Nycteris major K. Andersen 1912

4.

Dja Slitfaced Bat

Nycteris major

French: Nyctére du Dja / German: Dja-Schlitznase / Spanish: Nicterio de Dja

Other common names: Ja Slit-faced Bat

Taxonomy. Petalia major K. Andersen, 1912,

“Dja R[iver]., Cameroons [= Cameroon].”

Nycteris major belongs to the arge group.

Monotypic.

Distribution. Very patchily distributed in tropical forests in Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Gabon, NE DR Congo, and NE Zambia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 51-73 mm, tail 55-64 mm, ear 27-31 mm, hindfoot 10-12 mm, forearm 45-49 mm; weight 8-16 g. The Dja Slit-faced Bat is the largest member of the arge group, but it is small, with short rounded wings. Longitudinal cleft runs along top of muzzle, covering noseleaves. Fur is long and fluffy, dark reddish brown to grayish brown dorsally, and slightly lighter ventrally. Ears are very long. Wing membranes are dark brown. There are no obvious sexual differences in pelage.

Habitat. Undisturbed lowland rainforest. A single record of a Dja Slit-faced Bat came from flooded grasslands with thicket and woodland in northern Zambia.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. In West Africa, pregnant and lactating Dja Slitfaced Bats have been observed in January—March, but surveys have not been conducted at other times of the year so it is not possible to describe the breeding season. Littersize is one.

14. Gambian Slit-faced Bat (Nycteris gambiensis); 15. Egyptian Slit-faced Bat (Nycteris thebaica).

Activity patterns. The Dja Slitfaced Bat roosts during the day in hollow trees, with a single record from a building. Apparently, it regularly shares its roost with the Cyclops Leaf-nosed Bat (Doryrhina cyclops).

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The few roosts that have been reported included single bats, pairs, or groups of up to three individuals.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Although it is not currently known if the Dja Slit-faced Bat is threatened, its rainforest habitat is being degraded, disturbed, and cleared. This is particularly concerning for the Dja Slitfaced Bat because it is the rarest of the arge group and the most restricted to undisturbed rainforest.

Bibliography. Eisentraut (1956), Fahr (2013g), Monadjem, Richards & Denys (2016), Monadjem, Taylor et al. (2010), Rosevear (1965), Van Cakenberghe & De Vree (1985), Verschuren (1957 1977).