Hipposideros caffer (Sundevall, 1846)

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 : 500

Hipposideros caffer (Sundevall, 1846)

Rhinolophus caffer Sundevall, 1846: 118 .

COMMON NAME. — English: Common African Leaf-nosed Bat. French: Phyllorhine de Cafrerie.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 28 specimens.

Mount Cameroon area • 1♀; Buea ; 4°09’34”N, 9°12’00”E; 1850 m; 20.XI.1957; Martin Eisentraut leg.; SMNS 6584 • 7 specimens; Mubenge Isongo ; 4°05’00”N, 9°00’00”E; 0 m; 20.II.1938; Martin Eisentraut leg.; ZMB 67683, 67728 to 67763 • 4 specimens; Mu- konje; 4°35’02”N, 9°30’18”E; 113 m; 16.II.1938; Martin Eisentraut leg.; ZMB 67683, 67728 to 67730 .

Other localities of Cameroon • 1 specimen; Mamfe ; 5°46’00”N, 9°17’00”E; 459 m; Mansfeld leg.; ZMB 67688 • 2 specimens; Moungo river ; 4°02’50”N, 9°33’41”E; Buchholz leg.; ZMB 5005, 8390 • 1 specimen; Bonge river ; 4°28’00”N, 12°22’00”E; Sjöstedt Yngve Bror leg.; ZMB 6945 • 2 specimens; Ndian river ; 4°45’00”N, 8°44’00”E; Sjöstedt Yngve Bror leg. ZMB 6944,6946b • 1 specimen; Yaoundé ; 3°52’00”N, 11°31’00”E; 726 m; Zenker Georg August leg.; ZMB 8424 • 5 specimens; Bipindi ; 3°05’00”N, 10°25’00”E; 184 m, Zenker Georg August leg.; ZMB 10166, 10167, 67704 to 67706 • 4 specimens; Nsanakang ; 5°53’00”N, 8°59’00”E; 137 m; Diehl E leg.; ZMB 67691, 67761 to 67763 .

ORIGINAL DATA. — The occurrence of this species in Mount Cameroon was mentioned by Hill (1968), but we did not capture any individual attributed to this species during our field surveys.

HABITATS AND DISTRIBUTION. — Hipposideros caffer is widespread in most biotic zones of sub-Sahara Africa, particularly woodland savannah habitats, extending into some suitable localities in the rainforest zones ( Happold 1987; Bernard & Happold 2013). The species generally prefers savannah habitats but has also been recorded in coastal forest and bushveld habitats close to water bodies ( Bernard & Happold 2013). Large colonies roost in caves, mines, buildings and culverts ( Happold 1987; Monadjem et al. 2010).

REMARK. — Hipposideros caffer is regarded as a species complex ( Kock et al. 2008; Vallo et al. 2008). Three subspecies were recognized by Simmons (2005), including: H. c. angolensis Seabra, 1898 ; H. c. nanus J.A. Allen, 1917 ; and H. c. tephrus Cabrera, 1906. Vallo et al. (2008) recognized two distinct clades, H. c. caffer inhabiting southern Africa and H. c. tephrus, inhabiting the Maghreb, West Africa and Arabian Peninsula. Additional molecular data are required to resolve the taxonomy of the caffer/ruber complex.