Sundevall's roundleaf bat

The Usual round leaf-nosed ( Hipposideros caffer ) is a bat from the family of circular sheet tabs ( Hipposideridae ), which is native to Africa.

The genus name is derived from the Greek Hipposideros " hippos " ( = horse) and " sideros " ( = iron) and refers to the horseshoe- shaped structure of the nose leaf. The species name comes from the caffer living in South Africa the Xhosa people, which formerly called the Europeans Kaffer.

Description

The Usual round leaf-nosed bat is a medium size with a total length of 80-90 mm, a forearm length of 43-48 mm, a wing span of 200 mm and an average weight of 8-10 g. The females are slightly smaller (9.5 g ) than males (11 g). Like most horseshoe bats also owns the Usual round leaf-nosed a typical nasal structure consisting of two nose leaves which resemble a horseshoe. The shape of the nose leaves distinguishes this species from other round sheet tabs. The coat color changes seasonally from gray to reddish golden-yellow, with young animals are often gray in color than adult individuals. The partially sympatric Schwesternart Hipposideros ruber is usually larger (forearm length> 48 mm), has a reddish coat color and preferred forested areas as habitat compared to the savanna in which the Usual round blade leading edge is found.

Way of life

The Usual round nose leaf is an agile flier that is also capable of short Schwebflügen, and, like most bats nocturnal. It occurs especially in savannas and specializes in moths (Lepidoptera ). The prey is captured both in flight and on surfaces such as leaves. The bat is reliant on the prey flaps its wings, probably because they detect at echolocation Doppler - shifted information advantage makes the prey. The average frequency of echolocation calls is 140 kHz and is therefore not suitable for the human ear heard. The echolocation calls are typically höherfrequentig than that of Hipposideros ruber.

During the day, the type depends in caves, mines, hollow trees, rooftops and in attics. For nighttime breaks other hanging places to be visited than during the day. The group size can vary depending on the hanging place include up to 500,000 bats, the animals are hanging close to each other, but does not usually touch. Often found in the same Taghangplätzen ruber other bat species such as the Egyptian slit nose ( Nycteris thebaica ) Coleura afra, Hipposideros and Rhinolophus denti. The colonies consist of several likely polygynous harems together, which consist of one male with several females.

Among the known predators include, inter alia, the Fledermausaar ( Macheirhamphus alcinus ). In addition to various ectoparasites and the endoparasite Trypanosoma leleupi has been demonstrated for the Usual round nose leaf, which is related with the pathogen that causes African sleeping sickness in humans. However, transmission to humans is unknown and unlikely.

Reproduction

The gestation period of the ordinary circular blade leading edge, depending on the region 3.5-4 months. In Nigeria, pass between the pairing and the further development of the trophoblast two months, resulting in a total gestation period of 5 months. Females from populations in the northern hemisphere each bear a cub from March to April, while bringing females in the Southern Hemisphere from October to November a cub to the world. Between 13 ° N and 15 ° S, the species is either bimodal or polyöstrisch can reproduce throughout the year. The young are born hairless and with eyes closed. Immediately after birth, the females carry around their young in flight with it, but the boys remain after maximum of one month in the hanging place while the females go in search of food. The young are suckled total 3-3.5 months and start from the age of one month's first flight tests.

Dissemination

The Usual round leaf nose has a wide distribution area, from the west of the Arabian Peninsula over scattered areas south of the Sahara, with densely forested areas are excluded. In addition, the species in southern Algeria, in central Niger is, in east Chad, on the border between Senegal and Mauritania, as well as on the coast of Morocco before. The IUCN estimates the Usual round leaf nose thanks to their wide distribution as an unchallenged, however, points to the declining populations and taxonomic uncertainties.