Lissonycteris angolensis (Bocage 1898)

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Chiroptera - Family Pteropodidae, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 1, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 313-350 : 325

Lissonycteris angolensis (Bocage 1898)

[Cynopterus] angolensis Bocage 1898 , J. Sci. Math. Phys. Nat. Lisboa, ser. 2, 5: 133.

Type Locality: Angola, Quibula, Cahata, Pungo Andongo.

Vernacular Names: Angolan Soft-furred Fruit Bat.

Subspecies: :

Subspecies Lissonycteris angolensis subsp. angolensis Bocage 1898

Subspecies Lissonycteris angolensis subsp. goliath Bergmans 1997

Subspecies Lissonycteris angolensis subsp. petraea Bergmans 1997

Subspecies Lissonycteris angolensis subsp. ruwenzorii Eisentraut 1965

Subspecies Lissonycteris angolensis subsp. smithii Thomas 1908

Distribution: Gambia, Senegal, Guinea Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Sudan, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea (Bioko only), Republic of Congo, Dem. Rep. Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique.

Conservation: IUCN / SSC Action Plan (1992) – Not Threatened as Rousettus (Lissonycteris) angolensis . IUCN 2003 – Lower Risk (lc) as Rousettus angolensis .

Discussion: Some authors have split this complex into more than one species: smithii was recognized as distinct by Peterson et al. (1995) and Cotterill (2001 e), and goliath and petraea were also treated as distinct species by Cotterill (2001 e). However, the most recent comprehensive revision of this complex is that of Bergmans (1997), who treated these taxa and ruwenzorii as subspecies of angolensis . Ongoing work by Kock et al. (2002) and J. Fahr (pers. comm.) supports Bergmans (1997) treatment of smithii as a subspecies of angolensis ; the status of goliath, petraea, and ruwenzorii remains unclear. Pending further study, which should include molecular comparisons, I have chosen to follow Bergmans (1997) although it seems likely that more than one species may be present in this complex.