Nycteris hispida (Schreber, 1774)

Bates, Paul J. J., Cameron, Kenneth, Pearch, Malcolm J. & Hayes, Benjamin, 2013, A review of the bats (Chiroptera) of the Republic of Congo, including eight species new to the country, Acta Chiropterologica 15 (2), pp. 313-340 : 322-323

Nycteris hispida (Schreber, 1774)

Hairy slit-faced bat

Vespertilio hispidus Schreber, 1774: 169, 188 ; Senegal.

New material

HZM.52.40188 , ♂, 4 August, 2012, Waterfall forest , Lekoumou, 2°45.545’S, 13°36.342’E. Previous records included in Appendix I ; the known distribution corresponds to localities 15, 24, 26, 29, and 31 in Fig. 1 . This is one of the most common nycterids in Africa ( Happold and Happold, 2013).

Description

A very small species of slit-faced bat with a forearm length of 35.8 mm. The face is characterised by a noseleaf which comprises two flaps of skin, which give the impression of a slit running down the length of the muzzle. For Nycteris , the ears of this species are relatively short and the tragus has a smooth, curved, outer margin ( Fig. 7C ). The skull is short (damaged in this specimen) and the upper toothrow (C–M 3) is 5.58 mm in length. Both the upper and lower incisors are trifid ( Fig. 7A and B ). The posterior lower premolar is small ( Fig. 7A ). The baculum is 3.0 mm in length and characteristically hooked at the tip, with a slender, curved shaft and a slightly bilobate base ( Fig. 7D ); for comparison with other African Nycteris taxa see Thomas et al. (1994) and Happold and Happold (2013).

Taxonomic notes

Specimens from Congo are referred to the nominate subspecies ( Van Cakenberghe and De Vree, 1993; Happold and Happold, 2013).

Figures

APPENDIX I A list of the forty-three bat species currently recorded from Congo, including citations in the literature and locality data. CS (Conservation status – NT: Near threatened; DD: Data deficient; LC: Least concern) is based on IUCN Red List of Threatened Species retrieved on 8 May, 2013. Two species listed here have not been assessed (na) by IUCN for their conservation status but rather have been included within other taxa: Triaenops afer in Triaenops persicus and Chaerephon leucogaster in Tadarida pumila. Superscripts associated with localities in column 4 refer to the superscripts for the literature cited in column 3

FIG. 1. Localities from which bats have been collected in Congo based on the literature and current study (see Appendix I). Size of red dot is proportional in area to the number of species collected from that locality. Habitat types are based on Bergmans (1979). Localities (listed in Appendix III): (1) Pointe-Noire; (2) Hinda; (3) Loandjili; (4) Tchissanga; (5) Koubotchi; (6) Ménengué; (7) N’Gongo; (8) Dinguembo; (9) Béna; (10) Goumina; (11) Sounda, Gorge of; (12) Makaba; (13) Bouloungi; (14) Dimonika; (15) Mayombe; (16) Bamba, col du Mont; (17a–c) Loudima-Kimongo (includes Cave of Doumboula, Cave of Loudima, and Cave of Viaduc); (18a,b) Kila N’Tari and Mouyondzi; (19a–h) Bangou Massif (includes Bouaboumpono, Cave of Kimanika, Cave of Matouridi, Meya / Cave of Meya-Nzouari, Cave of Meya-Nwadi, Mountembessa, Cave of Mpasa, and Cave of Mpoka); (20) Voka; (21) Kinkala; (22) Ile M’Bamou; (23) La Région du Pool (Stanley Pool); (24) Brazzaville; (25) Grand Bois; (26) Sibiti; (27) Komono; (28) Divenié; (29) Lekoumou; (30) Lesio-Louna Reserve; (31) Ngabé; (32) Plateau Konkouya; (33) Lékana; (34) Djambala; (35) Ewo; (36) Konda; (37) Ubangi (Oubangi); (38) Mouth of Ubangi River; (39) Kellé; (40) Odzala/Odzala National Park; (41) Kango; (42) Impfondo; (43) Epena. Scale as marked. C.A.R.= Central African Republic; D.R. Congo = Democratic Republic of Congo

FIG. 7. Nycteris hispida, HZM.52.40188. (A): Anterior, left mandible; (B): left, upper incisors and canine; (C): right tragus; (D): baculum (dorsal view [left] and lateral view [right]). Scales for A, B, and D = 1 mm; scale for C = 2 mm