The Mauritian tomb bat is often found in groups of around five individuals. These groups are usually either made up of entirely male or female individuals; when they are found in mixed-gender groups, the two sexes are separated by at least . Females live together in groups of three to thirty, while males live alone except during the mating season. Unlike some species of bats, they do not roost close together in tight packs; instead they are found spaced out loosely, with the exception of a mother and her offspring. There are places where groups of at least a hundred bats have been found, one example being the Shai Hills Resource Reserve in
Ghana. They usually roost with their
ventral side flat against a surface. The Mauritian tomb bat is nocturnal and rests during the day; however, it does not sleep much and remains watchful while roosting. If disturbed, they will fly off to another site or move quickly up under the eaves of the building. Very rarely do they travel far from their day roosting site, and roosts are often recolonized. Over time these sites become stained with gular sack secretions and urine. The stains are typically a rectangular brown shape roughly 150 mm long and 100 mm wide. The presence of the dim-light (RH1) gene in both the tomb bats and Old-World bats suggests
convergent evolution of this gene in a similar light-rich environment. The Mauritian tomb bat can detect movement from a distance away, which suggests that the bat's eyesight is superior to that of other insect-eating bats. This advanced eyesight plays a large role in finding a suitable roost for the day and detecting predators. The Mauritian tomb bat is, for the most part, a
nocturnal hunter, though it does occasionally forage during the day. They prefer to hunt in open spaces such as over an open field or body of water, so they can easily swoop down and grab the insects they feed on. The Mauritian tomb bat captures its prey and consumes it while in flight. Their preferred food is
moths, though during daylight hours they will prey upon
butterflies and
termites. In regions where the bats live, they often are a factor in keeping pest populations down. This is important since the bats inhabit areas often plagued by insect-borne diseases such as
malaria. They usually wait for complete darkness before foraging. Over open areas, they can detect their prey at long ranges. They periodically make dives when hunting, and with each dive, they increase the rate of echolocation.
Echolocation The bats use audible calls to communicate with each other. When at rest, they chirrup; when faced with an aggressive situation, they screech. They use social communication, touch, and chemical cues. In its home continent of Africa, it is well known for the squeaks, chirrups, and other noises that it makes that are barely audible to humans. When it is dark, they use
echolocation calls to
forage. During daylight hours, they can rely on vision to look for prey and intruders. The echolocation in
T. mauritianus is unique in that their
frequency pulses are emitted in patterns of twos and threes separated by long intervals of silence. This helps observers distinguish the species from other kinds of bats. The bats can adjust the frequency they emit to fit a given situation. For example, the bat can decrease the frequency to less than 20
Hertz to hunt insects that are attuned to bat echolocation, which gives them an advantage and increases their number of potential food sources. They are capable of emitting frequencies more than 25 Hertz, which allows them to hunt in less open habitats. This increases their range of habitats, and allows them to be flexible in their choice of environments.
Mating and reproduction Mauritian tomb bats are
polygamous. Depending on the region, they mate either once or twice per year. Tomb bats of the Southern African
subregion often produce two pups: one in February or March and another in October through December. Others mate in December with a
gestation period of four to five months, and give birth in April or May. Mothers give birth to a single pup in a litter. Mothers take care of the young after birth; the males take no part in raising it. The pup clings to its mother's
abdomen during flight and when perched. The young will remain with the mother, clinging to her chest wherever she goes, until it is able to fly. The mother nurses the young during this time. The young drink their mother's milk until they are weaned onto their adult diet of insects. The time spent with the mother allows the young to observe hunting behavior as well as learn other skills necessary for survival as an adult. Once the young bat is able to fly, it can forage for itself. It may stay with the mother's colony or find another when it is grown. ==Conservation==