The distribution and status of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in the Cape Province

Si 0(* ((*2)1)1 J QH195 .A323A55 * ^_nnals of the Cape Provincial Museums Natural History Ann. Cape Prov. Mus. (nat. Hist.) Volume 16 Part 4 21st January 1985 LIBRARY JUN 41985 A. M. N. H i Published jointly by the Cape Provincial Museums at the Albany Museum, Grahamstown, South Africa ANNALS OF THE CAPE PROVINCIAL MUSEUMS These Annals are published in two series, Natural History and Human Sciences, the latter series covering cultural history, ethnology, anthropology and archaeology. They are issued in parts at irregular intervals as material becomes available. The primary objective of these Annals is to disseminate the results of research work undertaken by staff members of the Cape Provincial Museums. However, a manuscript by any author is eligible for publication provided it is based wholly or partly on the collection/s o one or more of these museums or if the material on which the work is based is wholly or partly deposited in one of these museums. Parts are obtainable from the Librarian of the Albany Museum. Correspondence in connection with these Annals should be addressed to the Editor, Albany Museum, Grahamstown 6140. Editor DrF.W.GESS: 1978The distribution and status of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in the Cape Province by J. C. HERSELMAN and P. M. NORTON (Cape Department of Nature and Environmental Conservation, Private Bag 5014, Stellenbosch, 7600) CONTENTS Page 74 Abstract 74 Introduction 75 Survey methods ' V ' 7 79 Distribution and status of individual taxa; biological notes Suborder Megachiroptera Fam%lZ7k~hlberSi Wahlberg's Epauletted Fruit Bat 79 Epomophorus crypturus Peters Epauletted Fruit Bat ^ Eidolon helvum Straw-coloured Fruit Bat gl Rousettus aegyptiacus Egyptian Fruit Bat Suborder Microchiroptera Family Emballonuridae g3 Taphozous mauritianus Mauritian lombBat Family Nycteridae g3 Nycteris hispida Hairy Slit-faced Bat Nycteris thebaica Egyptian Slit-faced Bat Family Rhinolophidae 07 Rhinolophus fumigatus Riippell s Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus darlingi Darling's Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus clivosus Geoffroy's Horseshoe Bat ^ Rhinolophus capensis Cape Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus denti Dent's Horseshoe Bat __ Rhinolophus swinnyi Swinny's Horseshoe Bat Hipposideros caffer African Leaf-nosed Bat Family Vespertilionidae q4 Myotis seabrai Angola Wing-gland Bat _, Myotis lesueuri Lesueur's Wing-gland Bat 73 ANN. CAPE PROV. MUS. (NAT. HIST.) VOL. 16, PT. 4, JANUARY 1985 Myotis tricolor Cape Hairy Bat 96 Pipistrellus nanus Banana Bat 97 Pipistrellus kuhlii Kuhl's Pipistrelle 99 Eptesicus hottentotus Long-tailed House Bat 100 Eptesicus melckorum Melck's House Bat 101 Eptesicus capensis Cape Serotine 102 Eptesicus notius Cape Horn-skinned Bat 103 Laephotis wintoni De Winton's Long-eared Bat 104 Scotophilus dinganii Yellow House Bat 105 Kerivoula lanosa Lesser Woolly Bat 105 Miniopterus fraterculus Lesser Long-fingered Bat 107 Miniopterus schreibersii Schreibers' Long-fingered Bat 107 Family Molossidae Sauromys petrophilus Roberts' Flat-headed Bat 109 Tadarida condylura Angola Free-tailed Bat Ill Tadarida pumila Little Free-tailed Bat 1H Tadarida aegyptiaca Egyptian Free-tailed Bat Ill Discussion 113 Conservation of bats in the Cape Province 118 Acknowledgements 120 References 121 Appendix: Gazetteer of localities mentioned in the text 122 ABSTRACT Distribution maps with notes on taxonomy, distribution and status, habits, food and breeding are presented for 29 species of bats occurring in the Cape Province of the Republic of South Africa. Comparisons are made between data from the survey, which lasted from 1976 to 1979, and specimens examined in South African museums. The main motivation for the survey was the conservation of bats. A high priority was placed on collecting from roosts. Some very scarce and endemic species were collected and many interesting new localities were recorded. UITTREKSEL Verspreidingskaarte met aantekeninge oor die taksonomie, verspreiding en status, gewoontes, voedsel en aanteel van 29 species vlermuise wat in die Kaapprovinsie van die Republiek van Suid-Afrika voorkom, word aangebied. Vergelykings word gemaak tussen gegewens wat versamel is tydens die intensiewe opname, wat vanaf 1976 tot 1979 geduur het, en monsters wat bestudeer is in die groter Suid-Afrikaanse museums. Die motivering vir die opname was die bewaring van vlermuise, en 'n hoe voorkeur is geplaas op die versameling van data in die skuilplekke van elke spesie. Sommige van die baie skaars en endemiese spesies is versamel, en interessante nuwe voorkoms lokaliteite is gevind. INTRODUCTION In their identification manual for African Chiroptera Hayman & Hill (1971) express the opinion that there is unlimited scope for further work on practically every aspect of African bat systematics and biology. Up to now very little more than incidental collecting has been done in the Cape Province. Although naturalists such as Roberts, Shortridge and Allen collected much material and made substantial contributions to bat taxonomy, little information on their ecology is available. 74 HERSELMAN, NORTON: DIST. AND STATUS OF BATS (MAMMALIA: CHIROPTERA) IN THE C.P. The only attempt at an ecological study in the Cape Province was made between 1960 and 1963 when approximately 500 cave bats of the species Rhinolophus capensis, Rhinolophus clivosus, Miniopterus schreibersii and Nycteris thebaica were banded at De Hoop cave, Koegelbeen cave and at Die Oog (Kuruman) by B. Copley, Q. Siegrist and C. Gow, according to information from the Transvaal Museum bat banding project. Unfortunately there was no tollow-up and therefore no information on the migration and longevity of the species was collected. . The present project was initiated to provide basic information on the conservation status of this large group of mammals and to draw attention to the important role that bats are likely to play in the natural ecosystems of the Cape Province. Whereas the frugivorous species are essential in nature as seed propagators, the insectivorous species are of considerable economic importance in the control of nocturnal insect populations. According to Davis et at. (1962) the free-tailed bats of Texas are capable of destroying 6 600 tons of insects yearly. Similarly, Dwyer (1964) calculated that Miniopterus schreibersii destroy about 200 pounds of insects per night in the Macleay Valley in Australia. At the second International Bat Research Conference held in Amsterdam in 1970 delegates from 20 countries agreed that the numbers of almost all bat species are declining, and that further research on the ecology of most species is essential tor their survival (Stebbings 1970). The main reasons for the decline in numbers were listed as the effect of insecticides, lost habitat and unnecessary slaughter. They concluded that several species around the world are already endangered. To draw up an effective conservation plan for bats it is necessary to find out their distribution and numbers, and to have a basic understanding of their roosting behaviour and seasonal movements. It was decided to start by concentrating on those species which congregate in large communal roosts, since these would be the easiest places to apply active conservation management. This paper reports on data on the status and distribution of all bats that were accumulated during field work, and more detailed information on population dynamics and migrations in some of the larger roosts will be reported elsewhere. Most recent studies on the regional distribution of mammals in southern Africa include generalized and somewhat repetitive summaries of what is known of the biology of each bat species. Therefore the biological notes included here are mostly restricted to data collected during the study or else information in the literature that refers particularly to bats in the Cape Province. „ The survey was carried out over the whole of the Cape Province (Fig. 1), an area ot 641 500 km2. All previous checklists on the mammals of South Africa were written with the inclusion of Transkei, Bophuthatswana and East Griqualand (the remainder of the Cape Province to the east of Transkei) in the Cape Province. However, these areas were excluded from the present study because the first two are now independent states and East Griqualand has been transferred to the province of Natal. SURVEY METHODS The first priority was to gather information on bat roosts. For this an intensive press campaign was carried out. In addition, letters of inquiry were sent to selected high schools and individuals yielding information on localities of about 120 roosts. The field survey started during the winter of 1976 and lasted until the end of 1979. During this period several additional localities were found. 75 ANN. CAPE PROV. MUS. (NAT. HIST.) VOL. 16, PT. 4, JANUARY 1985 As some species undertake seasonal migrations each roost was visited twice, the visits being in different seasons. Except for observations on nocturnal behaviour all visits were made during daylight. For safety at least two people entered the roosts at a time, and each wore a mine-torch, helmet and boots. To keep disturbance to a minimum the stay inside the roost was limited to not more than one hour. During each visit notes on the numbers of each species in the population, the amount of guano, recaptures of banded bats, depth of the cave or mine, habits, temperature and humidity were recorded on field data sheets. A small sample of up to 20 bats of each species was taken with a hand-net, the size of the sample depending on the number in the population. Where roosts were too dangerous to enter, or where the openings were too small, mist-net samples were taken during the evenings at the time of emergence. On windy evenings, when the effectiveness of mist-nets was low, bats were shot on emergence with a .22 rifle loaded with dustshot. 76 HERSELMAN, NORTON: DIST. AND STATUS OF BATS (MAMMALIA: CHIROPTERA) IN THE C.P. It soon became apparent that the scarcer species would be overlooked, if collecting at roosts was the only sampling method used, and mist-nets were therefore erected over reservoirs or streams in suitable areas. The nets were manned for at least five hours per night, starting from sunset, and bats were taken from the net at hourly intervals. Although this method yielded little information on the status of the species caught, it was useful for recording occurrence. In many areas, especially in the drier parts of the north-western Cape, up to 20 bats ot five different species were caught per night. , . . , . 0 At the De Hoop Cave, where the more intensive population study was carried out, a variation of the Tuttle-trap (Constantine 1956, Tuttle 1973) was used for catching the bats At this site nearly 8 000 individuals of Miniopterus schreibersu, Myotis tricolor, Rhinolophus clivosus and Rhinolophus capensis were banded for the purpose of studying migration (Herselman & Norton in prep.) and population dynamics. Bats to be prepared as museum specimens were killed with chloroform, fixed for 24 hours in 5% formalin, and preserved in 70% ethyl alcohol. Pregnant females were dissected to free the embryo for growth studies. The old preservative was replaced with a new solution every six months. . All the specimens collected were catalogued in the laboratory using the first three letters of the genus name and a three-digit number from 001 to 999 followed by the letter J (for Jonkershoek). For example, the fiftieth collected specimen of Nycteris thebaica would1 be catalogued as NYC 050 J. The identification of most of the material was carried out by the senior author, using descriptions and keys in Roberts (1951), Ellerman er al. (1953) and Hayman & Hill (1971). On a few occasions material was sent to Dr I. L. Rautenbach of the Transvaal seum and to Prof J. Meester of the University of Natal. The entire collection of more than a thousand specimens of 19 species has been deposited in the Kaffranan Museum in King William's Town. During the study the Transvaal Museum in Pretoria, the Kaffrarian Museum in King William's Town, the Albany Museum in Grahamstown, and the South African Museum in Cape Town were visited to examine their bat material from the Cape Province. The authors are not aware of any other significant collections from this region and hope that these four collections contain the majority of bat specimens from the Cape Province available in South Africa. A gazatteer was drawn up for all survey and museum specimens (Appendix). For survey material most spot localities were plotted to the nearest minute, whereas localities of museum specimens could seldom be recorded more accurately than the quarter degree grid square. The distribution of survey sampling sites is shown in Fig 2. Localities of both survey and museum records were plotted on the maps using quarter degree squares and localities ot special importance mentioned in the literature are indicated by an "S". To bring the distribution of each species into perspective a small map of Africa showing the approximate attribution range was drawn from information in Hayman & Hill (1971), Kingdon (197 ) an Smithers (1983). The text for each species includes a summary of the material examined, with the number of specimens and the localities where they were collected. Museum records are identified as follows: (TM) for the Transvaal Museum in Pretoria, (KWT) for the Kaffrarian Museum in King William's Town, (SAM) for the South African Museum in Cape Town, and (AM) for the Albany Museum in Grahamstown. 77 ANN. CAPE PROV. MUS. (NAT. HIST.) VOL. 16. PT. 4, JANUARY 1985 The order and taxonomy of all species follows that of Hayman & Hill (1971), with corrections and up-dating according to Swanepoel et al. (1980). At the start of the survey the authors traced approximately 900 bat specimens from the Cape Province that had been deposited in South African museums, representing 23 of the 30 species then recorded in the Province. The collection with the largest number of specimens (440) was in the Kaffrarian Museum at King William's Town. A large number of specimens is also housed in museums overseas, including many type specimens, but these are not easily accessible for taxonomic and distributional study in this country. The present survey yielded more than a thousand specimens of 21 species, which represents a substantial addition to the museum material available in the Cape Province. Nearly all of these specimens have been sent to the Kaffrarian Museum. The specimens were collected from localities distributed throughout the Cape Province, however, sampling was concentrated 78 HERSELMAN, NORTON: DIST. AND STATUS OF BATS (MAMMALIA: CHIROPTERA) IN THE C.P. mostly in the mountainous areas of the province with caves and mines suitable for large roosts (Fig. 2). DISTRIBUTION AND STATUS OF INDIVIDUAL TAX A; BIOLOGICAL NOTES Suborder MEGACHIROPTERA: Family PTEROPODIDAE Epomophorus wahlbergi (Sundevall, 1846) The genus Epomophorus is easily recognized by the tuft of white hair at the ha* of the ear. E. wahlbergi differs from all other species of the genus occurring m Afneai inthafoit ta only one well-developed post-dental palatal ridge, whereas the others have two Hffl 1971). However, Meester et al. (1964) mention the possibility that E. wahlbergi may be SUXtertsfa95^r a range of 80-86 nun for the forearm length of E. t*. The range for the seven specimens collected during this survey from three locaht.es is 77,585,5 mm. Distribution and status ... Epomophorus is the most widespread of all African fruit bat gei™ 1971) E. wahlbergi can be found in a large part of central eastern and southern AJnca^In the Cape Province its distribution seems to be limited to the south-eastern and eastern Cape (Fie 3) A series of specimens was collected from Grahamstown by J. C. Greig and C. T. Stuart of this Department. The authors collected one specimen far south as Keurbooms River. From discussion with various people in the eastern Cape ap pears that the species is fairly common in the area. ^^This species seems to roost in trees and was never found in caves or mines. In Walmerthe authors often saw them resting in pine and cypress trees where they uttered the'r characfonstrc pinging sound. They appeared to prefer soft fruits which they earned from the low fruit trees to feeding roosts in higher trees. Material examined Survey _ 5 Grahamstown, 1 Keurbooms Reserve, 1 Walmer. Museums-2 Alice, 1 Balossi, 1 Bedford, 1 Blaney, 1 Gladstone, 51 King Wilham's Town 2 Peddie, 3 Pirie (KWT); 2 King William's Town, 14 Port St Johns, lUmtata (SAM); 1 Bedford, 30 Grahamstown, 2 King William's Town, 1 Pine (AM). Epomophorus crypturus Peters, 1852 Peters' Epauletted Fruit Bat The single specimen of this species caught during the survey was separated from E wahlbergi on the basis of the second post-dental palatal ridge as well as on more general rater nal features However, this could not be confirmed because there are no Cape specimens in the South African museums. Roberts (1951) noted .marked difference in forearm.length beween the two species, with E. crypturus being considerably shorter, but Hayman & Hill (1971) 79 ANN. CAPE PROV. MUS. (NAT. HIST.) VOL. 16, PT. 4, JANUARY 1985 showed that the ranges overlap. The single specimen of E. crypturus collected had a forearm of 77,8 mm, which is just within the range of 77,5-85,5 mm the authors established for E. wahlbergi. Distribution and status According to Hayman & Hill (1971) this species occurs from the equator southwards across most of the continent, except for the dry western parts of South West Africa, the western Cape Province and the Karoo. Meester et al. (1964) state that it occurs in the eastern Cape, and Ellerman etal. (1953) record that it has been collected from Pine. During the survey one specimen was collected in Grahamstown, but no Cape specimens could be traced in the museums. The distribution in the Cape Province must therefore be very limited (Fig. 3), and the status of the species rare. 80 HERSELMAN, NORTON: DIST. AND STATUS OF BATS (MAMMALIA: CHIROPTERA) IN THE C.P. Material examined Survey — 1 Grahamstown. Eidolon helvum (Kerr, 1792) Straw-coloured Fruit Bat This species is distinguished by its long wings, which are the longest for any bat in the Cape Province. They are also longer in proportion to the body than for any other area. Distribution and status This species occurs as a migrant over the entire continent, but is rarely recorded in southern Africa (Meester et al. 1964). A specimen from the Barkly West High School was shot in an ore hard during 1916. Photographs of one shot in Middelburg (Cape) during 1970 were also eXdmMusdeum specimens are from localities as widely separated as Hondeklipbaai in the northwest Cape and Tylden in the eastern Cape. Other published localities include Bedford and Steynsburg (eastern Cape) and Griqualand West (Roberts 1951). Thus E. helvum may• e found in most of the Cape Province, except for the southern and eastern coastal regions (Fig. 4). However, it is rare in this area and only visits during the summer fruiting season. Habits . . . Little is recorded of the habits of E. helvum in the Cape Province. Where it occurs it is almost always found feeding in deciduous fruit trees. Material examined Survey — 1 Barkly West. Museums —1 Mazelsfontein (TM); 1 Hondeklipbaai, 1 Namaqualand, 1 Tylden, 1 Vryburg (SAM). Rousettus aegyptiacus (E. Geoffroy, 1810) Egyptian Fruit Bat This is the only cave-dwelling fruit bat species in the Cape Province. Hayman & Hill (1971) record that the Egyptian fruit bats occurring in the Cape Province belong to the subspecies R. a. leachii, although Roberts (1951) regarded R. leachii as a valid species. Distribution and status The Egyptian fruit bat occurs over a large part of Africa, but in the Cape Province it is restricted to the south-western, southern and eastern coastal regions (Fig. 4). Roberts (1VM) states that it is rarely found inland from the coastal belt. It is therefore of interest that it was found in the Swartberg near Oudtshoorn and in the Winterhoek mountains near Porterville. Some evidence of migration was found, although the distances involved were not very great. Bats that had been marked by G. R. Robinson at Storms River Mouth were collected during the fruit season of November to February in the Langkloof, about 50 km away. The species is abundant in its distribution area and gathers in large groups of up to a thousand in suitable caves. Habits These are the only fruit bats that are able to use echo-location, and this allows them to roost in dark caves. They were found in larger caves along the coastal areas, usually in associ81 ANN. CAPE PROV. MUS. (NAT. HIST.) VOL. 16, PT. 4, JANUARY 1985 ation with up to four insectivorous species. They typically occupy the "twilight areas just inside the entrances of caves, whereas the insectivorous species roost further in where it is completely dark. They are very noisy, and are easily alerted when the caves are entered. Food They were seen eating peaches, apricots, apples, loquats and the fruit of yellow-wood (Podocarpus) and hard pear (Olinia) trees. It appears that only ripe fruits are eaten, which means that damage in gardens and orchards only occurs during a short period. Thus the extent of damage caused is often exaggerated. For the greater part of the year they feed on wild fruit and in this way act as important seed propagators of a wide range of indigenous plants and trees. 82 HERSELMAN, NORTON: DIST. AND STATUS OF BATS (MAMMALIA: CHIROPTERA) IN THE C.P. Breeding , Infants were seen at Helderberg Cave in early January, and some of the females caught then were still pregnant. During January 1978 females netted in a peach orchard near to this cave were carrying infants of about two-thirds their weight. Material examined Survey - 1 Bat's Cave, 3 Bean-se-bos, 1 Die Hel, 1 Helderberg, 2 Keurbooms Reserve 1 Krakeel River, 1 Robertson, 3 Skeleton Cave, 1 Storms River Mouth, 1 Twee Riviere, 2 Wynberg. , Museums - 7 Knysna, 5 Skeleton Cave (TM); 1 Amabele, 1 East London,2 King William s Town, 2 Patensie, 2 Pirie (KWT); 1 Knysna, 1 Table Mountain (SAM), 1 Amabele, 3 Bedford, 2 Grahamstown, 1 King William's Town, 2 Mqanduh, 1 Salem, 1 Swellendam (AM). Suborder MICROCHIROPTERA: Family EMBALLONURIDAE Taphozous mauritianus E. Geoffroy, 1818 Mauritian Tomb Bat This is the only species of the family occurring in the Cape Province. It can be recognized easily because its tail separates from the interfemoral membrane and merges on the upper side about half-way down its length. Distribution and status According to Hayman & Hill (1971) this species is widely distributed over a large part of the continent, in most savanna regions south of the Sahara. Meester et a/. (1964) stated that its Cape distribution is limited to the southern and eastern Cape. No specimens were collected during the survey, but the two Cape specimens in the museums confirmed thl* s°ath®™ a" eastern distribution (Fig. 5). A specimen recently collected at Hartswater (2724 DD) by Erasmus & Rautenbach (in press) suggests that the species may prove to be sparsely dis ri uted over most of the Cape Province. Habits c , Erasmus & Rautenbach (in press) state that this species has the habit of roosting head downwards against the trunks of large trees or under the eaves of buildings. Material examined Museums—1 Heidelberg (SAM); 1 Alicedale (AM). Family NYCTERIDAE Nycteris hispida (Schreber, 1775) Hairy slit'faced Bat References to the occurrence of this species in the Cape Province (Ellerman et al. 1953, Meester et al. 1964) seem to be based entirely on a single dry skin housed in the South Atncan Museum (ZM 5444) and prepared from a specimen that was collected at p°rt St Johns by Shortridge in 1902. It was caught at the same time as a series of more than 20 N. thebaica adults, but was separated from these on the grounds of its smaller size and lighter coat colour. 83 ANN. CAPE PROV. MUS. (NAT. HIST.) VOL. 16, PT. 4, JANUARY 1985 However it was caught in January, a time when one can expect to find juveniles of most bat species, and comparison with N. thebaica juveniles from other area' y,e^^enn°cJeo7^rthS evispecimen should be separated from the more common species. In ^ absence of further dence the authors do not consider N. hispida as part of the Cape bat fauna. . , t • E r 181R Egyptian Slit-faced Bat Nycteris thebaica E. Geoffroy, 1818 This is the only species of the family Nycteridae that definitely occurs in the Cape Province It is easily recognized by its very large oval ears. Another outstanding character is t deep groove between the nose-leaves, which extends from the nostril to a line between the baSCRoberts'(1951) regarded N. capensis as the senior synonym of N. thebaica, which he incorrectly attributed to A. Smith, 1834, and gave the subspecies capensis and damarensis. How ever Ellerman et al. (1953) and Meester et al. (1964) recognized Geoffroy s earlier description 84 HERSELMAN, NORTON: DIST. AND STATUS OF BATS (MAMMALIA: CHIROPTERA) IN THE CP. of N. thebaica, but listed the same subspecies. This was followed by Hayman & Hill (1971), although they did not commit themselves on the validity of the subspecies. Distribution and status ,_oii « H:i, N thebaica is widely distributed in open country over most of Africa (Hayman & Hill 1971) In the Cape Province it occurs throughout the western, south-western and eastern parts of the province although it has not been found in the forests of the southern coastal belt (Fig. 6). In spite of its wide distribution it is nowhere common. ^ These bats normally use caves, disused mines, undisturbed rooms and cellars as resting Dlace7 where they hang free from the roofs by their hind legs. They seem to prefer smaller caves or mines, where they gather in small numbers (up to 200 individuals of both sexes). They 85 ANN. CAPE PROV. MUS. (NAT. HIST.) VOL. 16, PT. 4, JANUARY 1985 were nearly always found on their own or with Rhinolophus species in the resting places, but in the De Hoop Cave they occurred with Myotis tricolor and Miniopterus schreibersn. Slit-faced bats have characteristically long ears, suggesting that their hearing, and therefore echo-location ability, is very well-developed. This, combined with their manoeuvrability meant that they were very difficult to catch in traps or mist-nets. This ability to manoeuvre around obstructions may explain why they were usually found deeper in the cavess or mines than any other bat species. They normally fly low, about one metre above the ground, with a Sl°W Some 'evidence of Migration was found. In Namaqualand severalcavesweredesertedfor long periods in late summer and winter, and in the Bredasdorp area the sli -faced bats disappeared from the De Hoop Cave and Spitskop Mine for several months at a time Too few bats were marked to allow the establishment of a pattern of migration, but it is unlikely that they migrate over very long distances. thebaica usually forages on or near the ground where it picks up ground insects and then carries them to suitable resting places before eating them. During the survey several such resting places were found. Some were adjacent to, or even in, the roosts. Food remains found in resting places in the Namaqualand and Richtersveld of the north-western Cape showed large numbers of bladder grasshoppers (Pneumondae), and some scorpions and ordinary grass hoppers (Acrididae). Two females, each with a single infant, were taken at Forest Ranch during November and young infants were seen in the De Hoop Cave in December. Three females from Dnefontem were caught in early November. All were pregnant with a single implanted foetus. A female collected in October from Sandberg was also pregnant whereas females collected during January and February were not pregnant. These data indicate that parturition occurs in November and December only, which is a markedly shorter period than the September—February period given by Smithers (1971) for the species in Botswana. Material examined Survey — 1 Amalinda, 1 Bakleisdrif, 1 Blouputs, 2 Brandkaros, 1 De Hoop, 1 Donngkraal, 2 Doringpoort River, 4 Driefontein, 2 Forest Ranch, 3 Hester Malan, 6 Kersbos, 1 Kroomie, 1 McGregor, 1 Montagu Cave, 3 Okiep, 1 Sandberg, 1 Sewefontein, 1 Skrik van Rondom, 1 Spitskop, 5 Vrolijkheid, 2 Welbedacht Mine, 1 Wondergat. Museums — 1 Goodhouse, 11 Grahamstown, 5 Grootvadersbos, 3 Keikamspoort, 11 Kersbos, 6 Twee Riviere (TM); 1 Alice, 2 Atherstone, 3 Compagmes Drift, 1 Ganes, 5 Goodhouse, 1 Graaff-Reinet, 14 Rangerton (KWT); 1 De Hoop, 1 Hawston, 1 Hex River, 21 Port St Johns (SAM); 1 Abbotsburg, 7 Brakkloof, 2 Despatch, 1 Fort Brown, 1 Glenlea, 4 Grahamstown, 6 Kleinpoort, 1 Lessendrum 1 Manlev Flats, 1 Moneysworth, 1 Port Alfred, 1 Port Elizabeth, 1 Salem, 1 Stones Hill (AM). 86 HERSELMAN, NORTON: DIST. AND STATUS OF BATS (MAMMALIA: CHIROPTERA) IN THE C.P. Family RHINOLOPHIDAE Bats of this family have a distinct horseshoe-shaped nose-leaf with a pointed lancet behin the horseshoe. Species distinction rests mainly on the form of this structure with dentmon forearm length as secondary characteristics. However, as the taxonomy of several of t species occurring in the Cape Province is rather confused the whole genus probably needs vision. Rhinolophus fumigatus Ruppell, 1842 RtlPPell'S Horsesh0e Bat There is some argument whether R. fumigatus should include the subspecies uetfuops or whetler^^d be a species in it's own right (Hayman & Hill large Rhinolophus appears to be very rare in the Cape Province if it occurs at all. All mention 87 ANN. CAPE PROV. MUS. (NAT. HIST.) VOL. 16. PT. 4. JANUARY 1985 Habits Little is known of its habits, most specimens being caught when flying at night, either inside forests or not far from them (Roberts 1951). Smithers (1971) and Rautenbach (1982) found them roosting under the loose bark of dead trees. Material examined Museums — 1 Port St Johns (SAM); 2 Pirie (AM). Eptesicus hottentotus (A. Smith, 1833) Long-tailed House Bat This species is noticeably larger than any other Eptesicus in the Cape Province. Two subspecies, E. h. hottentotus and E. h. pallidior, are mentioned in checklists of mammals of South Africa. Roberts (1951) and Meester et al. (1964) list the distribution range of E. h. hottentotus as the eastern, southern and south-western Cape as far north as the mountains of Little Namaqualand, and that of E. h. pallidior as the north-western Cape Province and South West Africa. According to Roberts (1951) E. h. hottentotus has a slightly shorter wingspan and a darker colour than E. h. pallidior, which is light yellow in colour. However, the specimens obtained during the study do not support such a clearcut division with respect to wing-length and colour. A female caught at Rocherpan on the west coast in April 1978 is dark in colour and has a forearm length of 47,5 mm, thus showing characteristics of E. h. hottentotus. Five specimens caught at Taung in Bophuthatswana, which falls within the distribution of E. h. pallidior, cannot be separated from the Rocherpan specimen. Their colour is also dark brown and their forearm lengths range from 47,0 to 51,5 mm, which is not noticeably greater than that of the Rocherpan specimen. Distribution and status The Taung series was collected about 400 km to the east of the South West African border and about 600 km east of Goodhouse, which was the most easterly site where E. h. pallidior had been collected before the survey. Therefore, it probably also occurs in the western Transvaal and southern Botswana although it has never been collected in these areas. The new localities show a wide distribution of E. h. pallidior in the western, north-western and northern Cape Province (Fig. 13). However, the species is rare in the Cape Province, since only six specimens from two localities were collected during the survey. There are a further seven specimens in the South African museums. They are from three localities and were all collected before 1938. Habits The Rocherpan specimens were netted flying low over a marsh and the Taung series was taken from a small hollow in rocks situated at the entrance to an old mine tunnel inhabited by Miniopterus schreibersii. Material examined Survey — 1 Rocherpan, 5 Taung. Museums — 4 Goodhouse, 2 Hex River Estate (KWT); 1 Cape Town (SAM). 100 HERSELMAN, NORTON: DIST. AND STATUS OF BATS (MAMMALIA: CHIROPTERA) IN THE C.P. Eptesicus melckorum A survey J5*U35° 31° Fig. 14The distribution of Eptesicus melckorum in the Cape Province. Eptesicus melckorum Roberts, 1919 Melck's House Bat Eptesicus melckorum and E. capensis are very similar in outward appearance but ^ere are marked differences in their forearm and skull measurements. At Herbertsdale and Vrohjkhei both species were found together in roofs. Distribution and status Hayman & Hill (1971) mentioned five Zambian specimens as constituting the only material collected outside the Cape Province and suggested that they might belong to a local subspecies. Most other authors stated that E. melckorum occurs only in the south-western Cape. During the survey the majority of specimens came from this area. However two females collected at Three Sisters and Graaff-Reinet in the Great Karoo indicate a slightly wider distribution (Fig. 14). 101 ANN. CAPE PROV. MUS. (NAT. HIST.) VOL. 16, PT. 4. JANUARY 1985 Within its distribution area E. melckorum is quite common and is usually found in hiding places in groups of several individuals. Habits In most cases this species was found roosting under the eaves of buildings but a few specimens were mist-netted over water in the early evening. The specimen from Three Sisters was found under the bark of a poplar tree. Breeding Three pregnant females, two with twin foetuses, were found at Sandberg during late October. Material examined Survey _ 1 Aurora, 1 Bontebok Park, 1 Bot River, 4 Compagnies Drift, 2 De Hoop, 1 Ebb-and-flow, 1 Graaff-Reinet, 1 Goukamma, 2 Herbertsdale, 2 Hester Malan, 1 Jonkershoek, 2 Rocherpan, 3 Sandberg, 1 Strand, 1 Three Sisters, 4 Vrolijkheid, 2 Ysterfontein. Museums —2 Berg River, 1 Norap, 1 Stilbaai (TM); 1 Assegaaibosch, 1 Clanwilliam, 1 Rocherpan (SAM); 1 Compagnies Drift, 1 Oudtshoorn (AM). Eptesicus capensis (A. Smith, 1829) Cape Serotine Roberts (1951), Ellerman et al. (1953) and Meester et al. (1964) list three subspecies of this bat, of which only E. c. capensis occurs in the Cape. However, Meester et al. (1964) state that the subspecies need revision, particularly with respect to their geographic ranges and Hayman & Hill (1971) do not recognize any separate subspecies. Distribution and status E. capensis is fairly common throughout the Cape Province (Fig. 15) and a number of individuals are usually found together in each roost. Because of its habit of roosting in houses it is one of the few bat species that may have increased in numbers as a result of man's acivities. Habits In the majority of cases E. capensis was found hiding in small crevices under the eaves of buildings. On a few occasions specimens were netted over water. At Brandvlei one specimen was taken from wool-bags hanging from the roof of a garage. Breeding Pregnant females were collected in early November at Barkley West and juveniles were found in late November at Barkly East. Material examined Survey — 1 Barkley East, 6 Barkly West, 5 Bontebok Park, 1 Brandvlei, 2 Canaga, 4 Die Oog, 1 Elliot, 1 Herbertsdale, 1 P.K. le Roux Dam, 1 Riebeeck-Oos, 1 Robertson, 2 Rolfontein, 1 Steyerskraal, 3 Vrolijkheid. Museums — 2 Keiskamspoort, 1 Kuruman, 1 Vryburg (TM); 3 Atherstone, 6 Compagnies Drift, 2 Ezelfontein, 19 Kaggasmoudt, 22 King William's Town, 2 Lady Grey, 1 Middelburg. 2 Paddagat, 4 Tambookies Drift, 3 Traveller's Rest. 13 Lambert's 102 HERSELMAN, NORTON: DIST. AND STATUS OF BATS (MAMMALIA: CHIROPTERA) IN THE C.P. Bay, 1 Simonstown (SAM); 1 Blythswood, 1 Brakkloof, 1 Compagnies Drift, 12 Grahamstown, 2 Jameston, 1 Kaggasmoudt, 1 Kei Road, 1 Kimberley, 2 King William's Town, 2 Kleinpoort, 1 Pirie, 1 Stones Hill, 3 Victoria West, 1 Waterloo (AM). Eptesicus notius G. Allen, 1908 Cape Horn-skinned Bat It is unlikely that this is a valid species. It is known only from the type specimen which was collected in Cape Town in 1908 and is now housed in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard, Massachusetts, U.S.A. Koopman (1975) considered this specimen as a slightly aberrant individual of E. capensis, possibly infested with nematodes, and this view is followed by Swanepoel, Smithers & Rautenbach (1980). Therefore the present authors do not consider E. notius as part of the Cape bat fauna. 103 ANN. CAPE PROV. MUS. (NAT. HIST.) VOL. 16. PT. 4. JANUARY 1985 Laephotis wintoni Thomas, 1901 De Winton's Long-eared Bat Bats of this genus are very rare in collections and only one specimen has been taken in the Cape Province (Rautenbach & Nel 1978). Hayman & Hill (1971) lumped all specimens under the species L. wintoni, but later Hill (1974) divided the genus into four distinct species with L. wintoni in East Africa, L. botswanae from Zambia and Botswana, L. angolensis from Angola and L. namibensis from South West Africa. This division was based on only 25 specimens. In February 1978 Rautenbach & Nel (1978) netted a specimen over a river at the Algeria Forest Station in the Cedarberg (Fig. 16). These authors compared nine measurements of this specimen with those of the four known species using a multivariate analysis and came up with the rather surprising result that their specimen was by far closest to the East African L. wintoni which is geographically the most distant. This led them to say that the taxonomic status of the genus is not satisfactorily resolved and can only be by the acquisition of more material. 104 HERSELMAN, NORTON: DIST. AND STATUS OF BATS (MAMMALIA: CHIROPTERA) IN THE C.P. On the above evidence Laephotis wintoni is provisionally included in the bat fauna of the Cape Province. It is not clear whether the specimen represents a well-established local population. Because of the low number of specimens collected its status in Africa must be described as "rare" although the widespread distribution range suggests that it may occur naturally very low numbers. Material examined Museums — 1 Algeria (TM). , j. -/a Qmith ism Yellow House Bat Scotophilus dinganu (A. Smith, I8SS) The genus Scotophilus is characterized by having only one upper incisor, one upper^premolar, three lower incisors and two lower premolars on each side. ^ its taxonomy. Robbins (1978) has shown that 5. gigas should be called 5. nigrita and that al specimens that have been identified as 5. nigrita since the late 1800s must now be called 5^ dinganii. S. dinganii is the only species that has been collected in the Cape P™™?- Hayma & Hill (1971), Meester ef al. (1964) and Roberts (1951) recognized three subsPecies of ^ they called 5. nigrita and stated that the subspecies pondoensts occurs only in the eastern Cap Province. Distribution and status . No material was collected during the survey, but 27 museum specimens were examined (Fig. 16). All these specimens labelled as S. nigrita, were collected in the eastern Cape between 1931 and 1941. Recently Erasmus & Rautenbach (in press) collected a sPec™en Kalahari Gemsbok National Park which they separated from the closely relatedIS vmduusmg a morphometry identification model even though its colouring was more like this speciesit S. dinganii. Thus the species appears to have a very restricted distribution ,n the eastern and northern Cape although it is fairly widespread in Africa. Habits Roberts (1951) stated that this species usually lives under the eaves of buildings or m deserted nests of woodpeckers and barbels. Erasmus & Rautenbach (in press) record that.the specimen was flying with several others, probably of the same species, over a drinking trough in savanna woodland. Material examined . Museums —1 Amabele, 3 Atherstone, 1 Kaggasmoudt, 17 King William s Town (KWT), 1 Port St Johns (SAM); 1 Gleniffer, 2 King William's Town (AM). Kerivoula lanosa (A. Smith, 1847) Lesser Woolly Bat This species is characterized by its long, woolly hair, 38 teeth in the dentition (the same as Myotis) and high cranium (similar to Miniopterus). Hayman & Hill (1971) question whether K harrisoni, K. lanosa and perhaps K. muscilla represent distinct species or merely local forms of one widespread species. 105 ANN. CAPE PROV. MUS. (NAT. HIST.) VOL. 16, PT. 4, JANUARY 1985 Distribution and status Seven specimens of this rare species were examined (Fig. 17). There are four museum specimens from the eastern Cape and two from Knysna in the southern Cape. During the survey one specimen was collected at Dennebos near Knysna. It appears to be restricted to the forested regions of the southern and eastern Cape. The overall conservation status of this species depends to a large extent on whether it proves to be clearly distinguishable from K. harrisoni. Habits All localities where specimens of K. lanosa have been collected show that the species has an affinity for forests. Roberts (1951) stated that most specimens were taken from the hanging nests of birds such as weavers. 106 HERSELMAN. NORTON: DIST. AND STATUS OF BATS (MAMMALIA: CHIROPTERA) IN THE C.P. Material examined. Survey — 1 Dennebos. Museums — 1 Knysna (TM); 1 Cullendale, 1 Knysna, 3 Pirie (AM). Miniopterusfraterculus Thomas & Schwann, 1906 Lesser Long-fingered Bat Bats of the genus Miniopterus are easily distinguished by the elongated second phalanx of the third digit. The four species listed by Hayman & Hill (1971) as occurring in Africa are all very similar in appearance and are usually separated on forearm and skull lengths. However, there is some overlap in both size and distribution ranges, and the taxonomy of the genus is therefore rather confused. Hayman and Hill (1971) record two species for the Cape Province, M. fraterculus and M. schreibersii. The former is generally regarded as being smaller than the latter although the forearm length classes of 42-44 mm and 42-47 mm respectively used by Hayman & Hill (1971) cannot be considered as diagnostic characters. These authors mention that M. fraterculus has variously been included in M. minor and M. schreibersii. However they follow Harrison & Clancey (1952) in declaring it a separate species, without giving clear reasons for the distinction. During the present study different forms of Miniopterus were found on several occasions. In large roosts of Miniopterus occasional individuals had a russet or partly russet colour and appeared to be smaller than the typical dark blackish-brown coloured M. schreibersii. These small, russet individuals were assumed to belong to M. fraterculus, and this identification was supported by Prof. J. Meester (pers. comm.) who examined some of the specimens. However, wet specimens were very difficult to separate and this may have led to mis-identifications in the collection. Distribution and status Roberts (1951) recorded M. fraterculus from Knysna and Hayman & Hill (1971) stated that it occurs in the eastern Cape Province, eastern Transvaal, southern Malawi and Zambia. During the survey at least eight specimens were collected at five roosts in the southern and eastern Cape but no Cape specimens were found in the museums (Fig. 17). Due to confusion with M. schreibersii it is difficult to assess its status. However, it does not appear to be rare in the Cape Province. Habits In every instance this species was found in the same roost as M. schreibersii. No evidence could be found of how the two species differ ecologically. Material examined Survey — 2 Bat's Cave, 1 Gant's Mine, 2 Millwood Mines, 2 Sterkstroom, 1 Storms River Mouth. Miniopterus schreibersii (Kuhl, 1819) Schreibers' Long-fingered Bat This species is by far the most abundant cave-bat found in the Cape Province, where it is represented by the subspecies M. s. natalensis (A. Smith. 1834). 107 ANN. CAPE PROV. MUS. (NAT. HIST.) VOL. 16, PT. 4, JANUARY 1985 Distribution and status M. schreibersii has a very wide distribution, being found in Africa, Asia and Australia. In Africa it occurs throughout the continent south of the Sahara. The subspecies M.s. natalensis is found from the southern Congo and Zambia southwards (Hayman & Hill 1971). It is abundant in the Transvaal (Van der Merwe 1972a) and Natal (Harrison & Clancey 1952). During the survey large colonies were found in all regions of the Cape Province (Fig. 18). At De Hoop 157 specimens were collected for population dynamics studies, and a further 3UU specimens were collected from localities throughout the province. The species is very common in the Cape Province. However, its marked decline in so^e areas due to disturbance at the roosts gives cause for concern. This may be of considerable economic importance, since large colonies are likely to have a substantial influence on local insect populations. 108 HERSELMAN, NORTON: DIST. AND STATUS OF BATS (MAMMALIA: CHIROPTERA) IN THE C.P. ^Rats of this species congregate in very large colonies, especially in the nursery caves such as the De Hoop Cave where about 80 000 females form a nursery colony during the summer LlsDeC™g«,e seasonally and banding studies have shethat individutlis migrate a TTuZ n97ri9D73cH197P5)Tdy these movements appear S'S with the selection of suitable sites for winter hibernati0" Within roosts these bats gather in large densely-packed 2 8M *— and Myotis tricolor. Breeding females examined at De Hoop in October 158 (93%) were pregnant. Parturition took place from the end of October to the middle of November. The infants were left ,n dense clusters against the walls while the females fed or rested in the cave. There is some evi dence that females suckle offspring other than their own, since a pregr.antfemak infant was collected. Twinning is rare and was found in only one out of more than p g "antDurin'g\he survey only four nursery caves were located, at De Hoop in the south-western Cane K™egdbeen Cave in the northern Cape, Bloukrans Cave in the Karoo and the disused MaMand Mines in the eastern Cape. These nursery caves are considered to play an importan role in the survival of the species. Material examined „ nSurvev — 9 Rat's Cave, 28 Bean-se-bos, 21 Bloukrans, 157 De Hoop, 3 Die Oog, 18 Hel 1 Droevlakte, 49 Gant's Mine, 4 Goegab, 1 Grahamstown, 1 Hansies ^ e Mine 1 Hot Pot, 1 King William's Town, 22 Koegelbeen Cave :8 Marcus ^ud Crawl, 8 Millwood Mines, 52 Montagu Cave, 3 Nabeeb Mine 4 Norlim Mine, 2 Orrelgat, 1 Puntjie Cave, 22 Roodebergskloof, 10 Sknk van Rondom, 2 Skurweberg Cave, 17 Sterkstroom, 4 Storms River Mouth. Museums — 3 Knysna, 3 Table Mountain (TM); 69 King William's Town, 1 Patens1^' 1 Schoenmakerskop (KWT); 2 De Hoop 1 King William s T<)wry l^nysna 1 Wynberg (SAM); 4 Buffelskloof, 1 Dunbrody, 1 Glemffer, 4 King Williams Town, 6 Mqanduli, 1 Redhouse, 11 Slaaikraal (AM). Family MOLOSSIDAE «.-» 1Q17"! Roberts'Flat-headed Bat Sauromys petrophilus (Roberts, 191 /) As the common name suggests the skull of this bat is conspicuously flattened, a chara^eristic which cleTrly separates If from species of Tadarida, the other free-tailed genus. When originally describing it. Roberts (1917) placed it under genus, but Sauromys has now been elevated to generic rank (Hayman & Hill 1971). ine gen as a whole is limited to southern Africa. 109 ANN. CAPE PROV. MUS. (NAT. HIST.) VOL. 16, PT. 4, JANUARY 1985 Distribution and status During the survey no specimens of this species were collected. Only eight museum speci mens were located bearing out the statement of Hayman & Hill (1971) that flat-hea e a are not numerous in collections. . , „ All the specimens are from the south-western Cape and Namaqualand (Fig. 19), an a , except those from Augrabies Falls, were collected before 1940, suggesting that t e sPeci®s 1S very rare in the Cape. However, the main reason for their scarcity seems to be that t ey ave very specific habitat requirements and Rautenbach (pers. comm.), who collecte e w Augrabies Falls specimens in 1970 and 1977, is of the opinion that they will prove to e more widespread if more intensive searches are made in areas with suitable habitats. 110 HERSELMAN, NORTON: DIST. AND STATUS OF BATS (MAMMALIA: CHIROPTERA) IN THE C P. flattened heads of these bats enable them to roost in very narrow crevices between rocks, where they usually occur singly or in pairs (Smithers 1971). Material examined tvwrr\ Museums - 2 Augrabies Falls, 1 Michell's Pass (TM); 1 Clanwilliam, 4 Goodhouse (KWT). Tadarida condylura (A. Smith, 1833) An8ola Free-tailed Bat Roberts (1951), Ellerman el al. (1953), Meester et al. (1964) and Hayman & Hill (1971) state that this free-tailed bat occurs from the eastern Cape Province northwards over a large part of Africa. However, during the survey no specimens were collected and no material from the Cape Province was found in the South African museums. Since a large proportion of the eastern Cape has been excised to form Transkei it is quite likely that this marginal species does not occur within the present borders of the Cape Province. Tadarida pumila (Cretzschmar, 1826) Little Free-tailed Bat As suggested by the common name this species is noticeably smaller than any other freetailed bat in the Cape Province. Distribution and status Before the survey the little free-tailed bat was only recorded from the eastern parts of southern Africa. However, in February 1978 a series of 13 specimens, all femates was^mistnetted over water by Rautenbach & Nel (1978) at the Algeria Forest Station in the Cedarberg^ During the present survey a single female was collected in August 1978 from a farm dam at Goegab near Springbok. In September 1979 a series of 10 specimens was mist-netted in the same place. During the same month two males and a female were caught at Algeria and another female was caught at Michell's Pass near Ceres. H^crrihpd nrnhahlv The range of this species therefore seems to be greater than originally described, probaby extending southwards along the mountain chains of the south-western JaPe Province (F!| 19) The present study also refutes the idea of sex segregation mentioned by Rautenbach (1978). The rate of success with mist-netting suggests that the species may be more common in the western Cape than was previously thought. Material examined Survey — 3 Algeria, 11 Goegab, 1 Michell's Pass. Museums — 13 Algeria (TM). Tadarida aegyptiaca (E. Geoffrey, 1818) Egyptian Free-tailed Bat This is the largest free-tailed bat in the Cape Province. Roberts (1951) ™og"ize!L T. aegyptiaca and T. bocagei as distinct species, but Hayman & Hill (1971) regar T. a. aegyptiaca and T. a. bocagei as two subspecies of T. aegyptiaca, with the slightly smal er and darker T. a. bocagei occurring in the drier western parts of southern Africa. Ill ANN. CAPE PROV. MUS. (NAT. HIST.) VOL. 16. PT. 4. JANUARY 1985 Distribution and status According to earlier authors T. aegyptiaca occurs all over the Cape Province and over the greater part of the continent. The present survey confirmed its wide distribution in the province (Fig. 20), showed that it is fairly common throughout, and has several large colonies of a few hundred individuals. Its conservation status appears to be secure. Its habit of roosting in buildings, especially churches, suggests that it is one of the few insectivorous species to have benefitted from man's activities. Habits Colonies were found in cracks between rocks. T. aegyptiaca also congregates in crevices in buildings. It has a strong musky odour. As suggested by Shortridge (1942) it is seldom associated with other bats, although at Herbertsdale it was found in the same roof as Eptesicus 112 HERSELMAN. NORTON: DIST. AND STATUS OF BATS (MAMMALIA: CHIROPTERA) IN THE C.P. capensis. It appears to congregate to breed, as indicated by the fact thait . series-00 specimens from Junction Farm consists only of pregnant females collected from clefts in rocks near waterholes. Heavily pregnant females were found at several localities during November, suggesting that births take place towards the end of November or the beginning of December. Material examined 0 Survey - 1 Abraham Kriel, 10 Algeria, 1 Aronegas 2 Barkly East, 3 Cape 2^Do - ingbaa., 3 Elliot, 4 Goegab, 1 Graaff-Reinet, 1 Grahamstown 2 Herbertsdale, 1 Herbertshope, 10 Junction Farm, 3 Middelburg, 3 Rtversdale, 1 Rolfontem, 2 Wellington, 2 Wilgerfontein, 1 Vrolijkheid. Museums-4 Algeria, 1 Augrabies Falls, 1 Burgersdorp, 2 Kamferboom 1 Twee Rmere 2 Van Wyksvlei (TM); 3 King William's Town, 3 Upington (KWT), 1 Cape Town, 2 King William's Town, 1 Pirie (SAM); 2 Aliwal North 1 Blythswood, 1 Fort Beaufort, 7 Grahamstown, 3 King William's Town, 10 Middleton, 1 Peddle, 1 Victoria West, 7 Waterloo (AM). DISCUSSION During the survey a considerable amount of information was gathered on the. occurrence and numbers of bats in the Cape Province, especially of the communalspeciescong - gate in large roosts. However, the conservation status of many species is still not clear. I here Ire four main reasons for this. Firstly, the taxonomy of several species or groups of species is rather confused. Secondly, the excision of Transkei from the Capej^ovmce excludesmost o the known range of several of the marginal tropical species from the eastern Cape Thirdlyfar more intensive netting programme will have to be carried out to form an accurate picture of the solitary species, which may naturally occur in rather low densities. Fourthly, although some of the communal species may be abundant, it was difficult to show whether they were maintaining their numbers or declining. ... .. , . . _w_ t_ ,pnaratP it To determine the distribution and status of a species it is essential to be ^able to separate,i from other closely related species. The groups of species from the Cape ined more closely in order to resolve taxonomic problems involving such differentiation a . Myotis seabrai and M. lesueuri; the four species of the genus Laephotis; Rhinolophus ^"ftan R swinnyi', Kerivoula lanosa and the East African K. harnsoni; Rhinolophus chvosus, R. capensis and R. darlingr, and the two Miniopterus species, M. schretbersu andIM. lus. The last two groups deserve special attention because they show nostic characters used and furthermore often occur together in large colonies. Thereiorea clear ecological separation will have to be documented before they can be convincingly identifiedas^di^er ^ species that seems to have been confused is Pipistrellus nanus and P. kuhlii. Initially the authors also found it difficult to separate them using the key in Hayman & Hill (1971), but later found they could be clearly separated on skull characters. 113 ANN. CAPE PROV. MUS. (NAT. HIST.) VOL. 16, PT. 4, JANUARY 1985 Other problems caused by mis-identifications are the records of Eptesicus notius and Nycteris hispida in the Cape. E. notius is now generally considered invalid as a species, being merely an aberrent E. capensis. The record of N. hispida is based on a single specimen that was found with several N. thebaica adults and was most probably a juvenile of this species. Whether or not species are endemic to the Cape Province also depends upon taxonomic interpretation. Myotis lesueuri is recorded as endemic to the Cape but, if it proves to be conspecific with M. seabrai, its range is somewhat greater. Although Kerivoula lanosa is listed only from the Cape Province in Hayman & Hill (1971), Rautenbach (1982) and Smithers (1983) record it from the Transvaal and other areas in southern Africa. If it proves to be conspecific with K. harrisoni, the species' distribution range will include a large part of Africa. There is too much disagreement on the taxonomy of African bats at the subspecific level for it to be possible at present to reach a conclusion about the presence of endemic subspecies in the Cape Province. Table 1 summarizes what is known of the conservation status of bats in the Cape Province. It shows that 16 species can be considered as rare in the province. This number can be divided into two groups, those that are only marginally distributed and those that are nowhere common. The excision of part of the eastern Cape to form Transkei has affected the status of the marginal tropical species in the Cape Province. Of these Hipposideros caffer and Tadarida condvlura had only been recorded from what is now Transkei. At present it seems doubtful whether T. condylura occurs within the present borders of the province. During the survey H. caffer was recorded from the north-western Cape which means that the species can still be considered as part of the Cape bat fauna. Because this study concentrated on the roosts of communal species insufficient data were gathered on the solitary species to determine their true conservation status. Of the 16 species listed as rare in Table 1, nine are nowhere common and may naturally occur at low densities. Most of them appear to have specialized habitat requirements and consequently have seldom been collected. This has resulted in the taxonomic confusion of many of the rare species. The authors are fairly confident that an intensive netting progamme, especially in the drier areas of the Karoo and Namaqualand, would show several of the "rare" species to be fairly common within a restricted habitat. It is difficult to say whether there has been any great change in distribution and status of the more solitary species in recent years, mainly because so little netting has been carried out. What is needed is an intensive netting programme in all of the localities where "rare" species have been collected in the past and then selective trapping for particular species in similar habitats where they are likely to occur. Since most of the more solitary species occur in low densities and in scattered roosts there seems to be little that can be done to conserve them at this stage. The major threats are insecticides and unnecessary killing by people. Therefore the priorities are an insecticide testing programme to monitor the effects of pesticides and public education to create a greater awareness of the value of bats in nature. The more gregarious bat species, which gather in large colonies, are in a very different position. Not only is it known that in some places, such as the Kalk Bay Caves on the Cape Peninsula and the Cango Caves near Oudtshoorn, large colonies have almost disappeared but it is possible to take active steps to prevent further damage in other areas where large colonies are still to be found. 114 HERSELMAN, NORTON: DIST. AND STATUS OF BATS (MAMMALIA: CHIROPTERA) IN THE C.P. TABLE 1 Summary of specimens and known conservation status of bats in the Cape Province Species Epomophorus wahlbergi Epomophorus crypturus Eidolon helvum Rousettus aegyptiacus Taphozous mauritianus (Nycteris hispida) Nycteris thebaica Rhinolophus fumigatus Rhinolophus darlingi Rhinolophus clivosus Rhinolophus capensis Rhinolophus denti Rhinolophus swinnyi Hipposideros caffer Myotis seabrai n Specimens Survey . c . r . 7 in S.A. Specimens 7 1 1 20 43 133 157 museums 142 35 121 30+ 77 120 20 26 Conservation status FAIRLY COMMON in the S.E. and E. Cape. RARE, marginal in the E. Cape coastal belt but common elsewhere in Africa. RARE migrant in N. Cape but common elsewhere in Africa. COMMON in S.W., S. and S.E. coastal regions. RARE in S. and E. Cape but widespread in Africa. NOT PRESENT—incorrect identification. FAIRLY COMMON throughout. VERY RARE, marginal in N.W. Cape but widespread in Africa. UNCOMMON in N. Cape, but probable confusion with next two species. COMMON in coastal areas and N. Cape. FAIRLY COMMON in coastal areas, possibly endemic to Cape Province. VERY RARE, old records only for the Cape, restricted distribution in southern Africa. Possibly conspecific with next species. RARE, old records only for the Cape, restricted distribution in southern Africa. RARE, marginal in N.W. & E. Cape but more common elsewhere in Africa. VERY RARE in N.W. Cape, restricted distribution on W. coast of Africa Pncsihlv 115 ANN. CAPE PROV. MUS. (NAT. HIST.) VOL. 16. PT. 4, JANUARY 1985 c . Survey Specimens Species Soecimens m Conservation status museums Myotis lesueuri 2 Myotis tricolor 44 Pipistrellus nanus — Pipistrellus kuhlii — Eptesicus hottentotus 6 Eptesicus melckorum 30 Eptesicus capensis 30 (Eptesicus notius) — Laephotis wintoni — Scotophilus dinganii 1 Kerivoula lanosa 1 Miniopterus fraterculus 8 Miniopterus schreibersii 470 Sauromys petrophilus — (Tadirada condylura) — Tadarida pumila 15 Tadarida aegyptiaca 53 3 VERY RARE ENDEMIC, scattered records from Karoo, N. & S.W. Cape. 16 UNCOMMON in S.W., S. & E. Cape but widespread up E. coast of Africa. 4 RARE, marginal in E. Cape, old records only but common elsewhere in Africa. 3 RARE, marginal in E. Cape, old records only but widespread in Africa. 7 RARE in W. & N.E. Cape, restricted distribution in southern Africa. 9 FAIRLY COMMON in Karoo, S.W. & W. Cape, otherwise restricted distribution in Angola & Zambia. 122 COMMON throughout. — INVALID SPECIES. 1 VERY RARE, only one specimen from S.W. Cape. Taxonomy unclear. 26 RARE, marginal in E. Cape, historical records only, but widespread in Africa. 6 VERY RARE in S. & E. Cape, restricted distribution in southern Africa, but taxonomy needs attention. — UNCOMMON in S. & E. Cape, although confusion with next species; taxonomy needs attention. 159 VERY COMMON throughout, apart from central Karoo. 8 RARE in W. Cape and restricted in southern Africa. — Probably NOT PRESENT, marginal in Transkei. 13 UNCOMMON in W. Cape but only recently discovered and little known, widespread in Africa. 61 Common throughout. 116 HERSELMAN, NORTON: DIST. AND STATUS OF BATS (MAMMALIA: CHIROPTERA) IN THE C P. TABLE 2: The most important bat roosts known in the Cape Province, with the estimated maximum number of bats seen (seasonally numbers may be lower due to migration) Roost (1) De Hoop Cave (Bredasdorp) (2) Koegelbeen Cave (Griquatown) (3) Maitland Mines (Port Elizabeth) (4) Die Hel Cave (Groot Winterhoek) (5) Bloukrans Cave (Pearston) (6) Montagu Cave (Montagu) (7) Bean-se-bos (Hankey) (8) Welbedacht Mine (9) Droevlakte Cave (10) Sterkstroom Mine (11) Storms River Mouth (12) Forest Ranch Max. No. of bats 100 000 Miniopterus 12 000 Rhinolophus 2 000 Myotis 100 Nycteris 60 000 Miniopterus 5 000 Rhinolophus 8 000 Miniopterus 1 500 Myotis 200 Rhinolophus 4 000 Miniopterus 2 000 Rousettus 1 500 Rhinolophus 100 Myotis 4 000 Miniopterus 1 000 Rhinolophus 5 000 Miniopterus 1 500 Miniopterus 1 000 Rousettus 500 Rhinolophus 3 000 Miniopterus 1 500 Miniopterus 1 000 Rhinolophus 1 000 Miniopterus 1 000 Rhinolophus 2 000 Rousettus 1 000 Nycteris 500 Rhinolophus 117 ANN. CAPE PROV. MUS. (NAT. HIST.) VOL. 16. PT. 4. JANUARY 1985 Roost Max. No. of bats (13) Grootplaas Cave 1 000 Rhinolophus (14) Helderberg Cave 500 Rousettus (15) Wellington Church 300 Tadarida Table 2 gives the approximate numbers of individuals found in the larger colonies visited during the survey (see also Fig. 2). Some of these are nursery caves which play a very important role in the survival of all species. For example, in summer the De Hoop Cave attracts about 80 000 pregnant Miniopterus schreibersii females from within a radius of up to 250 km. Disturbance at this critical stage can lead to a high mortality of offspring and the effective protection of such roosts is therefore of the utmost importance. It is clear that the large numbers of bats present in these caves must have a marked effect on the insect fauna of the surrounding areas and must therefore play an important role in the ecosystem. Although it is known that certain roosts have disappeared due to disturbance it is difficult to tell at this stage whether the major roosts are maintaining their numbers or not. It is important therefore that efforts to protect the roosts be accompanied by a low intensity, low disturbance monitoring programme to determine whether conservation measures are being effective or not. CONSERVATION OF BATS IN THE CAPE PROVINCE The conservation of bats is dependent on a clear understanding of the legislation governing their protection. The Nature Conservation Ordinance (No. 19 of 1974) of the Cape Province lists three categories of protection for all indigenous wild animals. These are 'Endangered Wild Animals' (Schedule 1 of the Ordinance), 'Protected Wild Animals' (Schedule 2), and 'Wild Animals' for all other indigenous species. All bats are therefore 'Wild Animals' and all insectivorous bats (Microchiroptera) are classified as 'Protected Wild Anmimals'. The reason for the exclusion of fruit bats (Megachiroptera) from Schedule 2 is that they are considered to be potential problem animals because of the damage that they sometimes cause to fruit crops. There are several restrictions on how all wild animals may be killed or hunted. As 'Wild Animals' no bats may be hunted using prohibited methods (Section 29 of the Ordinance) unless the 'hunter' is the holder of a permit authorizing him so to do. This means that he may not use poison, artificial lights or any type of trap (including nets), and he may not hunt at night. Written permission from the owner of the land is also obligatory. Further restrictions (Section 27) apply to the insectivorous bats (as 'Protected Wild Animals') in that they may not be hunted, killed or captured without a permit. This includes bats caught or killed for scientific research. In addition to the above regulations on 'hunting', no 'Wild Animals' may be kept in captivity without a permit (Section 31), and no 'Wild Animals' may be exported from, imported into or transported within the province without a permit (Section 44). These regulations are far from adequately adhered to or enforced at present, and many bats are still killed illegally and unnecessarily. 118 HERSELMAN. NORTON: DIST. AND STATUS OF BATS (MAMMALIA: CHIROPTERA) IN THE C P, Conservation management L . . .. m For most of the solitary bat species little can be done at present for their protection. There is even little hope of enforcing the existing legislation if people are ^uld A public awareness campaign is therefore the only long-term solution. Sucha^ aim to persuade the public to accept the ecological and economic importance of bats and to discourage all forms of disturbanee. Initially the most effective way to reduce wards bats in general is to give good advice on how to avoid problems with roof-dwelling bats and to quell rumours that bats are major earners of rabies ion of all For the colonial species considerably more can be done. The " large colonial roosts should be given highest priority in bat conservation. the enforcement of the regulations on the killing of bats and the reduction of disturbance ing critical periods. Whereas legislation to control the killing of bats is adequate at this stage should be given to including the fruit bats (Megachiroptera) in Schedule 2 as frotected Wil Animals'. This would mean that a permit would have to be obtained ^^r Se t.on dy onhe Ordinance before fruit bats could be destroyed or captured. This should not Preve"t farmers from protecting their crops as permits should be freely issued where damage is being_done^ However, it would emphasize to farmers that fruit bats are an important part of natura ecosystems and that indiscriminate killing is not supported. The mam °biem ta™e system is that it makes it possible to monitor the extent and seventy of the problemin the province and thereby to put into a clearer perspective the often exaggerated claims of damage done by fruit bats. A similar system is already in operation for small antelope such as gry and duikers which occasionally cause similar localized and seasonal problems. Research . „ fi . There are two main priorities for further research on bats in the Cape Province. The firs is that work should be done on the distribution and taxonomy of the more solitary species occurring in the province. This would involve an extensive netting programme, especially m the Karoo and nonhem parts of the province. It should aim at concentrating on part.cular species, at following up old records of the occurrence of a species at sites at which collecting has not re cently taken place, and also at looking in habitats known to be suitable for scarce species. The second research priority should be to determine whether bats in various areas are: being markedly affected by pesticides. This would involve chemical analysis of pesticide residues in small samples of batsXm areas in which they are most likely to be affe!cted. residues are found, this programme could be expanded to form a full scale research and agement project. If no significant residues are found, the information would serve as usefu base line data for a low intensity long-term monitoring programme to detect if the use ot pesticides becomes of importance to bats in the future. Monitoring programme A very important aspect of bat conservation that should receive attention is the establishment of a long-term monitoring programme for as many of the larger roosts as possible The information collected should be a total count that is as precise and repeatable as possible to detect changes in the numbers of bats in the different roosts. A maximum intensity of two visits to each roost per year, in summer and in winter, is envisaged. 119