Order Chiroptera Higher classification Taphozous | Phylum Chordata Family Emballonuridae Scientific name Taphozous perforatus Rank Species | |
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Similar Taphozous, Bat, Mauritian tomb bat, Naked‑rumped tomb bat, Mammal | ||
Deadly new mers virus traced to egyptian tomb bat
The Egyptian tomb bat (Taphozous perforatus) is a species of sac-winged bat in the family Emballonuridae. It is a medium- to large-sized bat with a mass of approximately 30 g (1.1 oz). It is an aerial insectivore, foraging in open space. Based on individuals captured in Ethiopia, it is thought to feed predominantly on Lepidoptera, but is also known to feed on Isoptera, Coleoptera and Orthoptera.
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Habitat
It is found in Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, India, Iran, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Somalia, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Its natural habitat is dry savanna.
Reservoir of MERS-CoV
An isolate of the MERS-CoV from the first patient identified was found in an Egyptian tomb bat near the victim's home in Saudi Arabia. The isolate, found in a fecal pellet from the bat, was found to be a 100% match with the London victim.
