Nycteris intermedia, Aellen, 1959

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Nycteridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 374-386 : 383

2.

Intermediate Slitfaced Bat

Nycteris intermedia

French: Nyctere d’Aellen / German: Intermediare Schlitznase / Spanish: Nicterio intermedio

Taxonomy. Nycteris intermedia Aellen, 1959 ,

Adiopodoume, Ivory Coast.

Nycteris intermedia belongs to the arge group. It was previously considered conspecific with N. arge . Monotypic.

Distribution. Very patchily distributed in tropical forests of W & C Africa in Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Gabon, and NE DR Congo, with outlying records from NW Tanzania and NE Angola.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 40-50 mm, tail 41-53 mm, ear 20-24 mm, hindfoot 7-10 mm, forearm 36-38 mm; weight 6-9 g. The Intermediate Slit-faced Bat is very small, with short rounded wings. Longitudinal cleft runs along top of muzzle, covering noseleaves. Fur is long and fluffy, dark reddish brown to grayish brown dorsally, and slightly lighter ventrally. Ears are very long. Wing membranes are dark brown and free of hairs except along margins of forelimbs. There are no obvious sexual differences in pelage. Chromosomal complement for a single female in Mount Nimba, Guinea, was 2n = 34 and FNa = 62.

Habitat. Variety of tropical lowland forests.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. A pregnant Intermediate Slit-faced Bat was collected in March in Ivory Coast, but practically nothing is known aboutits reproductive biology.

Activity patterns. Single records of the Intermediate Slit-faced Bat roosting in a cave and an abandoned house have been reported.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. A male and female Intermediate Slit-faced Bat were found roosting together in an abandoned house. Echolocation call is not known.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Although the Intermediate Slit-faced Bat is not currently under threat of extinction, extent of its rainforest habitat is decreasing.

Bibliography. Aellen (1959), Denys et al. (2013), Fahr (2013p), Monadjem, Richards & Denys (2016), Monadjem, Taylor et al. (2010), Rosevear (1965), Van Cakenberghe & De Vree (1985).

Figures

1. Bates’s Slit-faced Bat (Nycteris arge), 2. Intermediate Slitfaced Bat (Nycteris intermedia), 3. Dwarf Slit-faced Bat (Nycteris nana), 4. Dja Slitfaced Bat (Nycteris major), 5. Malayan Slit-faced Bat (Nycteris tragata), 6. Javan Slit-faced Bat (Nycteris javanica), 7. Andersen’s Slit-faced Bat (Nycteris aurita), 8. Large Slitfaced Bat (Nycteris grandis), 9. Hairy Slitfaced Bat (Nycteris hispida), 10. Large-eared Slit-faced Bat (Nycteris macrotis), 11. Madagascar Slitfaced Bat (Nycteris madagascariensis), 12. Parisi’s Slitfaced Bat (Nycteris parisii), 13. Wood's Shitfaced Bat (Nycteris wood), 14. Gambian Slitfaced Bat (Nycteris gambiensis), 15. Egyptian Slitfaced Bat (Nycteris thebaica)

Distribution. Very patchily distributed in tropical forests of W & C Africa in Guinea , Liberia , Ivory Coast , Ghana , Cameroon , Gabon , and NE DR Congo , with outlying records from NW Tanzania and NE Angola .