Schlieffen's bat

The Schlieffen 's bat ( Nycticeinops schlieffeni ) is a species of bat in the family of Myotis bats, which is native to Africa. The genus name is Greek and means " night appearance." The species name honors Wilhelm Graf von Schlieffen, who collected the holotype. The style is as the genus monotypic.

Description

The Schlieffen bat is one of the smallest bats in Africa. The males weigh on average 4.7 g, females 5.1 g, the forearm is in males 29-34 mm, females 30-33 mm long. The fur color varies geographically in different shades of brown, the hair is colored. The peritoneum is usually of a paler brown or whitish. The hair of the peritoneum are two-colored in darker individuals. The Schlieffen bat has a flattened, slightly hairy snout, small rounded ears and a blunt tragus. The calcar fringed over half of the edge of the tail wing membrane. It differs from Nycticeius humeralis mainly by the shape of the penis bone, but also by the shorter snout.

Way of life

The Schlieffen bat is like most bats nocturnal and feeds on insects, which they captured in flight. It hunts mainly in water nearby forests and meadows, as well as in the dry season on the aquatic environment. The species is relatively early in the evening and active furagiert about two hours. In Zimbabwe make beetles during the dry season, 50 % of the diet, followed by caddisflies ( 41%) and moths ( 6%). In the rainy season the food to 71% of beetles, 19% of flies and 5% of moths is. Spends the day the Schlieffen bat in rock crevices, tree cavities, buildings, cellars and ruins. She is described as a loner, but can also be found in small groups. The reproduction phase of the Schlieffen bat varies geographically. In the subtropical region Pafuri in the Kruger National Park, the pairing takes place in June. The females store the sperm in the uterus until ovulation in late August. In November, the females give birth to one to three pups. Fledermausaare ( Macheiramphus alcinus ) are known hunters of the Schlieffen bat.

Distribution and habitat

The Schlieffen bat is found in many parts of Africa south of the Sahara, as well as in Egypt. The species is classified by the IUCN due to the widespread than safely.