Taphozous melanopogon
Silhouette: T. Michael Keesey · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
The black-bearded tomb bat (Taphozous melanopogon) is a species of sac-winged bat found in South and South East Asia. It was described as a new species in 1841 by Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck. The holotype was collected on Java. Its species name "melanopogon" comes from Ancient Greek "mélās" meaning "black" and "pṓgōn" meaning "beard".
The black-bearded tomb bat has a forearm length of 55–68 mm (2.2–2.7 in). It has a small "beard", or a tuft of black fur on its chin. Its fur is blackish-brown, with individual hairs white at the base. The black-bearded tomb bat is highly colonial, forming large aggregations of up to 15,000 individuals while roosting. These roosts are located in temples, ruins, or caves. It is a seasonal breeder; young are born after a gestation length of 120–125 days. The typical litter size is one individual, though twins have been documented.
This species ranges widely throughout Asia and Southeast Asia. Its range includes the following countries: Brunei, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand,... Wikipedia →
Recording0:35
India · 2025
© Aditya Satish · iNaturalist · CC BY-NC 4.0
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|
More parks will be added in future updates.
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ho Chi Minh City | 🇻🇳 Vietnam |
No species of the same family or order lives in Ho Chi Minh City, so these are its closest relatives here: other mammals.
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Black-bearded Tomb Bat sighting in Ho Chi Minh City on a given day, based on 13 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 5th most-seen of the 7 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Black-bearded Tomb Bat in Ho Chi Minh City on a given day, against under 5% in September to February, the lowest months.
Only Ho Chi Minh City, in our data
Ho Chi Minh City is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Black-bearded Tomb Bat sightings: about 20% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Black-bearded Tomb Bat is recorded against all the mammals logged in Ho Chi Minh City (13 verified sightings), 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.
