Nycteris hispida (Schreber, 1774)

Vespertilio hispidus Schreber, 1774: 169 .

COMMON NAME. — English: Hairy Slit-faced Bat. French: Nyctère hérissée.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 33 specimens.

Mount Cameroon area • 2 ♀♀; Buea; 4°09’00”N, 9°12’00”E; 1050 m; 24.II-17.IV.1954; Martin Eisentraut leg.; SMNS 5120, 5121 • 1 ♀; Mueli; 4°23’00”N, 9°07’00”E; 600 m; 12.II.1958; Martin Eisentraut leg.; ZFMK 1963. 0194 • 2♀♀, 1♂; Mubenge -Isongo; 4°05’00”N, 9°00’00”E; 0 m; 3.III.1938; Martin Eisentraut leg.; SMNS 3450, 5590, ZMB 93850 .

Other localities of Cameroon • 1 ♂; Nyasoso; 4°49’42”N, 9°40’55”E; 1078 m; 14.XI.1948; Martin Eisentraut leg.; ZFMK 1969.0486 • 11♀♀, 13 ♂♂, 2 specimens; Waza; 11°23’41”N, 14°34’09”E; 321 m; Böhme Wolfgang Hartwig leg.; ZFMK 1974.0313 to 0325; 0418A to 0418M; ZMB 53893 .

ORIGINAL DATA. — We did not record any individuals attributed to this species during our field surveys, but the species has previously been recorded at Buea, Mount Cameroon by Eisentraut (1963).

HABITATS AND DISTRIBUTION. — This species is widely distributed throughout sub-Saharan Africa (Van Cakenberghe & De Vree 1993). The species occupies a variety of habitats including savannah, woodland and forest where it roosts in dense bushes, houses, hollow trees, and caves (Monadjem et al. 2010). The occurrence of this species on Mount Cameroon was previously documented by Eisentraut (1963), but no individual was recorded during our field surveys. Fedden & MacLeod (1986) noted that this species has a wide African distribution, and is often associated with human habitation and common in cultivated areas. In Liberian Mt. Nimba it was recorded sparsely in open savannah (Monadjem et al. 2016). This ubiquitous species roosts singly or in groups in holes in the ground or on twigs close to the ground (Happold 1987). Its diet consists of insect such as moths and mantises which are apprehended by slow-hawking or gleaning (Happold 2013f).