5 December 2011

Help required with some mammal ID’s

Since as I am on a role with posting here, I thought I may as well put out another couple of questions. Both relate to unidentified mammals from some of my previous trips and if anyone has any suggestions of people I may be able to contact who could possibly assist with the ID’s of these animals, it would be greatly appreciated.

The first one was a bat that we saw in Hanoi in Vietnam. I managed to get some really bad photos of it too, although I’m not sure how useful they are going to be for the ID. From what I could see, they appeared to possibly be some sort of Round-leaf Bat species and we saw loads of them flying around at Hoan Kiem Lake in the city one evening. They all appeared to be the same species and were very numerous, so I’m wondering if anyone knows whether there is a particular species known from this area or not…? Perhaps I am just clutching at straws here and the species will remain forever unresolved…:)

The second one is a mouse photographed in Lake Mburo National Park in Uganda. I am hoping that someone might have contact details for a small mammal specialist in this area who may be able to assist or alternatively, know where I might be able to get a comprehensive checklist of the mammals of this area to be able to see what the possibilities are? Again, this might just be a straw clutching exercise…:)

Thanks again in advance.

Trevor

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3 Comments

  • 5 December 2011
    Jon Hall

    Trevor, can you send me a picture of the Ugandan mouse or (maybe better) post it here? I know a couple of people who might help and I also have a useful book on the rodents of Uganda that might also help (though I won’t be able to look at it until early next year).

    I have no ideas on the bat at the moment though I will be in Hanoi in 2 weeks and might try to catch one at the lake if I have the time!

    Jon

  • 6 December 2011
    Vladimir Dinets

    Yeah, please post the mouse photo.
    The only bat I could ID in Hanoi was Pipistrellus javanicus. There were loads of them at the big lake N from the downtown (forgot the name), and I found a dead one in a hotel a few blocks N from Hoan Kiem. I remember seeing something larger at Hoan Kiem, but never well enough for an ID.
    How’s the turtle doing? Have you seen it?

  • 6 December 2011
    Leslie

    Re: Bats
    Send your photos to one of both of these:

    (1) Don Wilson, curator emeritus at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. He is their bat specialist. He is retired he still published so I am sure he still keeps up with his email. wilsond@si.edu.

    (2) If Don doesn’t respond, try Kristofer M. Helgen, the head curator of the mammal collection. His email address is helgenk@si.edu

    My experience has been that the folks at NMNH have always been happy to talk to the public, especially the informed public.

    (3) Last suggestion is the folks at Bat Conservation International, who spend lots of time in the wild. You can find contact information at http://www.batcon.org.

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