Black clinging ba, Lesser bent-winged bat
The lesser long-fingered bat (Miniopterus fraterculus ), also known as the black clinging bat or lesser bent-winged bat, is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae.
It is found in western Southern Africa, south East Africa, and parts of Central Africa.Its natural habitats are temperate forests, temperate shrubland, caves, and subterranean habitats (other than caves).
It has been assessed as least-concern by the IUCN.
It is common and widespread through a number of small ranges throughout Africa. The bat is found in Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. The upper elevation limit for the bat is around 2,200 meters above sea level.
It is found in dry bushveld, lowveld, mistbelt, and forest habitats, where caves, tunnels, unused mines and railways, and rocky overhangs are present. It roosts in caves, overhangs, disused mines, and railway tunnels. In the KwaZulu-Natal it has also been observed in damp sandstone caves, a solution cave of glacio-fluvial boulder clay, a rocky overhang over a forest stream, a rock fissure, a railway tunnel as well as from unused mine adits.
The species is insectivorous.
The species has been assessed as least-concern by the IUCN Red List due to lack of threats to the species and its large range. It is also presumed to have a large population.
The species faces no major threats in Africa.
It is found in Tanzania's Manga Forest Reserve and is presumably also found in other protected areas across its range.
