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Order Chiroptera
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KINGDOM : Animalia
PHYLUM : Chordata
CLASS : Mammalia
ORDER : Chiroptera
FAMILY :Vespertilionidae
SUBFAMILY :Kerivoulinae
GENUS :Kerivoula
SPECIES :Kerivoula Picta
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Order Mega/Micro chiroptera
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PAINTED BAT The Painted Bat is seen in some of the Asian countries including India. Nocturnal in nature, which means active in the night time and roosts during the day, the Painted Bat is a species of Vesper bat (Evening Bats). It hides inside the folds of banana leaves during daytime. At night they appear like large colorful moths. It belongs to the Vespertilionidae family of Chiroptera order under the Mammalia class. The biological nomenclature identifies this species by the name Kerivoula Picta. Painted Bat has scarlet fur and black and orange wings. This natural camouflage helps it to merge with the surroundings, especially amidst the similar coloured flowers (protective coloration). It roosts inside hollow tree trunks, foliages, huts and buildings. It feeds on insects. An adult male has an average body length varying between 4 centimetres and 4.3 centimetres and usually weighs about 6 grams to 8 grams. The body and tail are the same length. The body length is 3 to 5.5 cm. The tail length is 3 to 5.5 cm as well. The wingspan is 18-30 cm. Weight is about 5g. The echolocation characteristics and the presence of a large interfemoral membrane, a characteristic feature of family Vespertilionidae, suggest that K. picta is an aerial hawker, i.e. capturing insects during flight using the interfemoral membrane as a net.
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