The Benito roundleaf bat (''Hipposideros beatus'') is a species of bat in the family

Hipposideridae The Hipposideridae are a family of bats commonly known as the Old World leaf-nosed bats. While it has often been seen as a subfamily, Hipposiderinae, of the family Rhinolophidae, it is now more generally classified as its own family.Simmons, 20 ...

found in Cameroon, Central African Republic,

Republic of the Congo The Republic of the Congo (french: République du Congo, ln, Republíki ya Kongó), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply either Congo or the Congo, is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa to the w ...

, Democratic Republic of the Congo,

Ivory Coast Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea ( es, Guinea Ecuatorial; french: Guinée équatoriale; pt, Guiné Equatorial), officially the Republic of Equatorial Guinea ( es, link=no, República de Guinea Ecuatorial, french: link=no, République de Guinée équatoria ...

, Gabon, Ghana,

Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, and Togo. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests.

Taxonomy

The Benito roundleaf bat was described as a new species in 1906 by Danish mammalogist Knud Andersen. The holotype was collected from the Benito River by American naturalist George Latimer Bates. Two subspecies are recognized: ''H. b. beatus'' and ''H. b. maximus''.

Description

It has fine, fluffy, dark brown hair. Its ears are relatively short for a roundleaf bat, at . Individuals weigh and have forearm lengths of .

Biology and ecology

It is monoestrous, with one

breeding season Seasonal breeders are animal species that successfully mate only during certain times of the year. These times of year allow for the optimization of survival of young due to factors such as ambient temperature, food and water availability, and cha ...

per year. Mating occurs in June and July (the end of the first wet season; females give birth in October and November (the middle of the second wet season). The litter size is one offspring.

Range and habitat

The Benito roundleaf bat has been documented in several countries in Africa, mainly in Central Africa. Its range includes: Cameroon,

, The Democratic Republic of the Congo,

Côte d'Ivoire Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...

, Gabon, Ghana,

, Nigeria, Sierra Leone,

Sudan Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...

, and Togo. It as found at elevations up to above sea level.

Conservation

As of 2017, the Benito roundleaf bat is classified as a least-concern species by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1760873 Hipposideros Mammals described in 1906 Taxa named by Knud Andersen Bats of Africa Taxonomy articles created by Polbot