218 
D.J. Kitchener, A. Suyanto 
T.a achates 
“I- 1 -1- 1 -1- 1 -i-> 
5 6 5.8 6.0 6.2 6.4 6.6 6.8 7 0 
a 
Interorbita! breadth 
Figure 3 Plots of least interorbital breadth versus (a) M 2 length and (b) bulla length for both adult male and adult 
female T. m. melatiopogon, T. a. achates and T. a. minor for all island populations. Codes for islands are as for 
Figure 2. 
and bulla length (Figure 3a,b); greatest basial pit 
length shorter relative to dentary length (Figure 4) 
and tibia length generally longer relative to digit 3 
metacarpal length (Figure 5). 
Description 
Apart from the differences mentioned in the 
above diagnoses T. a. minor is very similar 
morphologically and in its pelage colour to T. a. 
achates. 
Distribution 
Known only from Yamdena Island and Kai Besar, 
Maluku Tenggara, eastern Indonesia. 
Etymology 
The name minor is from the latin referring to the 
small size of the Yamdena and Kai Besar form of T. 
achates compared to members of the nominate 
subspecies. 
DISCUSSION 
The Bearded Tomb Bats from Tanimbar and Kai 
Islands are most similar to T. a. achates but differ in 
being generally smaller in most characters; some 
skull and external characters also differ in shape. 
For example, M 2 crown length, bulla length and 
digit 3 metacarpal length. Specimens from Wetar 
Island were T. a. achates and were not 
differentiated morphologically from the other 
known populations of this nominate subspecies on 
Semau, Roti, and Savu Islands. In fact these latter 
populations of T. a. achates were included within 
the Wetar Island population cluster in discriminant 
function space. This suggests that the Rotinese 
population had not noticeably differentiated from 
the nominate subspecies as suggested by Kitchener 
et al. (1993a). 
Interestingly, T. achates occurred on Tanimbar 
T-1-1-1-I-1 
3.4 3.6 3.8 4.0 4.2 4.4 
Basial pit length 
Figure 4 Plots of dentary length versus greatest basial 
pit length for both adult male and adult 
female T. m. metanopogon, T. a. achates and T. 
a. minor for all island populations. Codes for 
islands are as for Figure 2. 
