Sierra Leone collared fruit bat
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Pteropodidae
Genus: Myonycteris
Species:
M. leptodon
Binomial name
Myonycteris leptodon

Sierra Leone collared fruit bat (Myonycteris leptodon) is a species of megabat found in West Africa.[1]

Taxonomy

The Sierra Leone collared fruit bat was described as a new species in 1908 by Danish mammalogist Knud Andersen. The holotype had been collected by J. Hickman in Sierra Leone.[3] It was considered a subspecies of the little collared fruit bat (Myonycteris torquatus) beginning in 1976; a 2013 study determined that the taxon was indeed genetically distinct enough to be considered a full species.[4]

Description

The Sierra Leone collared fruit bat males weigh an average of 39.9 g (1.41 oz), while females weigh an average of 42.0 g (1.48 oz). Male forearm lengths are about 61.2 g (2.16 oz) compared to females at 61.5 mm (2.42 in). For both sexes, the average head and body length is 107.9 mm (4.25 in).[5]

Biology and ecology

Along with the straw-colored fruit bat and Veldkamp's dwarf epauletted fruit bat, the Sierra Leone collared fruit bat is one of the only African megabats believed to have seasonal migration. It roosts singly or in small groups during the day.[6]

Range and habitat

The Sierra Leone collared fruit bat is found throughout West Africa, including: Ivory Coast, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Togo. It is often found in lowland tropical forests, though has also been documented in habitats that are a mix of forest and grassland.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Monadjem, A. (2020) [amended version of 2016 assessment]. "Myonycteris leptodon". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T84463728A166525357. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T84463728A166525357.en. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  2. ↑ "Myonycteris leptodon". ASM Mammal Diversity Database. American Society of Mammalogists.
  3. ↑ Andersen, K. (1908). "Preliminary descriptions of two new species of Myonycteris". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 8. 2 (11): s 450-451. doi:10.1080/00222930808692510.
  4. ↑ Nesi, Nicolas; Kadjo, Blaise; Pourrut, Xavier; Leroy, Eric; Pongombo Shongo, Célestin; Cruaud, Corinne; Hassanin, Alexandre (2013). "Molecular systematics and phylogeography of the tribe Myonycterini (Mammalia, Pteropodidae) inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear markers". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 66 (1): 126–137. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2012.09.028. PMID 23063885.
  5. ↑ Bergmans, W. (1976). "A revision of the African genus Myonycteris Matschie, 1899 (Mammalia, Megachiroptera)". Beaufortia. 24 (317): 189–216.
  6. ↑ Hurme, Edward; Fahr, Jakob; Eric-Moise, Bakwo Fils; Hash, C. Tom; O'Mara, M. Teague; Richter, Heidi; Tanshi, Iroro; Webala, Paul W.; Weber, Natalie; Wikelski, Martin; Dechmann, Dina K. N. (2022). "Fruit bat migration matches green wave in seasonal landscapes". Functional Ecology. 36 (8): 2043–2055. Bibcode:2022FuEco..36.2043H. doi:10.1111/1365-2435.14097.
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