69.

Russet Free-tailed Bat

Chaerephon russatus

French: Tadaride rousse / German: Rotliche Bulldogfledermaus / Spanish: Caerepon pelirojo

Other common names: Russet Wrinkle-lipped Bat

Taxonomy. Chaerephon russatusJ. A. Allen, 1917,

“Medje, Belgian Congo [= DR Congo].”

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Known from several isolated localities in S Guinea (Simandou Range), SW Ivory Coast, S Ghana, C Cameroon, NW & NE DR Congo, and SW Kenya.

Descriptive notes. Head-body c¢. 64— 73 mm, tail 29-37 mm, ear 19-23 mm, hindfoot 9-12 mm, forearm 42-46 mm; weight 16-19 g. Pelage of the Russet Free-tailed Bat is short and very sparsely haired between shoulders;it is dark rusty brown or sepia-brown above, sometimes with small white spots, and paler below; there are no mid-ventral markings or white flank-stripes. Upper lip has 7-8 well-defined wrinkles on each side and many spoon-hairs. Ears are blackish brown and relatively long (reaching snout when laid flat), and joined by flap of skin containing interaural pouch, which houses short erectile crest of black hairs in males. Tragus is minute, narrow, and concealed by antitragus. Antitragus is small and rounded. Wings are dark brown from body to fourth finger, outer part semi-translucent and paler, and tail membrane brown. Anterior palate encloses paired palatal foramina. M? has third ridge just over one-half as long as second ridge.

Habitat. In West and Central Africa, Russet Free-tailed Bats are recorded from the edge of the rainforest in invaded Guinea savanna. In Kenya, they occur in a mosaic of East African evergreen bushland and secondary Acacia (Fabaceae) wooded grassland.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. In north-eastern DR Congo, pregnant females each with a single embryo were collected in September.

Activity patterns. Russet Free-tailed Bats are nocturnal and roost in trees.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. A colony of 27 Russet Free-tailed Bats was recovered from a tree hollow at Medje, north-eastern DR Congo, when the tree was brought down by a storm.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red Last.

Bibliography. ACR (2017), Happold, M. (2013ap), Mickleburgh, Hutson, Bergmans, Fahr & Cotterill (2008).