caught at Massi waterhole, Lama forest
reproductive
Just hanging under a tree about 8ft from the ground. Another guest kind guest called John showed us where they were (he's a lovely bloke - very funny!) The map location is pretty much spot-on - they were in the tree/bush that's marked on the side nearest to the closest building.
C-C: 8.8, M^1-M^1: 11.6, C-M^1: 13.1
caught at Layon 13, Lama forest
caught at Massi waterhole, Lama forest
reproductive
invaginated epaulettes
C-C: 8.8, M^1-M^1: 11.6, C-M^1: 13.1
C-C: 7.0, M^1-M^1: 10.5, C-M^1: 11.9
Identification of these small Epomophorus bats in Kasanka is a bit tricky: they clearly belong to the crypturus/labiatus/minimus group based on the pattern of the palatal ridges. Morphometrically, they agree with what Bergmans & van Strien (2004) identified as "E. cf. labiatus" from Malawi, and are smaller than E. crypturus, E. angolensis, and E. anselli.
However, these small Epomophorus would also agree in measurements with what was previously called E. minor, and what is now generally accepted as E. minimus. The latter species is currently assumed to range from Ethiopia to East Africa, with no records near Kasanka NP. Based on distribution, Kasanka specimens are tentatively referred to E. labiatus.
Bergmans, W., Van Strien, N., 2004. Systematic notes on a collection of bats from Malawi. I. Megachiroptera: Epomophorinae and Rousettinae (Mammalia, Chiroptera). Acta Chiropterologica 6(2) 249-268.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3161/001.006.0205
C-C: 10.4, M^1-M^1: 13.4, C-M^1: 16.3
Adult female: lactating and pregnant.
10.000s of individuals of E. helvum roosting in trees along an avenue leading to the house of the prefect, and in surrounding trees of the prefecture;
Picture 1+3: Simon Ghanem
small group roosting in low palm tree in private garden
I had just exited the Skukuza Tourist Shop. To the right of the exit, hanging from the rafters, were maybe a dozen bats. Return visits showed that this is a common place for them to rest during the day, and that some were even mothers with infants tucked under their wings. I looked them up in the mammal guide in the shop, but I could not distinguish whether the bats were Wahlberg's epauletted fruit bats (Epomophorus wahlbergi) or Gambian epauletted fruit bats (E. gambianus). I know it's unlikely, but if anyone can tell based on the distribution or picture, I would be interested to find out.
GPS-logger # FT 14 taking off...
A Group of Wahlberg's Epauletted Fruit Bats come here every spring (October) to mate and raise their offspring. They sleep during the day in a King Palm (Archontophoenix alexandrea). At the moment we have about 14 bats here with at least 4 female bats with babies, some smaller juvenile bats and some grown up bats. The maximum we counted 32 bats here in our palm tree. They come every year to the same tree.
Since October 2014 we have a single Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus species) living in our garden at Littlewood Garden. It sleeps during the day in our "Cave Bar" next to the swimming pool. It doesn't seem to be very scared of us.
A small group of Epauletted Fruit Bats. They would roost in this particular tree from time to time. I would often look for them when I walked around.