Myonycteris brachycephala, Bocage, 1889

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Pteropodidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 16-162 : 93

54.

Sao Tome Collared Fruit Bat

Myonycteris brachycephala

French: Myonyctere de Sao Tomé / German: Sao-Tomé-Halskrausenflughund / Spanish: Myonicterio de Sao Tomé

Taxonomy. Cynonycleris brachycephala Bocage, 1889 ,

Sao Tomé Island, Sao Tomé and Principe.

Myonycteris brachycephala is closely related to M. torquata (separation occurred c.1-8 million years ago); it was placed in a separate subgenus (Phygetis), which has been rejected. Monotypic.

Distribution. Endemic to So Tomé 1 (Gulf of Guinea).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 94-106 mm, tail 1 mm, ear 11-15 mm, hindfoot 15-17 mm, forearm 62-64 mm. The Sao Tome Collared Fruit Bat has relatively short head; relatively short blunt muzzle; large brown eyes, surrounded by narrow dark ring; and relatively short and rounded ears. Thumbs are relatively long. Adult males lack epaulettes; dorsum is generally dark brown, gradually fading to pale brown on nape of neck and crown; cheeks are grayish; hairs are dull isabella color or wood-brown at bases; and pelage is silky and middorsally 12 mm, extending along forearm, femur, and tibia, both dorsally and ventrally. Breast and abdomen are isabella brown to grayish brown; throat is washed with very pale tinge of tawny olive; and distinct ruff of hairs occurs on throat and sides of neck. Wings have claw on second digits, membranes are dark, and undersides are sparsely covered in short woolly hairs. Skull is robust, rostrum is relatively long and broad, sagittal crest is low, interorbital region is relatively broad, and zygomatic arches are arched posteriorly. Palate is relatively long, and post-dental palate is narrow, with lateral margins converging. There are nine palatal ridges, of which seven are interdental and thick, and two are post-dental and thin and serrated; ridges 1-4 are not divided; and ridges 5-7 are divided. Dental formulais12/1-5,C1/1,P 3/3, M 2/3 (x2) = 33. In all known specimens,left or right I, is missing, leading to an asymmetrical dental formula. C' is relatively short (hardly any higher than premolar) and recurved; C, is not as high as middle lower premolars; P' and M' are reduced; cheekteeth are large, with small interdental spaces; and lower molars are subrectangular and relatively wide.

Habitat. [.owland to montane tropical moist forests, steep rocky areas, and agricultural areas (chiefly cocoa plantations) at elevations of 300-1300 m. The Sao Tome Collared Fruit Bat seems to avoid coastal zone and northern dry part of Sao Tomé Island.

Food and Feeding. The Sao Tome Collared Fruit Bat was reported from plantations, where it possibly feeds on cultivated species (e.g. Carica papaya, Caricaceae ; Artocarpus altilis, Moraceae ; Musa sp. , Musaceae ; and Psidium guajava, Myrtaceae ).

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Sao Tome Collared Fruit Bats are presumably nocturnal. Individuals were always captured in mountain passes, probably during commuting flights.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List. The Sao Tome Collared Fruit Batis restricted to only one island location, and habitat quality is declining due to logging and conversion to agricultural use. Whether the Sao Tome Collared Fruit Bat is present in any protected areas remains to be confirmed, but it might occur in mountain forests in the protected area of Lagoa Amelia.

Bibliography. Andersen (1912b), Bergmans (1976, 1997), Feiler et al. (1993), Juste (2016a), Juste & Ibanez (1993b, 1994b), Nesiet al. (2013).

Figures

50. Western Woermann’s Fruit Bat (Megaloglossus azagnyi), 51. Eastern Woermann’s Fruit Bat (Megaloglossus woermanni), 52. Angolan Soft-furred Fruit Bat (Lissonycteris angolensis), 53. Little Collared Fruit Bat (Myonycteris torquata), 54. Sao Tome Collared Fruit Bat (Myonycteris brachycephala), 55. Sierra Leone Collared Fruit Bat (Myonycteris leptodon), 56. Bergmans’s Collared Fruit Bat (Myonycteris relicta), 57. Broad-faced Fruit Bat (Plerotes anchietae), 58. Hammer-headed Fruit Bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus), 59. Franquet’s Epauletted Fruit Bat (Epomops franqueti), 60. Buttikofer’s Epauletted Fruit Bat (Epomops buettikoferi), 61. Veldkamp’s Epauletted Fruit Bat (Nanonycteris veldkampr), 62. Gambian Epauletted Fruit Bat (Epomophorus gambianus), 63. Peters’s Epauletted Fruit Bat (Epomophorus erypturus), 64. Angolan Epauletted Fruit Bat (Epomophorus angolensis), 65. Little Epauletted Fruit Bat (Epomophorus labiatus), 66. Minor Epauletted Fruit Bat (Epomophorus minor), 67. Ansell’s Epauletted Fruit Bat (Epomophorus anselli), 68. Wahlberg's Epauletted Fruit Bat (Epomophorus wahlbergi), 69. Dobson’s Epauletted Fruit Bat (Epomophorus dobsonu), 70. Sanborn’s Epauletted Fruit Bat (Epomophorus grands), 71. Lesser Epauletted Fruit Bat (Epomophorus pusillus), 72. Hayman’s Epauletted Fruit Bat (Epomophorus intermedius)

Distribution. Endemic to So Tomé 1 (Gulf of Guinea ).