Sundevall's Roundleaf Bat
Encyclopedia
Sundevall's roundleaf bat (Hipposideros caffer), also called Sundevall's leaf-nosed bat, is a species of bat
in the family Hipposideridae.
These bats are very similar in appearance to the closely related Noack's roundleaf bat
, and the two have in the past been considered to be the same species. Although more recent research suggests that they are distinct, it is possible that, taken together, they represent a species group
containing a number of cryptic species that have yet to be distinguished.
The bats have large, rounded, ears with a well-developed antitragus
, and a horseshoe-shaped nose-leaf, with a distinctive small projection on either side. There is also an additional serrated ridge of skin behind the main nose-leaf. Both females and males have an extra pair of teats in the pubic region. Although these are vestigial in the males, they can be as long as 4 centimetres (1.6 in) in some females (almost half the body length), yet are never functional. It is possible that these false teats are only present to allow the young something to hold on to while clinging to their mothers.
, Yemen
, and parts of Saudi Arabia
. Four subspecies are currently recognised, although the precise geographic range of each is not yet clear:
The bat is most commonly found in savannah
habitats, and avoids the dense rainforests of central Africa. It is, however, very wide-ranging, and has also been reported in Acacia
shrubland, bushveld
, and in coastal and mopane
forests.
s, which may form up to 92% of their diet. They are apparently selective in their choice of moths, and have been observed to avoid certain species of arctiid
moth that advertise their unpleasant taste by emitting ultrasonic clicks. They have also been found to eat small amounts of beetle
s, flies
, and other insects. Known predators on this species include bat hawks
.
The bats are relatively slow-flying, but highly manoeuvrable in the air, even being able to hover in place for brief periods. They mostly catch moths or other prey in mid-air, but are able to snatch fluttering insects on the ground, using their echolocation calls to distinguish the rapid movement of insect wings from other nearby clutter. The calls consist of a constant frequency component lasting about 6 milliseconds, followed by a short frequency modulated downward sweep. The frequency of the calls varies with geographic locality, but is typically about 140 kHz.
During the day, Sundevall's roundleaf bats roost in caves, tree hollows, or manmade structures such as mines or attic
s. Some cave roosts may host exceptionally large colonies, with as many as 500,000 individuals having been reported from one cave in Gabon
. The colonies seem to have a "harem" structure, with dominant males monopolising access to a number of females. Although they do not truly hibernate, they do sometimes enter torpor
during cold weather.
. Gestation
lasts about three to four months, but in some populations, there may be delayed implantation of the embryo, so that the young are not born until five to seven months after mating.
The female gives birth to a single young, which is initially blind and partially hairless. Although the pups develop deciduous teeth
while still in the womb, these have already disappeared by the time they are born. They begin to fly at about one month of age, and are fully weaned at about three months, by which time they are close to the adult size. They reach sexual maturity at one or two years of age.
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
in the family Hipposideridae.
These bats are very similar in appearance to the closely related Noack's roundleaf bat
Noack's Roundleaf Bat
Noack's Roundleaf Bat is a species of bat in the family Hipposideridae. It is found in Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea,...
, and the two have in the past been considered to be the same species. Although more recent research suggests that they are distinct, it is possible that, taken together, they represent a species group
Species group
A species group is an informal taxonomic rank into which an assemblage of closely related species within a genus are grouped because of their morphological similarities and their identity as a biological unit with a single monophyletic origin.-Use:...
containing a number of cryptic species that have yet to be distinguished.
Description
Sundevall's roundleaf bat is a medium-sized bat, with a head-body length of 8 to 9 cm (3.1 to 3.5 ), and a wingspan of 20 to 29 cm (7.9 to 11.4 ). Adults have a body weight of 8 to 10 g (0.282191696840896 to 0.35273962105112 ). They have long fur, which may be either grey or a bright golden-orange in colour, and brown wings. The fur is generally paler on the underside of the body.The bats have large, rounded, ears with a well-developed antitragus
Antitragus
The antitragus is a feature of mammalian ear anatomy. In humans, it is a small tubercle that points anteriorly, but it may be much larger in some other species, most notably bats. It is separated from the tragus by the intertragic notch.-External links:...
, and a horseshoe-shaped nose-leaf, with a distinctive small projection on either side. There is also an additional serrated ridge of skin behind the main nose-leaf. Both females and males have an extra pair of teats in the pubic region. Although these are vestigial in the males, they can be as long as 4 centimetres (1.6 in) in some females (almost half the body length), yet are never functional. It is possible that these false teats are only present to allow the young something to hold on to while clinging to their mothers.
Distribution and habitat
Sundevall's roundleaf bat is a relatively common species, and is found in almost every African country south of the Sahara, as well as in MoroccoMorocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
, Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, and parts of Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia , commonly known in British English as Saudi Arabia and in Arabic as as-Sa‘ūdiyyah , is the largest state in Western Asia by land area, constituting the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and the second-largest in the Arab World...
. Four subspecies are currently recognised, although the precise geographic range of each is not yet clear:
- Hipposideros caffer caffer
- Hipposideros caffer angolensis
- Hipposideros caffer nanus
- Hipposideros caffer tephrus
The bat is most commonly found in savannah
Savannah
Savannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
habitats, and avoids the dense rainforests of central Africa. It is, however, very wide-ranging, and has also been reported in Acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
shrubland, bushveld
Bushveld
The Bushveld is a sub-tropical woodland ecoregion of Southern Africa that encompasses most of Limpopo Province and a small part of the North West Province of South Africa, the Central and North-East Districts of Botswana and the Matabeleland South and part of th Matabeleland North provinces of...
, and in coastal and mopane
Mopane
The mopane or mopani tree grows in hot, dry, low-lying areas, in elevation, in the far northern parts of southern Africa, into South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Angola and Malawi. The tree only occurs in Africa and is the only species in genus Colophospermum...
forests.
Behaviour
Sundevall's roundleaf bat feeds primarily on mothMoth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
s, which may form up to 92% of their diet. They are apparently selective in their choice of moths, and have been observed to avoid certain species of arctiid
Arctiidae
Arctiidae is a large and diverse family of moths with around 11,000 species found all over the world, including 6,000 neotropical species. This family includes the groups commonly known as tiger moths , which usually have bright colours, footmen , lichen moths and wasp moths...
moth that advertise their unpleasant taste by emitting ultrasonic clicks. They have also been found to eat small amounts of beetle
Beetle
Coleoptera is an order of insects commonly called beetles. The word "coleoptera" is from the Greek , koleos, "sheath"; and , pteron, "wing", thus "sheathed wing". Coleoptera contains more species than any other order, constituting almost 25% of all known life-forms...
s, flies
Fly
True flies are insects of the order Diptera . They possess a pair of wings on the mesothorax and a pair of halteres, derived from the hind wings, on the metathorax...
, and other insects. Known predators on this species include bat hawks
Bat Hawk
The Bat Hawk is a raptor found in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia to New Guinea. It is named for its diet, which consists mainly of bats. It requires open space in which to hunt, but will live anywhere from dense rainforest to semi-arid veld.-Description:The Bat Hawk is a slender, medium-sized...
.
The bats are relatively slow-flying, but highly manoeuvrable in the air, even being able to hover in place for brief periods. They mostly catch moths or other prey in mid-air, but are able to snatch fluttering insects on the ground, using their echolocation calls to distinguish the rapid movement of insect wings from other nearby clutter. The calls consist of a constant frequency component lasting about 6 milliseconds, followed by a short frequency modulated downward sweep. The frequency of the calls varies with geographic locality, but is typically about 140 kHz.
During the day, Sundevall's roundleaf bats roost in caves, tree hollows, or manmade structures such as mines or attic
Attic
An attic is a space found directly below the pitched roof of a house or other building . Attic is generally the American/Canadian reference to it...
s. Some cave roosts may host exceptionally large colonies, with as many as 500,000 individuals having been reported from one cave in Gabon
Gabon
Gabon , officially the Gabonese Republic is a state in west central Africa sharing borders with Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north, and with the Republic of the Congo curving around the east and south. The Gulf of Guinea, an arm of the Atlantic Ocean is to the west...
. The colonies seem to have a "harem" structure, with dominant males monopolising access to a number of females. Although they do not truly hibernate, they do sometimes enter torpor
Torpor
Torpor, sometimes called temporary hibernation is a state of decreased physiological activity in an animal, usually characterized by a reduced body temperature and rate of metabolism. Animals that go through torpor include birds and some mammals such as mice and bats...
during cold weather.
Reproduction
Breeding occurs during the winter in populations in the northern and southern parts of the range. In equatorial regions, although there is still only a single breeding season each year for any given population, this may be aligned with either the northern or southern hemisphere winter, so that some populations geographically close to one another may, nonetheless, be reproductively isolatedReproductive isolation
The mechanisms of reproductive isolation or hybridization barriers are a collection of mechanisms, behaviors and physiological processes that prevent the members of two different species that cross or mate from producing offspring, or which ensure that any offspring that may be produced is not...
. Gestation
Gestation
Gestation is the carrying of an embryo or fetus inside a female viviparous animal. Mammals during pregnancy can have one or more gestations at the same time ....
lasts about three to four months, but in some populations, there may be delayed implantation of the embryo, so that the young are not born until five to seven months after mating.
The female gives birth to a single young, which is initially blind and partially hairless. Although the pups develop deciduous teeth
Deciduous teeth
Deciduous teeth, otherwise known as reborner teeth, baby teeth, temporary teeth and primary teeth, are the first set of teeth in the growth development of humans and many other mammals. In some Asian countries they are referred to as fall teeth as they will eventually fall out, while in almost all...
while still in the womb, these have already disappeared by the time they are born. They begin to fly at about one month of age, and are fully weaned at about three months, by which time they are close to the adult size. They reach sexual maturity at one or two years of age.