African three-tooth leaf nose
| African three-tooth leaf nose | ||||||||||||
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| Triaenops afer | ||||||||||||
| Peters , 1877 |
The African three-toothed nose ( Triaenops afer ) is a bat in the family of the round nose (Hipposideridae), which occurs in Africa .
The taxon has long been listed as a subspecies or synonym of the Persian three-toothed nose ( Triaenops persicus ). It has been recognized as a species since 2009 . According to the revision, the new status is primarily based on clear genetic differences between African and West Asian populations. In addition, there is less variation in the size of the individual specimens in the African three-toothed nose.
features
The species reaches a total length of 82 to 108 mm, including a 25 to 38 mm long tail. It has 49 to 60 mm long forearms, a wingspan of 305 to 336 mm, 8 to 12 mm long hind feet and 10 to 16 mm long ears. This means that most of the individuals are larger than the three-toothed leaf noses of Madagascar .
Like other generic representatives, the species has a nasal blade with a round basic shape made up of 13 elements. Above it there are three spear-like outgrowths that together resemble a trident . Furthermore, the head is characterized by quite small, funnel-shaped ears that are clearly separated from each other. The eyes are tiny. In terms of coat color, the African three-toothed nose is dimorphic with a gray-brown and an orange variant. In the gray-brown variant, the soft and dense fur on the upper side is made up of 6 to 7 mm long gray-brown hair with brown tips. The underside here is lighter gray-brown to beige . The fur of the orange morph is bright red-brown with a golden sheen all over its body.
The species is the only representative of the genus on the African mainland. On the other hand, there are other African bats with a trident-like structure on the nasal blade. In the trident leaf noses ( Asellia ) the spear tips are not narrow, but rather uniformly triangular. Percival's small-eared trident leaf nose ( Cloeotis percivali ) is significantly smaller with a forearm length of up to 36 mm.
distribution
The African three-toothed leaf nose occurs with several separate populations in eastern Africa. It can be found from Djibouti in the north to Mozambique and Zimbabwe in the south. Another population lives on the Atlantic from the southern tip of Gabun to the northwest tip of Angola . The largest stocks can be found in the vicinity of coastal forests and gallery forests . Other tree-lined areas and savannas also serve as habitats .
Way of life
During the day, this bat rests in trees, bushes, caves or in quiet areas of mines. Smaller groups or large colonies with several hundred or thousand members form at the roost . The African three-toothed nose begins to hunt insects during twilight or shortly after, using echolocation . In a study from the 1940s, mainly remains of butterflies were recorded in the stomach. Several captured females were pregnant with one embryo.
status
Disturbances in caves or intensification of mining can have a negative impact on the population in certain areas. On the other hand, the species is widespread and numerous in suitable habitats. The IUCN lists the African three-toothed nose as Least Concern .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World . A taxonomic and geographic Reference . 3. Edition. 2 volumes. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 (English, Triaenops persicus afer ).
- ↑ a b c d Triaenops afer the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2017. Posted by: Monadjem, A. & Shapiro, J., 2016. Accessed September 16, 2017th
- ↑ a b Petr Benda and Peter Vallo: Taxonomic revision of the genus Triaenops (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) with description of a new species from southern Arabia and definitions of a new genus and tribe. ( Memento of the original from September 16, 2017 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Folia Zoologica 58, Monograph 1, 2009, pp. 1-45
- ↑ a b c d e Meredith Happold: Triaenops afer . In: Jonathan Kingdon, David Happold, Michael Hoffmann, Thomas Butynski, Meredith Happold, Jan Kalina (eds.): Mammals of Africa. Volume IV: Hedgehogs, Shrews and Bats. Bloomsbury, London 2013, ISBN 978-1-4081-2254-9 , pp. 399-400.
