Taphozous mauritianus
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~70% in a week >90%
The Mauritian tomb bat (Taphozous mauritianus) is a species of sac-winged bat in the family Emballonuridae that is found in central and southern Africa and Madagascar. It was first described in 1818 by Étienne Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, and is characterized by an all-white ventral surface, grizzled dorsal coloration, and conical face. It has exceptionally good eyesight, a trait which is common in old world bats and enables it to find roosting locations. It has adapted itself to a wide range of habitats including subarid scrub to semi-tropical savanna and can be found throughout much of Africa south of the Sahara, including many of the surrounding islands. They often seek out refuge in cool dry areas. Mauritian tomb bats help control pest populations, including insects that carry human diseases. These bats tend to be nocturnal hunters and their normal prey consists of moths, butterflies, and termites. Not prone to large-scale roosting, T. mauritianus is most often spotted on the sides of buildings or on the trunks of trees in groups of around five individuals. They breed on average once or twice a year and rear usually one pup, though twins are occasionally reported. They usually deposit their hungry offspring in areas where they can feed voraciously, most often in berry bushes. This species is listed as least concern on the IUCN Red List due their wide distribution and stable population. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ankarafantsika National Park | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 2 | Murchison Falls National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 3 | Queen Elizabeth National Park | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 4 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Serengeti National Park | 🇹🇿 Tanzania |
No species of the same family or order lives in Ankarafantsika National Park, so these are its closest relatives here: other mammals.
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Mauritian Tomb Bat sighting in Ankarafantsika National Park on a given day, based on 7 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 9th most-seen of the 9 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 70%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October and November
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Mauritian Tomb Bat in Ankarafantsika National Park on a given day, against about 10% in April, June–September and December–January, the lowest months. February and March have too few records to rate.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mauritian Tomb Bat sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Mauritian Tomb Bat sightings, Ankarafantsika National Park has the highest daily chance: about 40%. Next come Murchison Falls National Park (Uganda, about 20%) and Queen Elizabeth National Park (Uganda, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Mauritian Tomb Bat is recorded against all the mammals logged in Ankarafantsika National Park (7 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
