New records of the Ethiopian long-eared bat Plecotus balensis in central Ethiopia

(Uploaded by Plazi for the Bat Literature Project) The diversity of bats in Ethiopia comprises at least 80 species, among them the Ethiopian longeared bat that was described in 2000. It is most likely endemic to the highlands of Ethiopia. However, knowledge of the distribution of the species is limited. During a bat survey in 12 regions of central Ethiopia stretched over 700 km along the Ethiopian Rift, we trapped longeared bats at sites in three regions and confirmed the species' identity by molecular analysis. All occurrence sites of P. balensis were above 2500 m, confirming this taxon as a high-altitude species. Two of the regions are additions to the known range of P. balensis but it is most likely present in more high-altitude areas of Ethiopia than currently known. Additional surveys in so far unsampled areas are therefore indicated.