The lesser woolly bat (''Kerivoula lanosa'') is a species of
vesper bat in the family
Vespertilionidae.
It is found in
Botswana,
Central African Republic,
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 ...
,
Ethiopia,
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 ...
,
Kenya,
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 ...
,
Malawi,
Nigeria,
South Africa,
Tanzania,
Zambia,
Zimbabwe and rarely
Ethiopia.
Its natural
habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland
forests, dry
savanna, and moist savanna. Members of this species typically have a dark greyish brown fur with whitish tips scattered throughout.
Ecology
The habitats that this bat lives are typically near water. Aquatic environments are generally inhabited, and when found in dryer climates such as forests or the savannah, they are generally near streams or in well watered areas. Roosting sites are often important in the ecology of bats, as the bats are subject to the conditions of their roosting sites. The nests constructed by birds, such as
speckle-fronted weaver
The speckle-fronted weaver (''Sporopipes frontalis'') is a species of bird in the family Ploceidae.
It is found in Africa from Mauritania and Gambia in the west to Ethiopia and Tanzania in the east.
Its natural habitat is dry savanna
A sava ...
, provide protection from predators and the elements. likely as a result of the benefits gained from roosting in these nests, the lesser woolly bats have been known to roost in abandoned nests previously inhabited by speckled weavers, scarlet-chested sunbirds, and several others. The average number of bats per nest is usually between 1 and 3. However, the property and survival advantages remain unstudied.
[Oschadleus, H. Dieter. "Bird nests as roost sites for Kerivoula bats in southern Africa." African Journal of Ecology 46.4 (2008): 693-696.]
References
Notes
{{Taxonbar, from=Q303750
Kerivoulinae
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
Mammals described in 1847
Bats of Africa
Taxa named by Andrew Smith (zoologist)