New species of Bat, the size of a thumb found in lava tunnel

Thumb Sized Bat

Thumb Sized Bat

Caught during a steamy moment in a lava tunnel in 2006, these two apparently mating bats – members of a new species – are each no bigger than a human thumb!

Weighing just 0.2 ounce (5 grams), Aellen’s long-fingered bat was discovered on a volcanic island in Africa’s Comoros chain. DNA analysis later confirmed the bat as a unique species.

Subsequent genetic tests also revealed the bat is also found on the west coast of the island of Madagascar.

Source and more info: National Geographic.

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This entry was posted on Monday, June 29th, 2009 and is filed under: Zoology and tagged with: , . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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