Megaloglossus woermanni, Pagenstecher, 1885

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Pteropodidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 16-162 : 91

51.

Eastern Woermann’s Fruit Bat

Megaloglossus woermanni

French: Mégaloglosse de Woermann / German: Ostlicher Afrika-Langzungenflughund / Spanish: Megaloglosus de \ WWoermann

Other common names: \Woermann’s Bat, Woermann'’s Fruit Bat, Woermann's Long-tongued Fruit Bat

Taxonomy. Megaloglossus woermanni Pagenstecher, 1885 ,

Ssibange farm, Gabon.

Until recently, M. woermanni was the only species of Megaloglossus , but based on molecular data, West African populations were assigned to M. azagnyi . Monotypic.

Distribution. From S Benin and Nigeria E to DR Congo and Uganda and S to N Angola, including Bioko I. Additional research is needed to reidentify specimens from Benin and Nigeria because it is not clear if Dahomey Gap or Cameroon Mts forms a boundary between both Woermann’s fruit bat species.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 60-79 mm (tailless), ear 9-20 mm, hindfoot 12-13 mm, forearm 38-49 mm; weight 10-25 g. The Eastern Woermann’s Fruit Bat has long pointed muzzle. Head is small and narrow; eyes are large and brown; ears are rounded at tips, without any basal ear patches; and tongueis long (20 mm) and narrow (5 mm), covered by numerous rows of backward-pointing hair-like papillae for lapping nectar. Adult males lack epaulettes; dorsum is generally uniform dark brown; hairs are pale brown at bases and dark brown at tips; pelage is soft and moderately dense; and hairs are mid-dorsally 6-8 mm. Venter is slightly paler than dorsum; adult males have collar of long white, yellow, or orangestiff (sometimes sticky), clustered hairs on throat, neck, and upper part of chest. Wings have claw on second digits; membranes are dark brown, attaching to second or third toes or between them; third finger is longer than fifth; toes rarely are weakly webbed; uropatagium is V-shaped; and calcaris short. Skull has strong basicranial deflection, rostrum is long, braincase is very rounded, sagittal crest is absent, and zygomatic arches are poorly developed. Mandible is thin and arched, symphysis is procumbent, and processes of ramus are very weak. There are seven thick palatal ridges, and ridges 5 and 6 are divided by median groove. Supernumerary molars are sometimes present posteriorly in either or both upper and lower jaws, resulting in 36 or 38 teeth, primarily in females. Teeth are rather weak except for canines that are large and recurved; cheekteeth are low (sometimes barely breaking through gum) and narrow, without prominent cusps. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 34 and FNa = 62, with eleven pairs of metacentric, four pairs of subtelocentric, and one pair of acrocentric autosomes. X-chromosome is mediumsized metacentric, and Y-chromosome is small metacentric or submetacentric.

Habitat. Central African Rainforest biotic zone in primary and secondary lowland forests, clearings, agricultural land (mainly banana plantations), and sometimes Afromontane-Afroalpine biotic zone and Rainforest Savanna mosaics from sea level up to elevations of 1950 m.

Food and Feeding. The Eastern Woermann'’s Fruit Bat is nectarivorous, but pollen is also eaten. It lands on or near flowers to feed, and tongue moves in and out of the flower corolla c.7 times/second, scooping up nectar. Flowersvisited for nectar or pollen include Kigelia africana (Bignoniaceae) and Musa sp. (Musaceae) ; records of several other plant species are confined for the Western Woermann’s Fruit Bat (M. azagnyi ) but it is expected that those plants are also part of the diet of the Eastern Woermann’s Fruit Bat.

Breeding. Litter size of the Eastern Woermann'’s Fruit Bat is one, rarely two (even two embryos of different size were found). In Uganda, reproductive chronology is either bimodal or aseasonally polyestrous because births occurred in January and September. In Republic of the Congo, two pregnant females were recorded in March, giving birth in April and probably also around December. Young were reported in January in Gabon and January-March in Cameroon.

Activity patterns. Due to its small size and diet, the Eastern Woermann'’s Fruit Bat enters torporto save energy if ambient temperature drops to 23°C.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. In Bélinga ( Gabon), capture of only male Eastern Woermann’s Fruit Bats suggests that an all-male group was foraging in the same area. On Bioko Island, captures suggested that young follow their mothers when they search for food.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Eastern Woermann'’s Fruit Bat has a wide distribution and presumably large population, and it probably is not declining fast enough to warrant upgrading its conservation category. Habitat loss and degradation might be local threats.

Bibliography. Bakwo et al. (2016), Bergmans (1979a), Brosset (1966a), Eisentraut (1964, 1974), Happold, D.C.D. (2013), Monadjem, Taylor et al. (2010), Nesi et al. (2013), Van Cakenberghe et al. (2000), Weber et al. (2009).

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. From S Benin and Nigeria E to DR Congo and Uganda and S to N Angola , including Bioko I. Additional research is needed to reidentify specimens from Benin and Nigeria because it is not clear if Dahomey Gap or Cameroon Mts forms a boundary between both Woermann’s fruit bat species.