Aba roundleaf bat

Aba roundleaf bat

Aba leaf-nosed bat

Kingdom
Phylum
Subphylum
Class
Order
Genus
SPECIES
Hipposideros abae

The Aba roundleaf bat (Hipposideros abae ), also known as the Aba leaf-nosed bat is a species of bat in the family Hipposideridae. It is found in west Africa along the southern coast from Nigeria to Senegal. Populations have also been noted in Sudan and Uganda. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, dry savanna, moist savanna, and caves.

Appearance

Allen described its dorsal fur as bistre in color from the shoulders down the rest of the body. The head, neck, and shoulders are lighter in color than the rest of the back.Individual hairs are bicolored on the back, with the base of the hair lighter than the tip.The ventral fur is buffy gray in color, with the throat much lighter than the rest of the ventral surface.Its ears and feet are light brown, while its wing membranes are dark brown.Its total body is 104 mm (4.1 in) long; its tail is 38 mm (1.5 in) long; its foot is 12 mm (0.47 in) long; its ears are 20 mm (0.79 in); and its forearm is 58.5 mm (2.30 in) long.Individuals are variable in color, with three different "color phases" described to classify individuals: a dark phase, a red phase, and an intermediate phase.

Distribution

Geography

It has been documented in the following countries: Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda.While there are no records of it in Mali, Benin, or Chad, it is thought that it probably occurs there as well.It is found in the Guinean forest-savanna mosaic and destroyed rainforests.It has not been documented at elevations greater than 1,000 m (3,300 ft) above sea level.

Population

Conservation

It is currently evaluated as least concern by the IUCN.It meets the criteria for this designation because it has a wide distribution, it tolerates a degree of habitat modification, and its population is likely not in quick decline.It can actually take advantage of deforestation by utilizing the deforested land as habitat.

References

1. Aba roundleaf bat Wikipedia article - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aba_roundleaf_bat
2. Aba roundleaf bat on The IUCN Red List site - https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/10109/22097582

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