The Comparison Study of Size and Body Shape of Various Bat Species in The Tual City and Southeast Maluku Regency

Abstract

Kei island (Tual City and Southeast Maluku) has a diversity of bats. This is a collection of research databases on the size and shape of the body and the discriminator. T2-Hotelling test suggested that the linear measurement of the body surface between male and female were equal, except for Nyctimene minutus (P<0,01). The length and the circumference size of the tarsometatarsus was the main size discriminator for Megaderma spasma; where as tail length was its shape discriminator. Tail length was the size discriminator Nycteris javanica, Harpiocephalus harpia and N. minutus; while the shape discriminator for the three species were ear length, the length of back legs without claws and tarsometatarsus length. The length of arms below the wing was the size discriminator of Rhinolophus keyensis and Mosia nigrescens. The shape discriminator R. keyensis was the length of arms below the wing, the length of fibula and the length of legs without claws; while shape discriminators of M. nigrescens was the tarsometatarsus length. The length of back legs without claws was the size discriminator of N. javanica and Hipposideros cervinus; where as its shape discriminators were the tail length and the tarsometatarsus diameter. Length of fibula was the size discriminator of N. minutus and Rhinopoma microphyllum; where as the length of tarsometatarsus was the shape discriminator of both species. The similarity in size and body shape were found among N. minutus with N. javanica, H. harpia, Rhinolophus keyensis, H. cervinus, M. nigrescens and C. plicata; while M. spasma was similar to H. harpia and C. plicata. The size and body shape of M. spasma was very different from R. microphyllum.

Kelelawar merupakan satu-satunya anggota mamalia yang bersayap dan dapat terbang. Penangkaran kelelawar diperlukan karena pemanfaatan daging kelelawar sebagai obat penyembuh penyakit asma dan lemak tubuh sebagai penyubur rambut, telah banyak dilakukan; disamping sebagai penghasil pupuk guano. Ukuran-ukuran linear permukaan tubuh kelelawar masih sangat beragam baik pada ukuran maupun bentuk. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk memperoleh kerumunan data spesies kelelawar Berdasarkan ukuran dan bentuk tubuh. Penelitian ini dilaksanakan di Kota Tual, Desa Ohoira, Desa Ohoidertawun dan di Desa Abean selama satu bulan dari Desember 2011-Januari 2012. Variabel-variabel ukuran linear permukaan tubuh kelelawar yang diukur meliputi: panjang tarsometatarsus (X1), lingkar tarsometatarsus (X2), panjang telinga (X3), panjang ekor (X4), panjang kaki belakang dengan cakar terpanjang (X5), panjang fibula (X6), panjang kaki belakang tanpa cakar (X7) dan panjang lengan bawah sayap (X8).