Hammer Headed Female Bat Skull

$65.00

The Hammer Headed Fruit Bat is found in the forests and swamps of equatorial Africa. It is Africa’s largest bat, reaching wingspans of up to 38 inches. They are frugivores, consuming figs, mangos, bananas and guavas.

Description

Hammer Headed Female Bat Skull Replica measures 2.3×1.3x 1.0 inches. Hammer Headed Female Bat Skull is museum quality polyurethane cast. Made in USA. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw). Cast of an original California Academy of Sciences specimen. Our precise skull can be used as a teaching tool, museum bat skull exhibit, home décor skull, or office décor skull.

The Hammer Headed Bat or Hypsignathus monstrosus, also known as the Big lipped bat, it is a megabat widely distributed in equatorial Africa. This large bat is found in riverine forests, mangroves, swamps, and palm forests at elevations less than 5,900 ft.

Pelage is grey-brown to slaty-brown with a whitish collar of fur extending from shoulder to shoulder. The flight membranes are brown and the ears are dark brown with a tuft of white fur at the base. The face is dark brown with a few long, stiff whiskers around the mouth.

The Hammer Headed Bat or Hypsignathus monstrosus skull may be diagnosed by specific dental features. The second premolar and molars are markedly lobed. This feature is specific for this genus, and no other African fruit bats have this characteristic.

The Hammer Headed Bat or Hypsignathus monstrosus are are frugivores. Figs make up much of their diet, but they may also include mangos, bananas and guavas.

The fruit is picked and taken to a nearby tree where it is chewed, the juice squeezed out and the pulp discarded.

The Hammer Headed Bat or Hypsignathus monstrosus are nocturnal, roosting during the day in the forest canopy.

The Hammer Headed Bat or Hypsignathus monstrosus rely on camouflage to hide them from predators. Specific species of trees are not selected for roosting, however some roosts may be used for long periods of time. Roosts are 70 to 100 ft. from the ground.

The Hammer Headed Bat is sometimes considered a pest due to its frugivorous diet and its extremely loud honking noises at night. In Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it is consumed as bushmeat.

Hammer Headed Bat Facts:

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Pteropodidae
Genus: Hypsignathus
Species: H. monstrosus
Binomial name: Hypsignathus monstrosus
Conservation status: Least concern

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Additional information

Weight 2 lbs
Dimensions 2.3 × 1.3 × 1.0 in
International Bat Appreciation Day

International Bat Appreciation Day is celebrated annually on April 17th to recognize the important role bats play in our ecosystem and to encourage people to learn more about them. The day also coincides with the start of bats emerging from hibernation in April, making it a good time to observe them.