere to the leaves' flat, slick surface. They are presumed to roost
in the leaves during the day.
Myzopoda were considered endangered because of their limited distribution and
the notion that the family included only one species. The new research, however,
modifies both of these ideas.
The researchers determined that Myzopoda is not endangered by the loss of the
moist tropical forests because the bat appears to have adapted very well to the
large broad-leaf Ravenala that are often pioneering plants in zones where the
original forests have been cleared and burned.
"For now, we do not have to worry as much about the future of Myzopoda,"
said Steven M. Goodman, Field Museum field biologist and lead author of the
study. "We can put conservation efforts on behalf of this bat on the
backburner because it is able to live in areas that have been completely
degraded, contrary to what is indicated or inferred in the current
literature."
This underlines the importance of basic scientific research for establishing
the priorities for conservation programs and assessments of presumed rare and
possibly endangered animals, the study concludes.
Due to the physical similarities between M. schliemanni and M.
aurita, the
researchers concluded that one species probably evolved from the other, most
likely after the bat dispersed across the island from east to west.
Bats are the last group of land mammals on Madagascar that have not been
intensively studied, Goodman said. "Until a decade ago, these animals
remained largely understudied. On the basis of recent surveys and taxonomic
research, about one-third of the island's bat species were unknown to scientists
until a few years ago, and the majority of these are new to science."
Only about eight percent of Madagascar's original forest cover remains, as
the forests continue to be cleared by associated subsistence agricultural
activities and to provide wood energy for urban zones. The island, which is
found off the eastern coast of Africa, remains one of the most critically
threatened areas in the world, in terms of biodiversity. Madagascar has a higher
level of endemism (with plants and animals found nowhere else) than any other
landmass in the world of comparable size. "Still today, you can go out and
discover things in Madagascar that have never before been seen by
scientists," Goodman said. "The sense of discovery is almost
levitating." - Field Museum
More information:
 Contact: Greg Borzo
gborzo@fieldmuseum.org
312-665-7106
Field Museum
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