The Seychelles sheath-tailed bat, Coleura seychellensis, is a sac-winged bat. It occurs in the central granitic islands of the Seychelles. It was probably abundant throughout the Seychelles in the past, but it has declined drastically and is now extinct on most islands to be one of the rarest animals. It is one of the most endangered animals, fewer than 100 are believed to exist in the world. The Seychelles sheath-tailed bat has suffered from habitat deterioration due to the effects of introduced plant species. The largest surviving roost is on Silhouette Island, although small roosts do exist in Mahé and also Praslin and La Digue islands. Its lifespan is 20 years and also its length is 55–65 millimetres (2.2–2.6 in). It finds its mates by fighting with another male bat in front of the females.
This sac-winged bat lives in the Seychelles Islands that lie north of Madagascar. Once abundant throughout the island chain, the Seychelle Sheath-Tailed Bat is extinct on most of the islands. The bats live in harem colonies, and have a high reproductive potential. Unfortunately, they are very susceptible to habitat changes, and because of their need to roost in several different locations within a habitat, their survival has not been overly successful. There are less than 100 Seychelles Sheath-Tailed Bats thought to live in the world. |
