Witwatia
Sign in to saveWitwatia (from the Egyptian Arabic Wit Wat meaning "large, flapping wings") is an extinct genus of giant bat that contained two species which lived in the Al Fayyum in Egypt during the late Eocene (Priabonian epoch) and one species which lived in Tunisia during the early Eocene. It is known from a lower jaw and teeth. Three species have been named: the type species W. schlosseri, W. eremicus and W. sigei.
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- taxon name
- Witwatia
- start time
- 37000000-0
- end time
- 33000000-0
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Witwatia (from the Egyptian Arabic Wit Wat meaning "large, flapping wings") is an extinct genus of giant bat that contained two species which lived in the Al Fayyum in Egypt during the late Eocene (Priabonian epoch) and one species which lived in Tunisia during the early Eocene. It is known from a lower jaw and teeth. Three species have been named: the type species W. schlosseri, W. eremicus and W. sigei.
==Ecology== These were large-sized carnivorous bats, possessing large canines, robust jaws and slicing molars. Opportunistic frugivory has been suggested, but since rejected. The largest forms such as Witwatia schlosseri were comparable in size and possibly ecology to the modern Vampyrum spectrum.