Rousettus aegyptiacus (E. Geoffroy, 1810)

Mongombe, Aaron Manga, Fils, Eric Moise Bakwo & Tamesse, Joseph Lebel, 2020, Annotated checklist of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of Mount Cameroon, southwestern Cameroon, Zoosystema 42 (24), pp. 483-514 : 496

Rousettus aegyptiacus (E. Geoffroy St.-Hilaire, 1810)

( Fig. 10 , Table 3 )

Pteropus egyptiacus E.Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1810: 96 .

COMMON NAMES. — English: Egyptian Fruit Bat. French: Roussette d’Egypte.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 230 specimens (including original data). Mount Cameroon area • 29 specimens; Isobi ; 4°07’15”N, 8°59’33”E; 56 m; Martin Eisentraut leg.; SMNS 6687 to 6694, ZFMK 1961.0577, 0580, 0581, 0583, 0587 to 0591, 0594, 0598, 0599; ZFMK 1963.0208a to 0208e, 0218c; ZFMK 1969.0417, 0419, 0489a • 27 specimens; Mueli ; 4°23’00”N, 9°07’00”E; 600 m; 8.II-23. II.1958; Martin Eisentraut leg; SMNS 6672 to 6686; ZFMK 1959.0450; ZFMK 1961.0576, 0578, 0582, 0584 to 0586, 0595 to 0597, 0600, 0602 • 8 specimens; Koto-Barombi ; 4°27’57”N, 9°16’01”E; 457 m; 17.I-26.I.1958; Martin Eisentraut leg.; SMNS 6667 to 6671; ZFMK 1961.0575, 0579, 0601 • 24 specimens; Above Buea ; 4°09’34”N, 9°14’12”E; 1850 m; 23.XI-26.XI.1957, 04.I.1958; Martin Eisentraut leg.; SMNS 6658 to 6666, 6828 to 6832, 8155, 8156; ZFMK 1961.0592, 0593; ZFMK 1963.0209a to 0209f • 1 ♀; Victoria ; 4°00’46”N, 9°13’13”E; 136 m; Strunk leg.; ZMB 54700 • 2 specimens; Musake ; 4°12’00”N, 9°12’00”E; 2000 m; Martin Eisentraut leg.; ZFMK 1969.0418, 0489b .

Other localities of Cameroon. Yaoundé, ZMB 10239 • 2 specimens; Bipindi ; 3°05’00”N, 10°25’00”E; 184 m; Zenker Georg August leg.; ZMB 54691, 54699 .

ORIGINAL DATA. — With 137 individuals (131 males and 6 females) the echolocating and cave-dependent Egyptian Rousette was the second most abundant bat species captured during our field surveys ( Table 1 ). The species was trapped in both primary montane forest and lowland secondary and cultivated forest at a wide range of altitudes from 470 m up to 2280 m a.s.l. ( Table 1 ). The species has previously been sampled in large caves on the lower slopes and in montane grassland of Mount Cameroon ( Eisentraut 1963; Fedden & MacLeod 1986).

HABITATS AND DISTRIBUTION. — Rousettus aegyptiacus is widespread in sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa, Middle East, the Arabian Peninsula right across to Iran and Pakistan ( Korine 2016). This species has broad habitat preference and has been recorded in arid to moist tropical and subtropical habitats where large colonies roost in caves and artificial structures such as mosques, tombs and mines ( Happold 2013c). Happold (1987) noted that the local distribution of this species is influenced more by the availability of suitable roost sites than by vegetation type. The species is threatened in parts of its range by bushmeat trade, cave disturbance and persecution ( Korine 2016).

Figures

FIG. 10. — Rousettus aegyptiacus (E.Geoffroy St.-Hilaire,1810).Photo:© Aaron Manga Mongombe.