282.

Schreber’s Yellow Bat

Scotophilus nigrita

French: Scotophile de Schreber / German: SchreberHausfledermaus / Spanish: Scotofilo de Schreber

Other common names: Giant House Bat, Giant Brown House Bat, Brown House Bat, Great Brown House Bat, Giant Yellow House Bat, Great Brown Bat, Giant Brown Bat, Schreber’s Brown Bat

Taxonomy. Vespertilio nigrita Schreber, 1774,

Senegal.

Scotophilus nigrita was mostly referred to as S. gigas until in 1978 when it was concluded that it is the senior name for the taxon; prior to 1978, specimens called nigrita should be dinganii . Based on cytochromeb analyses, S. nigrita is paraphyletic with respect to S. colias, S. dinganui, S. nigritellus, and S. viridis . Populations of S. nigrita from West and southern Africa differ genetically by 7-6-8-1%), suggesting that nigrita might be distinct from alvenslebeni, but more extensive genetic sampling and morphological analyses are needed to take any taxonomic conclusion. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution. S.n.nigritaSchreber,1774—savannasofWAfrica(Senegal,IvoryCoast,Ghana,NTogo,SENigeria,andNCameroon)andSCSudan.

S. n. alvenslebeni Dalquest, 1965 — savannas of E & SE Africa (E DR Congo, SE Kenya, NE Tanzania, S Malawi, E Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and NE South Africa.

Descriptive notes. Head-body ¢. 103-123 mm,tail 64-92- 3 mm, ear 20-24 mm, hindfoot 17-19 mm, forearm 78-83 mm (males) and 80-88 mm (females); weight 88-91 g. Female forearm lengths are usually longer than in males. Schreber’s Yellow Bat is much larger than any other species of Scotophilus and is the largest African vespertilionid. Mid-dorsal hairs are 6-7 mm. Dorsal pelage is blackish brown, sepia-brown, greenish brown, rusty brown, or grayish brown suffused with yellow; dorsal hairs are unicolored. Ventral pelage is pale yellow to pale yellowish gray. Wings and uropatagium are blackish brown. Ears are comparatively short, separated, and blackish brown, with inner margin strongly convex and lobe at base and outer margin fairly straight with semicircular fleshy antitragus. Tragus has rounded tip and concave anterior margin. Skull is large (greatest skull lengths 27-8-32- 1 mm) for Scotophilus and has welldeveloped sagittal crest and helmet. Canines are particularly strong.

Habitat. Relatively dry woodland savannas and miombo woodland savannas, usually close to rivers and riverine forests. There is one record each from dry semideciduous forest in Ghana, woodland and riverine forest mosaic in Tanzania, and rainforest zone in Nigeria. One individual was mist-netted over an almost dry river in Togo, and the individual from Tanzania was mist-netted over a pool.

Food and Feeding. Schreber’s Yellow Bats probably forage high aboveground. Occlusal cusp pattern of molar teeth suggests that they are strictly carnivorous, but other teeth characters suggest that their function is to crush rather than to slice, suggesting insectivory.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Schreber’s Yellow Bat was found roosting under a corrugated iron roof where midday temperatures exceeded 40°C in Sudan, in a hollow of a dead Hyphaene (Arecaceae) palm in Malawi, and in a house in Zimbabwe. Echolocation call has peak frequency of 32-9 kHz. African goshawks (Accipiter tachiro) prey on Schreber’s Yellow Bat and possible lannerfalcons (Falco biarmicus), peregrine falcons (Falco peregrinus), and bat hawks (Macheiramphus alcinus).

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Ectoparasites include the bedbug Cacodmus villosus ( Hemiptera, Cimicidae) and the mite Spinturnix scotophili (Acari, Spinturnicidae).

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Freeman (1984), Happold, M. (2013bj), Kock (1969d), Mikula et al. (2016), Robbins (1978), Thiagavel et al. (2017), Vallo etal. (2015).