Hipposideros caffer (Sundevall, 1846)

Bates, Paul J. J., Cameron, Kenneth, Pearch, Malcolm J. & Hayes, Benjamin, 2013, A review of the bats (Chiroptera) of the Republic of Congo, including eight species new to the country, Acta Chiropterologica 15 (2), pp. 313-340 : 321

Hipposideros caffer (Sundevall, 1846)

Sundevall’s leaf-nosed bat

Rhinolophus caffer Sundevall, 1846: 118 ; Near Durban, South Africa.

New material

HZM.244.40187 , ♂, 3 August, 2012, Lebayi Cave , Lekoumou, 2°42.045’S, 13°35.968’E. Previous records included in Appendix I ; the known distribution corresponds to localities 5, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, and 29 in Fig. 1 . This is an apparently common to very abundant species in optimum habitats in Africa ( Happold and Happold, 2013).

Description

A small leaf-nosed bat with a forearm length of 49.7 mm ( Table 2 ). Apart from their smaller size, the external features, including the noseleaf, are similar to those of H. ruber described above. With a skull length of 18.13 mm ( Table 3 ) and an upper toothrow length (C–M 3) of 6.18 mm, the skull is smaller than that of H. ruber . The chambers of the rostrum appear similar in size, proportionately, to those of H. ruber ; this finding is in contrast to Kock (1969) and Happold and Happold (2013). The frontal depression is very shallow and the well defined supraorbital ridges join the sagittal crest, which is less well developed than in H. ruber , on the anterior part of the braincase. This is in contrast to H. ruber , where they join in the mid-part of the constriction between the rostrum and the braincase. The dentition is comparable to that of H. ruber but proportionately smaller ( Fig. 5A ). The penis is long; no baculum was recovered from the single specimen examined — either it is absent or was so small as to be overlooked in the dissection.

Taxonomic notes

See H. ruber (above). Following Happold and Happold (2013), this specimen from southern Congo is referred to H. c. angolensis .

Figures

APPENDIX I A list of the forty-three bat species currently recorded from Congo, including citations in the literature and locality data. CS (Conservation status – NT: Near threatened; DD: Data deficient; LC: Least concern) is based on IUCN Red List of Threatened Species retrieved on 8 May, 2013. Two species listed here have not been assessed (na) by IUCN for their conservation status but rather have been included within other taxa: Triaenops afer in Triaenops persicus and Chaerephon leucogaster in Tadarida pumila. Superscripts associated with localities in column 4 refer to the superscripts for the literature cited in column 3

FIG. 1. Localities from which bats have been collected in Congo based on the literature and current study (see Appendix I). Size of red dot is proportional in area to the number of species collected from that locality. Habitat types are based on Bergmans (1979). Localities (listed in Appendix III): (1) Pointe-Noire; (2) Hinda; (3) Loandjili; (4) Tchissanga; (5) Koubotchi; (6) Ménengué; (7) N’Gongo; (8) Dinguembo; (9) Béna; (10) Goumina; (11) Sounda, Gorge of; (12) Makaba; (13) Bouloungi; (14) Dimonika; (15) Mayombe; (16) Bamba, col du Mont; (17a–c) Loudima-Kimongo (includes Cave of Doumboula, Cave of Loudima, and Cave of Viaduc); (18a,b) Kila N’Tari and Mouyondzi; (19a–h) Bangou Massif (includes Bouaboumpono, Cave of Kimanika, Cave of Matouridi, Meya / Cave of Meya-Nzouari, Cave of Meya-Nwadi, Mountembessa, Cave of Mpasa, and Cave of Mpoka); (20) Voka; (21) Kinkala; (22) Ile M’Bamou; (23) La Région du Pool (Stanley Pool); (24) Brazzaville; (25) Grand Bois; (26) Sibiti; (27) Komono; (28) Divenié; (29) Lekoumou; (30) Lesio-Louna Reserve; (31) Ngabé; (32) Plateau Konkouya; (33) Lékana; (34) Djambala; (35) Ewo; (36) Konda; (37) Ubangi (Oubangi); (38) Mouth of Ubangi River; (39) Kellé; (40) Odzala/Odzala National Park; (41) Kango; (42) Impfondo; (43) Epena. Scale as marked. C.A.R.= Central African Republic; D.R. Congo = Democratic Republic of Congo

FIG. 5. Lateral view of anterior skull and mandible of (A): Hipposideros caffer, HZM.244.40187, ♂ and (B): H. ruber, HZM.78.40176, ♂. Scale = 2 mm