127.

Rendall’s Serotine

Neoromicia rendalli

French: \espére de Rendall / German: Rendall-Zwergfledermaus / Spanish: Neoromicia de Rendall

Other common names: Rendall’s Pipistrelle, Rendall’s Pipistrelle Bat, Rendall’'s Serotine Bat

Taxonomy. Vesperugo (Vesperus) rendalli Thomas, 1889,

Bathurst, Gambia.

Placed in Nycterikaupius by H. Menu in 1987. Synonyms include faradjius. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

N.r.rendalliThomas,1889—SenegalEtoChad.

N. r. phasma G. M. Allen, 1911 — Sudan and Somalia S to Botswana, Mozambique, and E South Africa.

Descriptive notes. Head-body ¢.40-65 mm (males) and c.37-66 mm (females), tail 30-37 mm (males) and 33-41 mm (females), ear 8-14 mm (males) and 10-14 mm (females), hindfoot 7-10 mm, forearm 29-36 mm (males) and 31-37 mm (females); weight 4-9 g (males) and 5-9 g (females). Females average larger. Pelage of Rendall’s Serotine is fluffy, without sheen; dorsally pale to medium pale brown (hairs are fawn with dark brown at base, sometimes reddish at tip, or with basal one-third dark grayish brown, middle one-third beige, and terminal one-third fawn; mid-dorsal hairs are c. 5—6 mm long); ventrally cream, whitish or pale gray (hairs with basal one-half dark grayish brown or pure white). Wings and interfemoral membrane are creamy white, with brownish-pink skin over bones, cream venation lines; wings are translucent and interfemoral membrane is more heavily pigmented. Ears are pale brown, subtriangular, with rounded tips; tragus is about one-half ear length and broadest above midheight, with anterior margin straight for most of length,slightly concave near rounded tip, and posterior margin smoothly convex, with a triangular basal lobe. Postcalcarial lobe is present. Skull is moderate-sized for an African pipistrelle-like bat (greatest skull lengths 12:3-14-4 mm); braincase has intermediate size relative to height and breadth; profile of forehead region is straight; occipital helmetis low. I* is unicuspid, with small basal cusp; I’ is one-half height of I, triangular in transverse section, and sometimes with small basal cusp at one or both angles; P* is absent; lower molars are myotodont. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 38 and FNa = 50.

Habitat. Mainly woodland savannas from West Africa to Sudan and Somalia, and degraded lowland rainforest on the border of rainforest zones. From sea level, at Tanga, north-eastern Tanzania, to 1480 m at Katana, eastern DR Congo. Reported over ditches and small ponds, flying over permanent freshwater pools in gallery forest, and from well-watered habitats.

Food and Feeding. Rendall’s Serotine forages for small insects by slow hawking, ¢. 2 m aboveground.

Breeding. Litter size is two. In KwaZulu-Natal, eastern South Africa, a female captured in December was simultaneously lactating and pregnant with two embryos, suggesting possible polyestry with postpartum estrus. In Garamba National Park, north-eastern DR Congo, a female with two juveniles was recorded in late April. In Malawi, of two females captured in April one was lactating, the other post-lactating.

Activity patterns. Rendall’s Serotine begins to forage in early evening around houses, or low over swamps, pools, pans, and rivers. It roosts by day in dense foliage of low bushes and trees, in huts and houses, and also among leaves of Hyphaene (Arecaceae) palms in Sudan and southern Malawi. Aspect ratio and wing loading are low; flight is slow, with bursts of speed, and poor maneuverability; wings make distinct whirring noise during flight. In Malawi, search-phase call shapes include CF, shallow linear FM, and steep/shallow FM; intensity high, with start frequencies up to 76 kHz and end frequencies of 42-44 kHz.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Rendall’s Serotine roosts in groups of up to six individuals.

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

Bibliography. Hill & Harrison (1987), Kearney et al. (2002), Koopman (1993, 1994), Koubinova et al. (2013), McBee et al. (1987), Menu (1987), Rautenbach & Fenton (1992), Simmons (2005), Van Cakenberghe & Happold (2013n).