Chaerephon major

Chaerephon major (Trouessart, 1897)

(Fig. 16, Table 3)

Nyctinomus (Nyctinomus) pumilus var. major Trouessart, 1897: 146.

COMMON NAME. — English: Large Wrinkle-lipped Bat. French: Tadaride à oreillettes.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — 1 specimen (see Table 1).

ORIGINAL DATA. — During our field surveys, a single male was captured above a stream in cultivated farm at an altitude of 20 m a.s.l. This specimen was the first recorded from Mount Cameroon area. We did not examine any museum specimens belonging to this species.

DIAGNOSIS. — The measurement of the forearm is 42.4 mm (Table 3), that fits well within the range of Chaerephon major (Happold 2013g, as Tadarida majo r). A distinct central lappet of skin projects between inner bases of ears. The dorsal and ventral pelage is greyish-brown, with a white central area and whitish flank-stripe ventrally. Other external measurements fit within those provided by Happold (2013g) by Happold (2013g) (Table 3).

HABITATS AND DISTRIBUTION. — This lowland species is found throughout much of West Africa, as well as along the Nile River from Sudan to Uganda. It has also been recorded in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania (Happold 2013g as Tadarida major). In Cameroon, the species has been recorded previously in the Sahelian zone of northern Cameroon (Bakwo Fils et al. 2014) The species primarily inhabits savannahs but has also been recorded in rainforest habitats where it roosts in hollow trees and holes in walls of buildings (Happold 2013g). It is threatened in some part of its range by habitat loss and disturbance of old building (Monadjem et al. 2017b).