Mensural Differences of External Characters and Skulls between Fresh Specimens and Preserved Specimens in Formalin of Bent-Winged Bats, Miniopterus schreibersi

Abstract

Mensural differences of the external characters and the skulls between the fresh and the formalin-preserved specimens were studied in Bent-winged bats, Miniopterus schreibersi. These differences were compared within each age group.
In all of the skull characters examined as well as in the other external ones except forearm length and hind foot length, the f ormalin-preserved specimens were smaller than the fresh ones as the result of the formalin preservation. The above-mentioned tendency was conspicuous especially in the dimensions of skull characters examined.
In the external characters, an increase in size according to age was not observed. But in all other characters of skull apart from mastoid width, brain case width and lower tooth length, variations with age were suggested to exist, granting the above tendency was not conspicuous.