Hipposideridae
Author
Don E. Wilson
Author
Russell A. Mittermeier
text
2019
2019-10-31
Lynx Edicions
Barcelona
Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats
227
258
book chapter
http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3739808
b7e93c79-44a6-4d9c-8b78-dcb62033fb0d
978-84-16728-19-0
3739808
61.
Maghreb Leaf-nosed Bat
Hipposideros tephrus
French:
Phyllorhine cendrée I
German:
Maghreb-Rundblattnase
/
Spanish:
Hiposidérido de Magreb
Other common names:
Ash Gray Leaf-nosed Bat
Taxonomy.
Hipposideros [sic] tephrus a brera, 1906
,
Mogador
,
Morocco
.
Hipposideros tephrus
belongs to the
ruber
species group. It was previously considered a subspecies of H. coffer. Monotypic.
Distribution.
Extent of this species’ distribution is not yet known; recorded with certainty in
Morocco
,
Senegal
,
Saudi Arabia
, and
Yemen
. It is thought to be continuously distributed from
Mauritania
and
Senegal
E to
South Sudan
,
Ethiopia
, and
Eritrea
. However, boundary between this species and the morphologically identical H. coffer is not known
.
Descriptive notes.
Head-body 45-50 mm, tail
27—35 mm
, ear
12—15 mm
, hindfoot 6-9 mm. The Maghreb Leaf-nosed Bat has short, rounded wings. Muzzle is relatively short, with large but simple noseleaf that has two lateral leaflets. A frontal sac is present. Intemarial septum is not swollen and does not partially cover the nares. Ears are separate, and relatively small. Fur is fine and fluffy, gray or brown gray dorsally, paler ventrally; an orange morph also occurs that is typically reddish golden.
Habitat.
Inhabits riparian forest in arid savanna and woodland. Occurs in the
Sahel
zone and further south in Sudanian savanna.
Food and Feeding.
The Maghreb Leaf-nosed Bat is likely to be insectivorous.
Breeding.
Based on observations in northern
Nigeria
(which probably refer to this species), a single young is bom in a restricted season: mating appears to take place in November at the end of the rainy season, with births in late April at the beginning of the rainy season. Females lactate for two months, until late June.
Activity patterns.
The Maghreb Leaf-nosed Bat roosts in a variety of situations including caves, and holes in the ground. Echolocation call includes a F component at c.140-150 kHz.
Movements, Home range and Social organization.
Maghreb Leaf-nosed Bats may roost in large colonies of up to 1000 individuals. Roosting colonies include adult males and females. At one cave in
Nigeria
, males apparendy dispersed away from a large colony at the time of parturition, effectively resulting in the cave forming a maternity roost for the remaining females.
Status and Conservation.
Classified as Least Concern on 7%♂ IUCN Red List. Due to its wide distribution and large populations, the Maghreb Leaf-nosed Bat is unlikely to become threatened in the near future.
Bibliography.
Aellen (1952), Bernard & Happold (2013b), Harrison & Bates (1991), Hill (1963a), Koopman (1989), Koopman et al. (1995), Nader (1982), Vallo et al. (2008), Van Cakenberghe et al. (2017).