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Kerivoula hardwickii

Hardwicke's woolly bat (Kerivoula hardwickii) is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Singapore and Vietnam. The bat typically inhabits the forest understory of these regions and roosts in hollow trees or dead clusters of leaves. As typical with understory bats, this species is slow flying and highly maneuverable. Known as රත් බොර කිරිවවුලා (meaning 'reddish-brown kerivoula') in Sinhala language. The fur on the dorsal, or backside, of the bat is typically a smoky brown color while the ventral portion is a lighter greyish-brown color. A forearm length for this bat is typically 31–36 millimeters, and the ears are approximately 11–15 millimeters. This species also has a more prominent size difference in the size of its premolars than other Kerivoula species, such as Painted bat Wing membrane is blackish-brown but translucent. The fur is very soft and of moderate length. This small bat has been found roosting above the digestive fluid in the pitchers of the carnivorous plant Nepenthes hemsleyana (previously known as Nepenthes baramensis and informally as Nepenthes rafflesiana var. elongata), which grows in the peat swamps and heath forests of Borneo. This relationship appears to be mutualistic, with the plant providing shelter for the bats and in return receiving additional nitrogen input in the form of faeces. It has been estimated that the plant derives 34% of its total foliar nitrogen from the bats' droppings.

[ "Pitcher plant", "Nepenthes hemsleyana" ]
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