5.

Greater Leaf-nosed Bat

Doryrhina camerunensis

French: Phyllorhine du Cameroun I German: Kamerun-Rundblattnase / Spanish: Doryrina de Camenjn

Other common names: Cameroon Leaf-nosed Bat, Greater Roundleaf Bat

Taxonomy. Hipposideros camerunensis Eisentraut, 1956,

near Buea, Cameroon.

This species is only known from two isolated areas separated by a large gap, suggesting there may be some taxonomic distinction between the two populations, but this has not yet been investigated. Monotypic.

Distribution. Patchily recorded from SW Cameroon, E DR Congo, S Uganda, and W Kenya.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 92—97 mm, tail 23—45 mm, ear 30-38 mm, hindfoot 18-22 mm, forearm 74—80 mm; weight 39-53 g. The Greater Leaf-nosed Bat has a distinctive noseleaf with two median clubshaped processes. Pelage is dense, long and soft blackish brown with pale frosting dorsally, and somewhat paler with inconspicuous frosting ventrally. Ears are long, narrow and pointed at tip. A frontal sac is present in both sexes. An anal sac is present between penis and anus in males. Females do not have this sac but fur around vagina has been replaced by long stiff hairs. Dental formula for all species of Doryhina is I 1/2, C 1/1, P 2/2, M 3/3 (x2) = 30.

Habitat Inhabits Afromontane and lowland rainforest. It occurs at 1200-1400 m on Mount Cameroon, and at 1600 m above sea level in Kenya, but at much lower altitudes in Uganda and DR Congo.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Twelve pregnant females were found in October on Mount Cameroon.

Activity patterns. The Greater Leaf-nosed Bat roosts in caves and hollow trees. Echolocation call is not known.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on IUCN Red List (as Hipposideros camerunensis). Due to its limited geographical distribution and its dependence on undisturbed rainforest, the Greater Leaf-nosed Bat may be threatened by deforestation.

Bibliography. Eisentraut (1956, 1973), Happold, M. (2013w), Hill (1963a), Rahm (1965), Schütter eta/. (1986), Thorn & Kerbis Peterhans (2009).