323.

Damara Woolly Bat

Kerivoula argentata

French: Kérivoule argentée / German: Damara-Wollfledermaus / Spanish: Querivoula argentado

Other common names: Silver Woolly Bat, Silvered Woolly Bat, Silvery Woolly Bat

Taxonomy. Kerivoula argentata Tomes, 1861,

“Otjoro [= Otjihoro],” Ovamboland, Namibia.

Three subspecies are recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

K a. argentata Tomes, 1861 — C & S DR Congo, SE Kenya, S Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, and N Namibia; it may occur in Angola. K.a.midicolaKirk,1865—CMozambiquetoZambeziValley.

K. a. zuluensis Roberts, 1924 — Zimbabwe, S Mozambique, and E South Africa (Kwa-Zulu-Natal).

Descriptive notes. Head-body ¢. 34-50 mm, tail 40-52 mm, ear 11-15 mm, hindfoot 10-11 mm, forearm 28-39 mm; weight 5:5-10- 5 g. Sexes are similar. Pelage is woolly and frizzled, with many hairs having hooked tips and extending onto dorsal surfaces of forearm and tibia. Dorsal pelage is bright rusty brown but occasionally pale sepiabrown, with conspicuous, almost iridescent, silvery frosting. Dorsal hairs are yellowish fawn, with dark brown at bases and terminal one-quarter reddish brown, often with silvery or white tips. Mid-dorsal hairs are 7-9 mm. Ventral pelage is cream, dirty white, or white. Wings and uropatagium are pale brown and translucent. Dorsal surface of proximal one-half of uropatagium has sparse covering of hair and posterior margin comb-like fringe of bristle-like hairs that curve inward like hooks. Ears are widely separated, funnel-shaped, with sharply pointed tips and outer margins with concavity below tips. Tragus is long, narrow, and tapers to sharp point, and base has shallow emargination below widest point. Eyes are minute. Head is high-domed. Muzzle is long, narrow, flattened, and mostly hidden by facial pelage; snout is prominent. Tail is ¢.87-100% of head-body length. Skull is small (greatest skull lengths 14-7-16- 5 mm); braincase is high-domed; rostrum is narrow; and frontal region is sharply angular as in other species of Kerivoula . I? is tall without cusp and unicuspid or bicuspid; I’ is shorter and unicuspid or bicuspid; P? and P? are subequalin size, about one-half the height of P* and I,is usually tricuspid but sometimes with four cusps.

Habitat. Evergreen forests, riverine forests, and dry and mesic woodland savannas. In southern Africa, the Damara Woolly Bat seems to be confined to well-watered or riverine associations in dry country.

Food and Feeding. Based on wing morphology, flight characteristics, and “whispering” echolocation, the Damara Woolly Batlikely forages near the ground in habitats cluttered by vegetation.

Breeding. In Uzungwa Scarp Forest Reserve, Tanzania, two lactating Damara Woolly Bats were caught in the end of November.

Activity patterns. The Damara Woolly Batis able to take off from the ground and hover briefly. Aspectratio is low, and wing loading is very low; flight is slow and fluttering, with great maneuverability. Day roosts are nests of weavers, including southern masked weavers (Ploceus velatus) and spectacled weavers (P. ocularis); among clusters of dead leaves; on rough bark of dead trees; under eaves of huts; and on walls sheltered by eaves of a rondavel. Call of an individual from the uMkhuze Game Reserve, eastern South Africa, had peak frequency of 99 kHz and duration of 1-7 milliseconds.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Damara Woolly Bats roost alone, in pairs, or in groups of up to five individuals.

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

Bibliography. Cotterill (2013p), Koopman (1994), Schoeman & Waddington (2011), Trentin & Rovero (2011), Simmons (2005).