A pair of Egyptian spiny-tailed bats have found their residence at the Moscow Zoo

A male and a female of Egyptian spiny-tailed bats were brought to the Moscow Zoo. The new inhabitants were placed in the utility room of the terrarium. The exact age of the couple is unknown.

Egyptian spiny-tailed bats are rarely kept in zoos. For their comfort, they need to be provided with a terrarium of a certain size for comfort, as they are large and agile reptiles. Lizards also need ultraviolet light, dry air, a temperature of around plus 25–30 degrees Celsius, and a warming point of 40–50 degrees Celsius above zero.

“The Moscow Zoo places great emphasis not only on exhibiting rare animal species and educational work, but also on research and scientific activities. The terrarium’s utility rooms house reptiles that require special care, providing special temperature and light conditions. Here, in non-exhibition rooms, in silence and privacy, herpetologists observe them, trying to provide them with optimal conditions for subsequent reproduction”, Svetlana Akulova, General Director of the Moscow Zoo, says.

After the move, the spiny-tailed bats were wary of the staff for a while, but gradually got used to them.

These lizards can reach 75 centimeters in length, and weigh up to one and a half to two kilograms. Despite their impressive size, they are not poisonous. The animals live in desert and semi-desert regions of Africa.

At the Moscow Zoo, the diet of spiny-tailed bats consists of fresh greens, a low-fat grain mixture, as well as insects and a small number of rodents.

In the wild, these animals practically do not need water: they get it from condensation or by burying themselves in wet sand. Lizards dig burrows, and when threatened, they hide between rocks and display their tail with sharp spikes to fight off the enemy.