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African Conservation News ISSN 1812-1268 Volume 49 July 2021

© ECJ Seamark (AfricanBats NPC), 2019

Above: Trident Leaf-nosed Bat (Cloeotis percivali) and an amazing acrobatic flyer who can undertake complete turn-overs in mid-flight, photographed at Madimatle Cave, near the Meletse Bat Research and Conservation Training Center, in Province, Inside this issue Research and Conservation Activities

Bat Photography event (16 February 2019) 2

June 2019 - Bat photography at Meletse Bat Research and Conservation Training Centre 2

Madimatle Cave Workshop (28-29 June 2019) 3

National Science Week 2019 (30 July – 1 August 2019) 3

Dikobe Molepo joins AfricanBats NPC as 2019/20 intern 3 th 10 Oppenheimer Research Conference (1-3 October 2019) 4

Introduction to bat biology, ecology and conservation – October 2019 4

Halloween 2019 Bat Photography Event 4 th 7 AfricanBats Bat Fieldworkers course, including Introduction course 5

Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory (COP13 CMS, Gandhinagar India: 17 - 22 February 2020) 5

50/50 filming event 7

2020 Halloween Bat Photography event 8

Download and subscribe to African Bat Conservation News published by AfricanBats NPC at: www.africanbats.org

The views and opinions expressed in articles are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. Articles and news items appearing in African Bat Conservation News may be reprinted, provided the author’s and newsletter reference are given. African Bat Conservation News 2 July 2021 vol. 49 ISSN 1812-1268 Inside this issue (Continued): Observations, Discussions and Updates

Book Review: Meredith Happold (2021) - Journey Among 8 Recent literature

Books 9

African Chiroptera Report 2019 9

Handbook of the of the World, Volume 9: 9

African Chiroptera Report 2020 9

Journey Among Animals 9

Papers 10 Notice Board

Conferences 65

THE NORTH AFRICAN CHIROPTERA - State of Knowledge and Perspectives 65 st 1 International Bat Research Online Symposium: Towards solving the wind energy-bat conflict 65

66 Call for contributions Research and Conservation Activities Bat Photography event (16 February 2019) Together with the landowners (Gordon and Cindy Hooper) we participated in a bat photography event at the Mamelodi II Cave, which included other invited guests. A total of eight individuals participated in experiencing bat photography. During this photography event discussions started around looking at sharing this experience with others as many individuals still have a fear of these night flying creatures. It was agreed that Halloween (31 October fell on a Saturday) was a perfect time to share this experience and have others capture images of bats flying in the wild. So, with the assistance and drive of Gordon Hooper the 2019 Halloween bat photography event took place (see below - “Halloween 2019 Bat Photography Event” on page 4). — Ernest C. J. SEAMARK, AfricanBats NPC.

June 2019 - Bat photography at Meletse Bat Research and Conservation Training Centre A special trip focused on photography was organized at the Meletse Bat Research and Conservation Training Centre (13-20 June 2019). This trip was undertaken with Brock and Sherri Fenton together with Naas and Kobie Rautenbach and joined by AfricanBats NPC intern Mengjing Wei. Photography was undertaken at the Madimatle Cave, as well as over the water at the center, to capture images of bats drinking. To obtain more drinking opportunities, kiddies blow-up © ECJ Seamark (AfricanBats NPC), 2019 pools were set-up and filled with water (well in areas © ECJ Seamark (AfricanBats NPC), 2019 where the hosepipe could reach), but also where flash Above: Different bat species exiting the cave, Above: Mengjing Wei (AfricanBats intern), while still dusk together with Sherri and Brock Fenton at systems would not interfere with each other. As this Meletse. event was at the start of winter, there was a very narrow window when bats were active. But even this short window provided lots of opportunities to photograph flying or drinking bats. While during the day, images were examined, looking at possible ways in which lighting and/ or camera placements could be improved – to capture amazing behaviors. But as with most wild animals, once you think you have the answer, the bats decide to do something else. This can be frustrating, but also makes bat photography addictive. Having both Brock Fenton and Naas Rautenbach together to correct and fill-in gaps or missing background on stories from their many years of bat fieldwork collaboration in southern Africa, both funny and enlighten. Additionally, Brock always makes time to take any new or potential student (in this case Mengjing Wei) wanting to look at studying bats under his wing and share an amazing wealth of knowledge. — Ernest C. J. SEAMARK, AfricanBats NPC. © ECJ Seamark (AfricanBats NPC), 2019 Above: Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus simulator) coming in to drink.

Inside this issue / Research and Conservation Activities African Bat Conservation News ISSN 1812-1268 July 2021 vol. 49 3

Madimatle Cave Workshop (28-29 June 2019) The 28th June was a site meeting at the Madimatle Cave, with various stakeholders including representatives of the Traditional Healers Association. I was requested to describe the cave layout, and the conservation importance of the cave. The following day a more formal workshop took place where I presented a PowerPoint presentation that introduced the basics of “what is a bat” and hopefully dispelling some the misconceptions. Then leading to the importance of the Madimatle Cave, looking at the economic value of these bats not just for commercial agriculture, but also to rural livelihoods, how protection of the cave and its bats is linked to Global Goals. This workshop was arranged by the landowners (Motjoli Real Estate), to bring together various role players to look at the development of a Management Plan for the cave. The focus is on having the cave recognized as an African Holy Site, and formally registered and protected as a Cultural Heritage Site. It is a very different point of view to see bats as a heritage asset and working on a plan that is heritage orientated, rather than a pure biodiversity protected area perspective. Future workshops, with smaller focus group, aimed to develop a more formal management plan were planned for 2020. Unfortunately, due to the global pandemic, these workshops had to be postponed to a later time. — Ernest C. J. SEAMARK, AfricanBats NPC.

National Science Week 2019 (30 July – 1 August 2019) AfricanBats NPC had a stand to promote bats and their conservation importance at the Ditsong National Museum of Natural History for three days during National Science week. Not having interns or volunteers to aid with running the stand, Dr. Teresa Kearney took up the mantel to promote bat conservation, with the various school groups who attended. — Ernest C. J. SEAMARK, AfricanBats NPC.

© ECJ Seamark (AfricanBats NPC), 2019 Above: Dr. Teresa Kearney explaining effects of climate change on species during National Science week 2019. Dikobe Molepo joins AfricanBats NPC as 2019/20 intern On the 1st September 2019 (until 31 August 2020), Ms. Dikobe Molepo joined AfricanBats NPC as a Department of Science and Technology - National Research Foundation (DST- NRF) intern. This is what she has to say about herself: “I have always had enormous love and curiosity for nature, and this led to my enrolling for a science degree at the University of Limpopo. I completed a BSc degree in Molecular and Life Sciences, BSc (Hons) and MSc degrees in Zoology all at the University of Limpopo. My post graduate training was on the phylogenetics and the phylogeography of , Spurfowls (BSc (Honors)) and the Southern boubous (MSc). In my years of studying, I had the most wonderful and challenging experiences, and I learnt many things and for this I will forever be grateful for the education I received. I worked as a laboratory assistant (helping 1st and 2nd year students) at the University of Limpopo during my post graduate studies. I was then awarded the opportunity to work as an NRF-DST intern in 2018 and I had the most rewarding 12 months of my life at the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI). I am currently given the chance to continue working as an NRF-DST intern for AfricanBats NPC and this for me means new experiences and more learning. I have already learned a little about bats and have had the chance to attend the ‘Introduction to bats’ course (Bat biology, ecology, conservation and identification) which I really enjoyed and appreciated. I am looking forward to learning more as an AfricanBats NPC intern”. During her time as an intern with AfricanBats NPC, Dikobe helped in the capturing of historical Above: Ms. Dikobe Molepo. bat banding data records into a database. Having these records digitized will allow for further investigations into this historical data sets. Then the global COVID pandemic interrupted our fieldwork program, where Dikobe had obtained all her necessary vaccinations for working with wild live animals. Hence her training and experience working with bats could not occur. But through our National lockdown in South Africa – Dikobe continued to work on capturing and cleaning of data at home. Even though in email and WhatsApp contact, there is a missing element of personal interactions, sharing of knowledge and experience – that is lost in mentoring remotely. Even though we did not have funding to support a PhD candidate for a bat project. Dikobe kept looking for opportunities to further her studies. Dikobe is currently registered for a PhD at the University of Stellenbosch, where she is looking at invasive biology where the title for her PhD is “The predatory behaviour and impacts of the invasive Vespula germanica (German wasp) on Apis mellifera (Honey bee) and other indigenous insect species in the , Western Cape Province, South Africa.” — Dikobe MOLEPO and Ernest C. J. SEAMARK - AfricanBats NPC.

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10th Oppenheimer Research Conference (1-3 October 2019) The poster titled “Bats on the Move’ advancing our understanding of movement by Africa’s bats” displayed at the 18th International Bat Research Conference (Thailand), was recycled. Presented at this local conference in South Africa, which brings together researchers from a very wide cross section of academia and conservation (heritage to genetic), primarily from southern Africa, but also globally. This provided AfricanBats NPC with an opportunity to promote the interdisciplinary type of work being undertaken – where co-authors range from ©ECJ Seamark (AfricanBats NPC), 2019 academic institutions (local and international), NGO, government (national and provincial) as Above: Dr. Teresa Kearney in front of poster well as business. This specific conference is trying to bring all these relative parties together presented at the 10th Oppenheimer Research Conference. to work towards a common goal. — Ernest C. J. SEAMARK, AfricanBats NPC.

Introduction to bat biology, ecology and conservation – October 2019 From 21 to 25 October 2019, ten people participated in AfricanBats NPC introductory course. The course covered bat biology, ecology, conservation and identification, and was run by AfricanBats NPC director Ernest Seamark and Dr Teresa Kearney, Small Mammals Curator at Ditsong National Museum of Natural History. Ernest and Teresa’s expertise and passion, as well as engaging course content, brought out the charisma and individuality of each bat family. A highlight was the handling and measuring of wet specimens, which allowed participants to get a sense of what some Southern African bats feel and look like ‘in the hand’, in © ECJ Seamark (AfricanBats NPC), 2019 preparation for handling live specimens, which are delicate and wriggly. Participants in the Above: Participants of the October 2019 course consisted of a National Research Foundation intern, two photographers and research Introduction to bat biology, ecology, conservation and identification course. assistant from the National Science Collection Facility, which is part of the South African National Biodiversity Institute, and students from the University of Pretoria’s Centre for Viral Zoonoses and Centre for Wildlife Management. This showed the wide range of people interested in southern African bats and their conservation. See more images https://africanbats.org/news/october-2019-introduction-to-bat-biology-ecology-conservation-and-identification- course/. — Catlin TAYLOR, National Science Collection Facility

Halloween 2019 Bat Photography Event The last Saturday of October was the perfect opportunity to explore Halloween myths. With the support of Gordon and Cindy Hooper, the challenge was set for an early Halloween experience. About 21 photographers of the Centurion Camera Club took part in the opportunity to capture in the wild, the natural flight behavior of bats. The photographic set up was assembled and all the various cameras and angles were covered. Is the lens cap off? Is camera in focus? What is the f-stop? Is camera pointing in the right direction? Then the wait…. Just after sundown, the bats started to exit the cave. With tens of thousands of bats exiting © TC Kearney (AfricanBats NPC), 2019 – the photography trigger was placed to the side of the primary entrance. This was to reduce Above: Bat photography with the Centurion any effects that flashes could have to bats trying to exit the small entrance to thecave. Photographic club, at Mamelodi II Cave for Halloween 2019. Thousands of bats flying out the cave – but few bats triggering the system. Flying up and out the cave, above and around the trigger system. What now…? but as it got darker – so the flashes started to fire –triggered by the bats. Seeing all the photographers with camera’s – many of the bats using eyesight were flying up and over the mass of individuals. But as it got darker – so the bats switch to using echolocation. This means that bats needed to lower to the ground and were only able to detect the photographers from a closer distance. Four cave bat species are known to occur at the site, but the migratory Natal Long-fingered Bat ( natalensis) was clearly the star for this Halloween. Hopefully, the photographers got nice images of these wild bats, and experienced that these wild animals not always do what we would like them to do. We hope that this photography event becomes an annual event for Halloween. With the purpose to aid with dispelling the various myths about bats. Having the public take part in wildlife photography – capturing these amazing creatures of the night. Allowing various photographers to interact with colleagues and friends about these amazing animals that so few could see up close. Share images of naturally flying bats to show case these nocturnal flying predators of the night. — Ernest C. J. SEAMARK, AfricanBats NPC.

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7th AfricanBats Bat Fieldworkers course, including Introduction course The 7th AfricanBats Bat Fieldworkers level I course was held from 24 November to 16 December 2019. Ms. Eleanor Glass (Sweden, University of Uppsala) was the only participant. Eleanor also undertook the “Introduction to bat biology, ecology, conservation and identification” course, which is a pre-requisite to undertake the bat fieldworkers course level I. Ms. © ECJ Seamark (AfricanBats NPC), 2019 Tosca Vanroy (Belgium), a participant on the 6th Bat Above: Introduction to bat biology, ecology, conservation and identification course, held Fieldworkers course in 2018, joined the course as a at Meletse, with Elenor Glass (bottom right) training mentor. While helping with the training, Tosca participant, together with Tosca Vanroy - was able to increase her field experience. This also training mentor (bottom left) and Ernest Seamark. created an opportunity to transfer other skills, which could form part of a level II field training. During the field course, 172 individual bats were implanted with RFID tags by Tosca. This supplied an opportunity to test teaching of this skill to a student, especially to examine ways to practice © ECJ Seamark (AfricanBats NPC), 2019 implantation technique, before trying on a live bat. Especially if RFID tags are going to be Above: Elenor Glass (bottom left) who th more widely used in the future. participated in the 7 AfricanBats Bat Fieldworkers course, together with Tosca While undertaking the course there were also opportunities for Eleanor to interact with various Vanroy - training mentor (bottom right) and landowners and staff, where she carried out interviews as part of her master’s research work Ernest Seamark. - looking at people’s feelings and beliefs of bats. — Ernest C. J. SEAMARK, AfricanBats NPC.

Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species (COP13 CMS, Gandhinagar India: 17 - 22 February 2020) I was invited to attend the COP13 CMS meeting in Gandhinagar, India by the South African National Department of Environmental Affairs. AfricanBats NPC was the only NGO to be included as part of the official party delegation from South Africa. Over the past four years AfricanBats NPC has been working with South Africa National Department of Environmental Affairs official’s responsible for Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) Above: African regional delegates to the 13th Conference of Parties to the Convention on matters, especially around bat species that are currently listed on Appendix II. Being part Migratory Species. of the official party supplied important insights in listing species, and international decision-making processes. It was hoped that a meeting could have been arranged with the EuroBats coordinator, but unfortunately, they did not attend. The most rewarding was being able to interact with the African parties who are signatories, officials who handle the implementation of CMS within their respective countries. There was a general support for help in future reporting to the CMS on at least keeping up-to-date of the scientific research that may be occurring within these countries on migratory bat species. There was a general support for the development of an African Bat Agreement, for possible ratification at a future COP CMS ©ECJ Seamark (AfricanBats NPC), 2020 meeting. There was also some suggestion as to whether we need the agreement at this Above: A view from the South African international forum, or could multilateral agreements not be entered into – that can be linked delegation table, while Miss Humbu Mafumo to specific actions and targeted area. Over the next 3 years it is envisaged to developa from South Africa is giving the closing speach broader agreement for bat conservation, with a more detailed action plan to follow. on behalf of the African region. — Ernest C. J. SEAMARK, AfricanBats NPC. 2020/21 field season With the start of the winter solstice (southern hemisphere) on the 20 June 2020 (Longest night) marked the end of the 2019/20 field season. So, the 21 June 2020 marked the first day of the 2020/21 field season. But bats are still in deep torpor and hibernation due this still being winter. But our passive monitoring equipment allows us to keep track of the bats without need to capture and handle at this critical point during the year. But moving closer towards spring, the days grow longer and nights shorter, the energy received from the sun increases, bringing warmth and productivity to the region. By mid-August temperatures have warmed up and insects (food) are more abundant, bats have had the opportunity to fatten © ECJ Seamark (AfricanBats NPC), 2020 up after a long winter. The first active sampling for this season took place on the 18 August Above: Clockwise (bottom-left) - Dr. Mark 2020 at Mamelodi II Cave (Gauteng Province, South Africa), where a total of 52 Natal Long- Keith (scribe), Margaret Bartkowiak with Dr. fingered Bats (Miniopterus natalensis) were captured, of which 26 were measured, and Tersea Kearney learning bat handling skills and Mengjing Wei processing a bat - 6 October 20 implanted with radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags. While three previously RFID 2020. tagged individuals were recaptured, with an average of 290 days of being tagged. One of

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the female bats had been previously recaptured 138 km away at the Madimatle Cave (Limpopo Province, South Africa), 13 days after being originally tagged (during the 2019/20 field season). This shows that there is a two-way movement between the Mamelodi II and Madimatle Caves. 25th August 2020, back at Mamelodi II Cave, where a total of 45 Natal Long-fingered Bats were captured. Twenty seven were measured and 21 RFID tagged. Five individuals were recaptured, with one of the recaptured individuals being tagged on the earlier trip (18 August 2020). Excluding this individual, the average number of days tagged of the remaining four individuals was 348 days. One female of these four was originally tagged at Madimatle Cave 631 days (1.7 years) earlier. On 8-9 September the AfricanBats field team was joined by a two person film crew at Mamelodi II Cave, who were present to film our work (see “50/50 filming event” on page 7). The 8th September was planned fieldwork, which progressed as per normal, where 59 Natal Long-fingered Bats were caught. Forty © ECJ Seamark (AfricanBats NPC), 2020 Above: Steven Tucker, individuals measured, and 38 RFID tagged. A single individual, followed by Mengjing Wei which was recaptured had been tagged at this same cave 573 entering Mamelodi II Cave - 6 days previously. During the unplanned field event (see “50/50 October 2020. filming event” on page ) on the 9th September – we do not want to create excessive disturbance by repeated entering of the cave – a mockup field event was set up for educational purposes, to allow the filming of field procedures and the bats in a controlled environment. Only 15 individuals were captured and measured, and 10 RFID tagged. None of these bats had been captured before. © ECJ Seamark (AfricanBats NPC), 2020 6th October back at Mamelodi II, 62 Natal Long- Above: Steven Tucker examining a bat, while Nardia Hansa is digitally capturing data onto fingered Bats were processed. No bats were RFID smartphone - 6 October 2020. tagged, due to lack of funding to secure stock and restrictions on travel for individuals to bring us more tags and needles. Therefore, for the rest of this field season no bats were tagged. However, two previously tagged Natal Long- fingered Bat were recaptured, with one having been tagged during this field season (37 days before) and the other 610 days before. A single male (Myotis tricolor) was recaptured 366 days after being tagged at Mamelodi II Cave. This recapture at the same site and similar time of the year, suggests that this species may also have a predictable migration pattern. But further monitoring at this cave over future years will be needed to test if this is © ECJ Seamark (AfricanBats NPC), 2020 just a random coincidence or an actual predictable migration event. Above: Clockwise (left-middle): Dr. Mark th Kieth (scribe), Margaret Bartkowiak (scribe), 20 October, 55 Natal Long-fingered Bats were processed at Mamelodi II Cave. Three RFID Dr. Teresa Kearney (measurer); Mengjing Wei tagged bats were recaptured, with two being tagged this season (42 days previously) and a (measurer), Steven Tucker (measurer) and female that was originally tagged at Madimatle Cave (132 km away) 701 days (1.94 years) Nadia Hansa (scribe) - 6 October 2020. before. 3rd November again at Mamelodi II where 83 Natal Long-fingered Bats were measured. One RFID recaptured individual, which was tagged 55 days before. On the 10th November the Mamelodi II Cave was visited, but no bats were captured as the vast numbers of individuals were no longer present. Only a few Natal Long-fingered and Horseshoe Bats (Rhinolophus sp.) were seen flying within the cave. While the Biomark cable reader system has been deployed (almost constantly) at the Mamelodi II Cave since 16 December 2019, it was removed between 28 November – 8 December 2020, and 21 - 23 January when the cable reader was deployed at the entrance to the Madimatle Cave. A number of RFID tagged Miniopterus were detected. The most important discovery being two individuals who were tagged during our first tagging event in December 2017 (see “First PIT tagging session” and Pretorius (2018) [download PDF]). The two Natal Long-fingered Bats were detected in December 2019, 1086 days (2.9 years) and January 2021, 1138 days (3.1 years) after being tagged. © Mark Keith (AfricanBats NPC), 2020 Above: Processing bats caught at Mamelodi The Mamelodi II Cave was visited on the 11 December 2020, 8 January 2020, 25 January II Cave with field team clockwise left to right, 2021, 11 February 2021 – where 10 or less bats were observed, and no bats captured. On Mengjing Wei, Steven Tucker (capturing data the 19th February 2021 a few bats (less than 50) were seen, and three Natal Long-fingered via smartphone), Dr. Teresa Kearney and rd Ernest Seamark (old school pencil and paper Bats caught. On 23 February 2021 the numbers of - scribing) - 20 October 2020. bats present in Mamelodii II Cave were still low. Three Natal Long-fingered bats and two Geoffroy's Horseshoe Bats (Rhinolophus clivosus) were caught. On 4th March bat numbers increasing and 30 Natal Long-fingered Bats were caught, including one recapture (177 days after RFID tagged). The population numbers were clearly on the increase on 11th March 2021, when the bats were also very active. Twenty four Natal Long-fingered Bats were processed. The cave was visited on the 16th March 2021 where estimated numbers were similar to 11th March, but no attempt at capture was made. On the 23rd March 2021 estimated numbers were like those during the earlier two visits. Fifty Natal Long-fingered Bats were captured and processed. With two being recaptures, one from this © ECJ Seamark (AfricanBats NPC), 2021 field season (217 days previously) and the other 769 days (2.1 years) of being RFID tagged. Above: Preparing to sample bats from On 13th April 2021, 40 Natal Long-fingered Bats and four Geoffroy's Horseshoe Bats were Mamelodi II Cave, with Mengjing Wei and Dr. caught and processed. Two of the Natal Long-fingered Bats were recaptures, both tagged on Teresa Kearney. This was the last field trip for Menging before she returned home (), the same trip 217 days before. also unknown at the time that this would also During the previous field season (2019/20), we were able to sample until late May. With a be the last active fieldwork for the 2020/21 field season - 13 April 2021. predicted cold front, the next planned sampling event for April was postponed. Expecting that

Research and Conservation Activities African Bat Conservation News ISSN 1812-1268 July 2021 vol. 49 7 there would be a warm spell before winter sets in around late May/early July. Unfortunately, this did not occur and winter this year came early this season. With the onset of winter (one of the most vulnerable periods for disturbance to these cave bats), active sampling was halted. But passive monitoring equipment – cable reader system and bat detector, will continue to supply information on the bat activity over winter. Sampling for the 2021/22 field season is expected to start mid-September 2021. The above fieldwork could not have been made possible with the support of activeAfricanBats NPC volunteers: Miss Mengjing Wei, Mr. Steven Tucker, Mrs. Margaret Bartkowiak and Miss Nardia Hansa, Drs. Teresa Kearney and Mark Keith. Victor Van Cakenberghe who contribution to data management, that allows for quick summaries of data collected. To landowners Gordon and Cindy Hooper (Mamelodi II Cave) and Nchakha Moli and Thabile Mlaba (Motjoli Real Estate) for giving us permission and the sup- port to undertake this work at the caves that they are the primary stewards. During the 2020/21 field season a total of 89 Natal Long-fingered Bats were implanted with RFID tags. Thanks to theRufford Foundation for funding the RFID tags. As more volunteers are trained in correct field handling skills and mastering the skills. The field teams are expected to become larger, where additional equipment will be needed. Some volunteers have already gained experience to take part in the implantation of RFID tags. Therefore, those who would wish to support this project please consider donating to AfricanBats NPC. — Ernest C. J. SEAMARK, AfricanBats NPC.

50/50 filming event © Margaret Bartkowiak (AfricanBats NPC), 2020 During South Africa, COVID pandemic I was contacted by Sonette Ellis (50/50 Assistant Content Producer) to assist in identification of some bat footage sent in from viewers for a segment known as ‘Veldfocus’. This also put me back in contact with Lindsay Patterson (50/50 Researcher), who had undertaken the AfricanBats NPC introduction course to bats in April 2015. In simple catching up some ideas of a possible segment on bats was suggested... not knowing how fast things can occur once there is support for an idea. Albertus Low (presenter and producer) and Igor Potgieter (cameraman) joined us for our normal field work on the 8th September 2020 to obtain stock footage, and then the following evening was set aside to work with Albertus and Igor to obtain © Margaret Bartkowiak (AfricanBats NPC), 2020 more focused footage where those retakes can be undertaken, Above: Albertus Low (presenter) being or camera angles changed. Which if this were undertaken during sprayed down by Dr. Mark Keith with a 10% normal fieldwork would be very disruptive and intrusive to the bats bleach (Hypocloride) solution to disinfect any Above: Ernest Seamark (left) and research team. This was my first experience working with possible that may be taken to other being interviewed by Albertus a filming team, where Albertus and Igor were very professional sites. Low (presenter) and filmed by Igor Potgieter, with the and understood our concern working with wild animals. The first Mamelodi II sinkhole, above evening while normal field work took place, we barely knew that the cave entrance.. they were present. But the second day was lots of fun. Where all the suiting up and trying to keep microphones placed within disposable coveralls...then I squat down and the suit rips... Well, what is ducktap for? Then taking conservation concerns into account the footage of us in the cave with lots of talking, was shot while the bats were out feeding... so no one was actually home. Hence lots of staging and retaking of us walking in © Margaret Bartkowiak (AfricanBats NPC), 2020 the cave from back, front, this angle and that. If this Above: Left to right: Dr. Teresa Kearney waiting for bat to be implanted with an RFID tag, while was undertaken during the day would have been Lindelani Makuya is scribing for Mengjing Wei © Margaret Bartkowiak (AfricanBats NPC), 2020 extremely disruptive to the bats. But at night no who is measuring a bat, which will then be Above: Team suiting up in disposable direct impact. The footage of the bats close up was implanted with an RFID tag. coveralls. Clockwise (bottom left): Igor obtained the night before – where we try to reduce the Potgieter (cameraman), Dr. Mark Keith, Dr. Teresa Kearney (preparing measuring table, amount of time spent in the cave with the bats present Lindelani Makuya, Mengjing Wei, Steven in the late afternoon, capturing what we think we can Tucker, Albertus Low (presenter) and Ernest process depending on the team size for that specific Seamark. day. Thanks to the field team who aided in this event Dr. Teresa Kearney, Dr Mark Keith, Mr. Steven Tucker, Mrs. Margaret Bartkowiak, Miss Lindelani Makuya (intern 2016/17) and Miss Mengjing Wei (intern 18/19, and current MSc student). Also, to Gordon and Cindy

Hooper (landowners) who encouraged and supported © Margaret Bartkowiak (AfricanBats NPC), 2020 our work and the documenting of our work by the 50/50 Above: Ernest Seamark holding a Long- film team. Little did I know that Albertus wearing two fingered Bat, who is echolocating into the hats, was presenting in Afrikaans, but at least there Anabat Walkabout bat detector held by Albertus Low (presenter) while filmed by Igor Potgieter. were English subtitles. © Margaret Bartkowiak (AfricanBats NPC), 2020 Above: What happens when the suit The footage was aired on SABC 2 on the 22 October 2020. You can watch the episode (Bats splits? Left to right: Lindelani Makuya, Igor S10:EP21) via YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiuUd772YaY&t=684s. Potgieter (cameraman), Steven Tucker, Dr. Teresa Kearney applying ducktape to Ernest — Ernest C. J. SEAMARK, AfricanBats NPC. Seamark’s split disposible coverall. While Albertus Low (presenter) is moving towards the sink hole entrance.

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2020 Halloween Bat Photography event Due to the global pandemic of COVID-19, our plans to hold a more open bat photography event on the 31 October 2020 could not take place. This was due to restrictions on the size of groups that could gather. Also, for our own safety we kept the group inhouse so as to avoid unnecessary exposure.

Not being able to share this experience with a wider © ECJ Seamark (AfricanBats NPC), 2020 range of people who had never been exposed to these Above: Natal Long-fingered Bat (Miniopterus magnificent flying creatures of the night, was a missed natalensis) photographed during the 2020 © Alastair Mehl, 2020 educational activity. But, the night of Halloween was Halloween event. Above: Halloween 2020 photographic set- still celebrated, with bat photography – where the up for social distancing during the global landowners Cindy, Gordon and Jason Hooper join us pandemic. with a few of the field team – where cameras and such were set up for social distancing. Thanks for the wireless remote triggers and cameras that talk to smartphones. Due to the uncertainty of the pandemic, it is still not known if a more formal 2021 Halloween bat photography event may take place. But it is hoped that by 31 October 2021, also falling on a weekend, may provide an opportunity for others to experience the joy of photographing

bats in flight within their natural habitat. © T. C. Kearney (AfricanBats NPC), 2020 — Ernest C. J. SEAMARK, AfricanBats NPC. Above: Tricolored Bat (Myotis tricolor) photographed during the 2020 Halloween event. Observations, Discussions and Updates Book Review: Meredith Happold (2021) - Journey Among Animals The Book Guild Ltd.: 233 pages Chapter 12 deals with their final official years at the university of ISBN 978 1913551 919 Canberra, where Meredith ran a course on behaviour for In "Journey Among Animals" Meredith which she used two hooded rats with different temperaments and Happold reminisces about her lifetime where she also had an encounter with a bored fish. After retiring, encounters with animals of all sorts, they both took up another major project: "Mammals of Africa", whether it were pets or wild animals, where Meredith took the lead for the Chiroptera part of volume birds, mammals or some other living IV. This episode forms part of chapter 13, when a , a crested creatures, in Australia or Africa, or pigeon and a possum kept them sane. The book ends with an whether it was professional or private. epilogue with some thoughts about the views of ethologists have At the same time, she also makes a changed during her Journey and on animal consciousness. A tribute to all the inspiring people she met glossary, two appendices (containing the scientific and vernacular on this journey. names of the animals mentioned in the book) and a list of further reading suggestions make the book complete. In the first chapter, she already puts the spotlight on the group of animals for which she is best known: This well written, very captivating book sucks you in the world bats, with her story about Mickey, the large-footed myotis. This of a scientist, who is not only open for pure scientific research, story illustrates that (some) animals are a lot smarter than we but also for the needs of her study animals and/or incidentally give them credit for, something that is repeated throughout the encountered creatures, as illustrated by the compassion she book for various sorts of creatures. The chapter then continues shows towards injured or aging animals. with her earliest encounters with animals in Ivanhoe, Victoria. The vivid descriptions of the places she has been, makes you Chapter two covers her pre-university years with stories about almost want to jump onto a plane and look for these animals. goats, horses and possums. In chapter three, her early years at Unfortunately, however, most of them - with the possible the university, with wombats and hopping-mice, are covered, and exception of an elephant - will no longer be there, but there might in chapters four and five her field studies in the Australian outback. be a chance that you run into one of their descendants. In 1971/1972, she joins her husband David in , where the To end with a quote from the book: "And, as our collections of family expanded with a daughter and son, but also with some data grew, so too did our understanding of these fascinating pet tree hyraxes, mongooses and genets. It was also there that creatures called bats, and that was our greatest reward. I hope I she had her first encounters with African bats (chapter 6). Back can share this excitement with you." If you consider data not only in Australia, there were stories about possums, a labrador like to consist of numbers and dry facts, this book illustrates that what dog, magpies, a wombat and cockatoos (chapters 7 and 8). And you can see, hear, feel (and sometimes smell) also contributes then (1984) it was up to , where she started her research to understand animals, as long as you have a passion for them, into bats, mainly in the area around Zomba, but also in a number which Meredith really has, an she certainly shares it. of National Parks (chapter 9). Chapter 10 is a short interlude of — Victor VAN CAKENBERGHE, Lab for Functional Morphology, their return to Australia in 1985 to 1993, when they went back to Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium. Malawi for another year of bat research, this time primarily on the E-mail: [email protected] reproduction biology of the pipistrelle, and echolocation.

Research and Conservation Activities / Observations, Discussions and Updates African Bat Conservation News ISSN 1812-1268 July 2021 vol. 49 9 Recent literature Books African Chiroptera Report 2019 Edited by Victor Van Cakenberghe and Ernest C. J. Seamark.

th The 14 annual release of the African Chiroptera Report was published on 30 December 2019, including all associated Geographic Information Systems (GIS) of data obtained to date on from museum records and literature. The whole or sections (appendices) of the report together with the associated GIS datasets can be downloaded separately from https://africanbats.org/publication/african-chiroptera-report-2019/. Recommended citation: ACR, 2019. African Chiroptera Report 2019. AfricanBats NPC, Pretoria. i-xv + 8297 pp. Download full document.

Handbook of the Mammals of the World, Volume 9: Bats Edited by Don E. Wilson and Russell A. Mittermeier. Volume 9 completes the Handbook of Mammals of the World series, and it deals with the bats, order Chiroptera. Our knowledge of bats has exploded in the past two decades, and all of that information is reflected in this volume. The number of recognized species has increased by more than 400 during that time and is still growing. Bats occupy almost every habitat on six continents and their ecology is incredibly diverse. Pollinators and seed dispersers for thousands of species of , bats are critical for the maintenance of tropical ecosystems. As always, the text includes up-to-date information on every species, and each one is carefully illustrated. The family accounts include color photographs documenting a variety of behaviors of these interesting mammals. For this volume, the approximately 8100 references are included on a CD-ROM attached to the inside of the back cover. Recommended citation: WILSON, D. E. and MITTERMEIER, R. A. [EDS] 2019. Handbook mammals of the world. Vol. 9. Bats. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona: 1008 pp.

African Chiroptera Report 2020 Edited by Victor Van Cakenberghe and Ernest C. J. Seamark The 15th edition of the African Chiroptera Report was published on the 25 October 2020, this included all associated Geographic Information System (GIS) of data obtained to date from museum and literature sources. The whole or sections (appendices) of the report together with the GIS datasets can be downloaded separately from https://africanbats.org/pulications/african-chiroptera-report-2020/. Recommended citation: ACR. 2020. African Chiroptera Report 2020. V. Van Cakenberghe and E.C.J. Seamark (Eds). AfricanBats NPC, Pretoria. i-xv + 8542 pp. doi: 10.13140/RG.2.2.32630.63049

Journey Among Animals By Meredith Happold (Press release) Journey Among Animals is a delightful and enlightening collection of stories about the author’s amazing encounters with animals, set in the context of her life, career and travels. Her stories highlight the intel- ligence and cognitive abilities of many animals and show that, like humans, they can display a sense of humour, curiosity, love, jealousy, boredom and individual personalities. The stories are about animals as varied as goats, hopping-mice, bandicoots and potoroos in Australia; mongooses, hyraxes, genets and attractive in Nigeria; and mole-rats, bats, antelopes and elephants in Malawi. The book is packed with easy-to-read information. Bats have a special place in it – although much-maligned, bats are actu- ally friendly, curious and amazingly intelligent creatures. These astonishing stories will help to transform people’s attitudes towards animals. Published by The book Guild Ltd, 9 Priory Business Park, Kibworth, Leicester LE8 0RX - ISBN: 9781913551919 See review of this book by Victor Van Cakenberghe on page 8 or download a PDF copy.

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Papers ABIAEZUTE, C. N., NWAOGU, I. C. and IGWEBUIKE, U. M. 2020a. Histology, ultrastructure, and seasonal variations in the bulbourethral gland of the African straw-colored fruit bat helvum. Journal of Morphology, 281 (11): 1446 - 1455. doi: 10.1002/jmor.21258. We studied the morphological characteristics and seasonal changes of the bulbourethral gland of Eidolon helvum in a typical African tropical environment. Fortyeight bulbourethral glands were examined using gross anatomical, histological, histochemical, and ultrastructural techniques during the early rainy, late rainy, and peak dry seasons. The pear-shaped bilateral bulbourethral glands were located extra-abdominally in the inguinal region. Trabeculae from the capsule divided the parenchyma into numerous lobules of tubuloalveolar glandular acini. The mucosa was covered by a simple columnar epithelium consisting up of principal secretory cells, columnar dense cells and basal cells, which were progressively pronounced during the dry season. The principal cells contained eosinophilic granules, which were PAS positive while the dense cells did not show affinity for the stains. The mean gross weights, acini diameters, and epithelial heights were greater during the rainy season than the dry season. Ultrastructural evaluation showed that the cytoplasm of the principal cells contained well-developed Golgi complexes, rough , mitochondria, and secretory vesicles of varying electron densities and sizes. The secretory vesicles were numerous during the early rainy season, decreased during the late rainy season and were scanty during the peak dry season. The simple columnar epithelium observed during the rainy season was replaced by an undefined stratified epithelium during the dry season, and this was associated with cellular degenerations and regenerations. In conclusion, E. helvum has a typical mammalian bulbourethral gland, with a unique cell type, the dense cell whose functions are not well-understood. The gland exhibits cyclical seasonal variation in structure and secretory activity; being active during the early rainy season (breeding season), and showing the lowest activity during the dry season (non-breeding season). Glandular epithelial cell renewal occurs during the dry season in preparation for the next breeding season.

ABIAEZUTE, C. N., NWAOGU, I. C., OBIDIKE, I. R. and IGWEBUIKE, U. M. 2020b. Seasonal variations in the morphology of the seminal vesicles of the African straw-coloured fruit bat (Eidolon helvum). Anatomical Histology and Embryology, 50 (2): 387 - 395 (for 2021). doi: 10.1111/ahe.12643. The study investigated seasonal changes in the morphology of the seminal vesicles of Eidolon helvum in a typical African tropical environment. Seminal vesicles of fortyeight bats were examined during the early rainy, late rainy and peak dry seasons, using gross anatomical, histological and ultrastructural techniques. The interlobular connective tissue septa from the external capsule demarcated the glandular parenchyma into numerous lobules of tubulo-alveolar glands. A simple cuboidal epithelium of mono- or bi- nucleated cuboidal cells lined the glandular mucosa during the rainy season. This was replaced by a bistratified cuboidal epithelium, whose upper layer of cells showed evidence of degeneration, during the dry season. The PAS-positive secretory products appeared to be numerous during the rainy season, but few and clumped together during the dry season. The mean gross weight, interlobular septal thickness, acini diameter and epithelial height of the glands varied significantly with season. Ultrastructural features of the secretory cells during the rainy season showed well-developed cytoplasmic organelles, numerous electron lucid secretory vesicles and electron-dense granules. Secretory epithelial cells of the seminal vesicles are very active during the rainy season, while regeneration of degenerated epithelium in preparation for the next reproductive cycle occurs during the dry season.

ABOELNOUR, A., NORELDIN, A. E., MASSOUD, D. and ABUMANDOUR, M. M. A. 2020. Retinal characterization in the eyes of two bats endemic in the Egyptian fauna, the Egyptian fruit bat ( aegyptiacus) and insectivorous bat ( kuhlii), using the light microscope and transmission electron microscope. Microscopy Research and Technique, 83 (11): 1391 - 1400. doi: 10.1002/jemt.23530. Bats are the only mammals that can fly in the dark without eye usage. This study was conducted to describe the structural and functional adaptations of the retina of two bats very common in the Egyptian fauna having a different lifestyle: the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) and insectivorous bat (Pipistrellus kuhlii). Seven eyes were collected from adult individuals of each species. Examination of the retina using a light microscope and a transmission electron microscope was carried out. The retina of P. kuhlii was thicker than that of R. aegyptiacus, which had many projections extended from the choroid layer into retina forming papillae. Despite rods being dominant in retinae of both species, cone photoreceptors were encountered in both retinae. The outer plexiform layer of R. aegyptiacus was arranged into islets between the outer nuclear layer produced differences in its thickness. However, the retina of P. kuhlii showed a normal arrangement of retinal structure. The retinal pigment epithelium of both bat species consists of a single layer of the cuboidal cells with a round to oval vesicular nuclei, which showed a lack of pigmentation in R. aegyptiacus and poor pigmentation in the P. kuhlii. In conclusion, our investigation detected many structural and ultrastructural differences between the two bat species. The presence of many projections protruded from the choroid layer of R. aegyptiacus retina is considered the most characteristic difference between the retinae of R. aegyptiacus and P. kuhlii.

AINA, O. O., OLUDE, M. A., OLOPADE, F. E., BALKEMA-BUSCHMANN, A., GROSCHUP, M. H., ULRICH, R. and OLOPADE, J. O. 2020. A possible case of renal oxalate deposit reported in an African fruit bat ( franqueti). International Journal of Veterinary Science and Medicine, 8 (1): 56 - 58. doi: 10.1080/23144599.2020.1807816. We report a possible spontaneous case of oxalate nephrosis in an African fruit bat (Epomops franqueti), incidentally observed in Ibadan, South-West Nigeria, in an anatomical and serological survey of the species. Wild caught bats underwent sedation, intracardial perfusion, necropsy and histopathology. All 15 wild-caught African fruit bats were apparently healthy. However, light microscopy revealed mild oligofocal tubulonephrosis with intraluminal deposition of polarizing crystals interpreted as subclinical oxalate nephrosis in one case. In summary, we suggest a dietary aetiology, based on seasonal availability of high ascorbic acid or oxalate containing fruits. However, exposure to anthropogenic contaminants cannot be completely ruled out.

AKEM, E. S. and PEMUNTA, N. V. 2020. The bat meat chain and perceptions of the risk of contracting in the Mount region. BMC Public Health, 20: 593. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-08460-8. Background: Local people’s interaction with bats render them vulnerable to Ebola Disease (EVD). This paper examines perceptions of risk involved in the hunting, handling, processing and consumption of bat meat in the Mount Cameroon region of

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Southwest Cameroon. It focuses on the myriad cultural beliefs, gendered patterns of activity and institutional arrangements in which the bat meat production chain is embedded. Methods: We conducted 30 ethnographic interviews with a sample of purposively selected men and women involved in the bat meat trade. The interviews were tape recorded, transcribed verbatim and inductive analysis was performed on the data. Findings: The findings suggests that more urban men than villagers and hunters consume bat meat. Different practicesand behaviours expose the mostly uneducated, young, single men and women to the risk of Ebola infection depending on their differential level of intervention in the human-bat interaction and value chain linking hunters, sellers and customers. The killing of bats with the mouth during hunting expose hunters (young men) while the preparation of bat carcasses for consumption also put women, (mostly young and unmarried) at risk. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that the complexity and nuances of gender, poverty and Ebola outcomes predispose some marginal groups to the risk of infection with zoonotic diseases. There is the need to improve public health intervention and health education among the rural masses in the Mount Cameroon region.

ALDEBSAWI, A.A., AL-NAJDAWI, M.M., JARRAR, Q.B., SALEH, M.M. and MOSHAWIH, S.F. 2021. Middle Easterns’ knowledge about bat blood use and effectiveness in preventing hair growth: a questionnaire survey. Arch. Pharm. Pract., 12 (2): 29 - 33. doi: 10.51847/XdT8clmkcV. In Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan, anointing girls’ body with bat’s blood is an option to reduce body hair growth. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and people’s opinions about the effectiveness of using bat’s blood in preventing hair growth. A manual and online survey with closed-ended questions was distributed among 120 participants to examine the steps of bating procedure and associated disease risks. Among the participants, 90 were regular people and 30 were dermatologists and virologists. 97 % of the samples had heard about the process and 71 % had experienced it on themselves. Most of the study samples were familiar with the procedures and steps of bating (3.69), and they agreed with three essential procedures, namely; the blood should be warm and fresh, the operation takes place immediately after birth, and olive oil or saline should be used in the body bath. Also, there was a strong belief among the sample members about the effectiveness of this process (3.86) according to their age, gender, and educational level in favor of the less educated and older females. Furthermore, there was an agreement among specialists about the possibility that this process could be risky and leads to infection or skin allergies (4.34). Traditional practice in the Middle East area indicates the usefulness of bating process; however, laboratory and clinical studies are needed to illustrate any disease risks.

ALMEIDA, F. C., AMADOR, L. I. and GIANNINI, N. P. 2021. Explosive radiation at the origin of Old World fruit bats (Chiroptera, Pteropodidae). Organisms Diversity & Evolution, 21 (1): 231 - 243. doi: 10.1007/s13127- 021-00480-5. Pteropodidae constitutes one of the most diverse bat families. These bats have evolved a phytophagous diet, likely lost laryngeal echolocation capability, and attained the largest body sizes among bats. Previous phylogenetic studies suggested that the family might have experienced an explosive diversification at its origin. Here, we readdress this hypothesis using a macroevolutionary approach based on Bayesian statistics (BAMM), a sampling of 139 pteropodid species, and divergence date estimates obtained in a comprehensive phylogenetic study of Chiroptera with multiple fossil calibration points. We evaluated the effect of missing data and of a reduced outgroup by repeating the analyses across simulated complete phylogenies and across a comprehensive Yinpterochiroptera phylogeny, respectively. Additionally, we performed an alternative analysis to detect diversification-rate shifts through time, the birth-death-shift method. In contrast with a previous study, we found strong statistical signals of rapid diversification at the origin of Pteropodidae. BAMM also detected diversification-rate shifts (increases) at the origin of , as well as at crown and Rhinolophidae. The birth-death-shift method detected a shift at approximately 25 million years ago, the estimated crown ages of both Pteropodidae and Hipposideridae. Our results point to a complex dynamics in the evolution of bat families, likely related to key innovations, demographic factors, and environmental opportunity enhanced by global-scale climatic and geographic changes.

ALMEIDA, F. C., SIMMONS, N. B. and GIANNINI, N. P. 2020. A species-level phylogeny of Old World fruit bats with a new higher-level classification of the family Pteropodidae. American Museum Novitates, 3950: 1 - 24. url: https://digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/7111. Old World fruit bats (Chiroptera: Yinpterochiroptera: Pteropodidae) are a diverse radiation endemic to the tropics of Africa, Asia, Australia, and nearby island archipelagos. Recent molecular analyses have provided considerable resolution of phylogenetic relationships within this group, but many points of uncertainty have remained including the position of several enigmatic taxa (e.g., , Eidolon), relationships among species in more diverse subfamilies and genera (e.g., , Pteropus, ), and topology of the backbone of the tree. Here we provide a new, synthetic analysis including representatives of all 45 currently recognized genera and enhanced sampling in several speciose genera. Our matrix included four nuclear regions (vWF, RAG1, RAG2, and BRCA1) and four mitochondrial loci (Cytb, tRNA valine, 12S rRNA, and 16S rRNA) for a total of >8000 bp including new sequence data for 13 species. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses resulted in trees supporting recognition of six main suprageneric clades similar in content to those identified in our previous studies. We did not recover strong support for relationships among the main clades along the backbone of the tree, but identified many well-supported clades within all of the major groups. Based on these results, we propose a new classification for Pteropodidae comprising eight subfamilies and 14 tribes, and including several new and/or replacement higher-level taxonomic names for which we provide morphological diagnoses.

ALUMBAUGH, J.L., GOODMAN, S.M. and SAMONDS, K.E. 2021. Morphometric analyses of modern and subfossil Macronycteris (family Hipposideridae) refine groups from Anjohibe Cave, northwestern Madagascar. Acta Chiropterologica, 23 (1): 33 - 43. doi: 10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.003. Extant Malagasy members of the Macronycteris are broadly distributed across the island and vary in size with respect to sex, bioclimatic zone, and intraspecific clade affinity. An extinct Quaternary species,M. besaoka, was considered morphologically distinct from modern Macronycteris based on its robust and wider molars. Since its description, taxonomic and phylogenetic

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revisions have reshaped our understanding of Malagasy Macronycteris. This included the discovery of the cryptic species M. cryptovalorona and the recognition of two clades within M. commersoni. Recent augmentation of museum cranial collections of Malagasy members of the genus has permitted renewed investigation into morphological trends. Herein, we examine craniodental morphology of modern Malagasy Macronycteris spp., and investigate the validity of M. besaoka through nonparametric multivariate methods. The results of this study support M. besaoka as a valid species. Further, some specimens previously diagnosed as M. besaoka are best associated with modern M. commersoni from the dry bioclimatic zone. These results have implications for the history of the bat community at Anjohibe Cave, as well as the identification of other Macronycteris subfossils from dry western Madagascar.

AMMAN, B. R., , B. H., BAKARR, I. A., BANGURA, J., SCHUH, A. J., JOHNNY, J., SEALY, T. K., CONTEH, I., KOROMA, A. H., FODAY, I., AMARA, E., BANGURA, A. A., GBAKIMA, A. A., TREMEAU-BRAVARD, A., BELAGANAHALLI, M., DHANOTA, J., CHOW, A., ONTIVEROS, V., GIBSON, A., TURAY, J., PATEL, K., GRAZIANO, J., BANGURA, C., KAMANDA, E. S., OSBORNE, A., SAIDU, E., , J., BANGURA, D., WILLIAMS, S. M. T., WADSWORTH, R., TURAY, M., EDWIN, L., MEREWEATHER-THOMPSON, V., KARGBO, D., BAIROH, F. V., KANU, M., ROBERT, W., LUNGAI, V., WADOUM, R. E. G., COOMBER, M., KANU, O., JAMBAI, A., KAMARA, S. M., TABOY, C. H., SINGH, T., MAZET, J. A. K., NICHOL, S. T., GOLDSTEIN, T., TOWNER, J. S. and LEBBIE, A. 2020a. Isolation of -like from Egyptian rousette bats from West Africa. Nature Communications, 11: 510. doi: 10.1038/s41467-020-14327-8. Marburg virus (MARV) causes sporadic outbreaks of severe (MVD). Most MVD outbreaks originated in East Africa and field studies in East Africa, South Africa, , and identified the Egyptian rousette bat (ERB; Rousettus aegyptiacus) as a natural reservoir. However, the largest recorded MVD outbreak with the highest case-fatality ratio happened in 2005 in Angola, where direct spillover from bats was not shown. Here, collaborative studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Njala University, University of California, Davis USAID-PREDICT, and the University of Makeni identify MARV circulating in ERBs in . PCR, antibody and virus isolation data from 1755 bats of 42 species shows active MARV infection in approximately 2.5 % of ERBs. Phylogenetic analysis identifies MARVs that are similar to the Angola strain. These results provide evidence of MARV circulation in West Africa and demonstrate the value of surveillance to identify previously undetected threats.

AMMAN, B. R., SCHUH, A. J., SEALY, T. K., SPENGLER, J. R., WELCH, S. R., KIREJCZYK, S. G. M., ALBARIÑO, C. G., NICHOL, S. T. and TOWNER, J. S. 2020b. Experimental infection of Egyptian rousette bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) with Sosuga virus demonstrates potential transmission routes for a bat-borne human pathogenic paramyxovirus. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 14 (3): e0008092. doi: 10.1371/journal. pntd.0008092. In August 2012, a wildlife biologist became severely ill after becoming infected with a novel paramyxovirus, termed Sosuga virus. In the weeks prior to illness, the patient worked with multiple species of bats in South and , including Egyptian rousette bats (ERBs: Rousettus aegyptiacus). A follow-up study of Ugandan bats found multiple wild-caught ERBs to test positive for SOSV in liver and spleen. To determine the competency of these bats to act as a natural reservoir for SOSV capable of infecting humans, captive-bred ERBs were inoculated with a recombinant SOSV, representative of the patient’s virus sequence. The bats were inoculated subcutaneously, sampled daily (blood, urine, fecal, oral and rectal swabs) and serially euthanized at predetermined time points. All inoculated bats became infected with SOSV in multiple tissues and blood, urine, oral, rectal and fecal swabs tested positive for SOSV RNA. No evidence of overt morbidity or mortality were observed in infected ERBs, although histopathological examination showed subclinical disease in a subset of tissues. Importantly, SOSV was isolated from oral/rectal swabs, urine and feces, demonstrating shedding of infectious virus concomitant with systemic infection. All bats euthanized at 21 days post- inoculation (DPI) seroconverted to SOSV between 16 and 21 DPI. These results are consistent with ERBs being competent reservoir hosts for SOSV with spillover potential to humans.

ANCILLOTTO, L., BOSSO, L., SMERALDO, S., MORI, E., MAZZA, G., HERKT, M., GALIMBERTI, A., RAMAZZOTTI, F. and RUSSO, D. 2020. An African bat in Europe, gaisleri: Biogeographic and ecological insights from molecular and Species Distribution Models. Ecology and Evolution, 10 (12): 5785 - 5800. doi: 10.1002/ece3.6317. Because of the high risk of going unnoticed, cryptic species represent a major challenge to biodiversity assessments, and this is particularly true for taxa that include many such species, for example, bats. Long-eared bats from the genus Plecotus comprise numerous cryptic species occurring in the Mediterranean Region and present complex phylogenetic relationships and often unclear distributions, particularly at the edge of their known ranges and on islands. Here, we combine Species Distribution Models (SDMs), field surveys and molecular analyses to shed light on the presence of a cryptic long-eared bat species from North Africa, Plecotus gaisleri, on the islands of the Sicily Channel, providing strong evidence that this species also occurs in Europe, at least on the islands of the Western Mediterranean Sea that act as a crossroad between the Old Continent and Africa. Species Distribution Models built using African records of P. gaisleri and projected to the Sicily Channel Islands showed that all these islands are potentially suitable for the species. Molecular identification of Plecotus captured on Pantelleria, and recent data from Malta and Gozo, confirmed the species’ presence on two of the islands in question. Besides confirming that P. gaisleri occurs on Pantelleria, haplotype network reconstructions highlighted moderate structuring between insular and continental populations of this species. Our results remark the role of Italy as a bat diversity hotspot in the Mediterranean and also highlight the need to include P. gaisleri in European faunal checklists and conservation directives, confirming the usefulness of combining different approaches to explore the presence of cryptic species outside their known ranges - a fundamental step to informing conservation.

ANDRIAFIDISON, D., ANDRIANAIVOARIVELO, R., CARDIFF, S. G., GOODMAN, S. M., HUTSON, A. M., JENKINS, R. K. B., KOFOKY, A., PICOT, M., RACEY, P. A., RANIVO, J., RATRIMOMANARIVO, F. H. and RAZAFIMANAHAKA, J. 2020. Eidolon dupreanum, Madagascan fruit bat. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T7083A22027891. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T7083A22027891.en.

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APANASKEVICH, D. A. and TOMLINSON, J. A. 2020. Description of two new species of Haemaphysalis Koch, 1844 (: Ixodidae) from the H. (Rhipistoma) spinulosa subgroup, parasites of carnivores and other mammals in Africa. Systematic Parasitology, 97 (6): 601 - 621. doi: 10.1007/s11230-020-09954-0. Haemaphysalis (Rhipistoma) latitudinis n. sp. (Acari: Ixodidae) and H. (R.) setosa n. sp. are described based on adults. Adults of H. (R.) latitudinis n. sp. were mostly collected from carnivores (Carnivora: Canidae, Felidae, Herpestidae, Mustelidae, Viverridae), few specimens were found on rodents (Rodentia: Muridae), bat (Chiroptera: Molossidae) and domestic (Artiodactyla: Bovidae) in , , Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic , , , , Nigeria, South Sudan and Uganda. Adults of H. (R.) setosa n. sp. were mostly found on carnivores (Carnivora: Felidae, Herpestidae, Viverridae), few specimens were found on rodents (Rodentia: Muridae), hare (Lagomorpha: Leporidae), hyrax (Hyracoidea: Procaviidae) and human (Primates: Hominidae) in Kenya. Males and females of both species can be differentiated from each other and other H. spinulosa- like by their size, pattern of punctations on conscutum/scutum, size of setae, shape of genital structures, size and shape of spiracular plates, dorsal cornua, posterodorsal and posteroventral spurs on palpal segment II and spur on coxae and dentition on hypostome

ARAI, S. and YANAGIHARA, R. 2020. Genetic diversity and geographic distribution of bat-borne hantaviruses. Current Issues in Molecular Biology, 39: 1 - 28. doi: 10.21775/cimb.039.001. The recent discovery that multiple species of and moles (order , families Soricidae and Talpidae) from Europe, Asia, Africa and/or North America harbour genetically distinct belonging to the family (order ) has prompted a further exploration of their host diversification. In analysing thousands of frozen, RNAlater®-preserved and ethanol- fixed tissues from bats (order Chiroptera) by reverse polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), ten hantaviruses have been detected to date in bat species belonging to the suborder Yinpterochiroptera (families Hipposideridae, Pteropodidae and Rhinolophidae) and the suborder Yangochiroptera (families Emballonuriade, Nycteridae and ). Of these, six hantaviruses are from Asia (Xuân Son virus and Ðakrông virus in Vietnam; Láibin virus in China and Myanmar; Huángpí virus and Lóngquán virus in China; and Quezon virus in the ); three are from Africa (Mouyassué virus in Côte d’Ivoire and Ethiopia; in Sierra Leone; and Makokou virus in Gabon); and one from Europe (Brno virus in the Czech Republic). Molecular identification of many more bat-borne hantaviruses is expected. However, thus far, none of these newfound viruses has been isolated in cell culture and it is unclear if they cause infection or disease in humans. Future research must focus on myriad unanswered questions about the genetic diversity and geographic distribution, as well as the pathogenic potential, of bat-borne viruses of the family Hantaviridae.

ARBOUR, J. H., CURTIS, A. A. and SANTANA, S. E. 2021. Sensory adaptations reshaped intrinsic factors underlying morphological diversification in bats. BMC Biology, 19: 88. doi: 10.1186/s12915-021-01022-3. Background: Morphological evolution may be impacted by both intrinsic (developmental, constructional, physiological) and extrinsic (ecological opportunity and release) factors, but can intrinsic factors be altered by adaptive evolution and, if so, do they constrain or facilitate the subsequent diversification of biological form? Bats underwent deep adaptive divergences in skull shape as they evolved different sensory modes; here we investigate the potential impact of this process on two intrinsic factors thatunderlie morphological variation across organisms, allometry, and modularity. Results: We use comparative phylogenetic and morphometric approaches to examine patterns of evolutionary allometry and modularity across a 3D geometric morphometric dataset spanning all major bat clades. We show that allometric relationships diverge between echolocators and visually oriented non-echolocators and that the evolution of nasal echolocation reshaped the modularity of the bat cranium. Conclusions: Shifts in allometry and modularity may have significant consequences on the diversification of anatomical structures, as observed in the bat skull.

ARNUPHAPPRASERT, A., RIANA, E., NGAMPRASERTWONG, T., WANGTHONGCHAICHAROEN, M., SOISOOK, P., THANEE, S., BHODHIBUNDIT, P. and KAEWTHAMASORN, M. 2020. First molecular investigation of haemosporidian parasites in Thai bat species. International Journal for Parasitology - Parasites and Wildlife, 13: 51 - 61. doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2020.07.010. Malaria parasites in the phylum Apicomplexa (Order: Haemosporida) infect diverse and hosts. At least seven genera of haemosporidian parasites have been described to exclusively infect bats. Most of these parasites remain enigmatic with a poorly known host range. Here, we investigated 271 bats belonging to 21 species and seven families from six provinces of Thailand. Overall, 124 out of 271 bats (45.8 %) were positive for haemosporidian parasites, while none had Plasmodium, based on microscopic examination of blood smears and PCR amplification. We obtained 19 distinct cytochromeb (cytb) nucleotide haplotypes of Hepatocystis from seven bat species (families: Craseonycteridae, Hipposideridae, Pteropodidae, and Rhinolophidae). Nycteria was found in four bat species (Craseonycteridae, , Megadermatidae, and Pteropodidae) and Polychromophilus in two species (Emballonuridae, Vespertilionidae). Phylogenetic analysis inferred from cytb sequences placed Hepatocystis into 2 different clades. Most Hepatocystis infections were found in insectivorous bats and clustered together with a sequence from larvatus in Cambodia (in subclade 1a). A single sequence of Hepatocystis obtained from a frugivorous bat, brachyotis, was placed in the same clade with Hepatocystis from the same bat species previously reported in Malaysia (clade 2). Nycteria in these Thai bats were clearly separated from the African isolates previously reported in bats in the family Rhinolophidae. Polychromophilus murinus from Myotis siligorensis was placed in a distinct clade (clade 2) from Polychromophilus melanipherus isolated from melanopogon (clade 1). These results confirmed that at least two distinct species of Polychromophilus are found in Thailand. Collectively, Hepatocystis presented no host specificity. Although Megaderma spasma seemed to be infected by only Nycteria, its respective parasite does not show specificity to only a single bat host. Polychromophilus murinus and P. melanipherus seem to infect a narrower host range or are somehow restricted to bats in the families Vespertilionidae and Emballonuridae, respectively.

ATAGANA, P. J., BAKWO FILS, E. M. and KEKEUNOU, S. 2021. Responses of bat communities (Mammalia: Chiroptera) to loss and habitat conversion in southern Cameroon. Tropical Conservation Science, 14: 1 – 18. doi: 10.1177/19400829211010360.

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We aimed to assess how bats are affected by habitat transformation by comparing bat assemblages in four habitat types: primary forest, secondary forest, cocoa plantations and human habitations in the Dja Biosphere Reserve of southern Cameroon. Bats were sampled in the four habitat types using mist nets. During 126 nights, a total of 413 bats were captured, belonging to four families, 16 genera and 24 species. Ninety three individuals (17 species) were captured in the primary forest, followed by plantations (105 individuals, 14 species), human habitations (159 individuals, 10 species), and secondary forest (55 individuals, eight species). woermanni was recorded in all the four habitats, and was the most abundant species (105 individuals). The analysis of bat assemblage between habitat types showed a statistically significant difference in species composition. The distribution of the six most abundant species (Epomops franqueti, Megaloglossus woermanni, Rousettus aegyptiacus, Dohyrina cyclops, Hipposideros cf. caffer and Hipposideros cf. ruber) was influenced by habitat types. Our results suggest that the decrease in species richness observed in disturbed habitats may be due to habitat perturbations of primary forest habitats. Therefore, it is important to examine the effects of habitat conversion at species level, as responses are often species-specific.

AUDRA, P., HERESANU, V., BARRIQUAND, L., EL KADIRI BOUTCHICH, M., JAILLET, J., PONS-BRANCHU, E., BOSÁK, P., CHENG, H., EDWARDS, R. L. and RENDA, M. 2021. Bat guano minerals and mineralization processes in Chameau Cave, Eastern . International Journal of Speleology, 50 (1): 91 - 109. doi: 10.5038/1827-806X.50.1.2374. The decay of bat guano deposits in caves produces mineral accumulations, mainly phosphates and secondary sulfates. Chameau Cave, Eastern Morocco, is located in the semi-arid Bni Snassen Mountains. It is composed of semi-active and dry passages, and is featured by strong condensation-corrosion on the walls, presence of fluvial sediments, and old corroded flowstones. Due to forced and convective airflow, the cave is generally very dry, with some damp sites related to condensation. Samples collected on the surface of different passages and along two sediment profiles yielded minerals related to bat guano decay. On recent or fresh guano, precursor minerals correspond to sulfate (gypsum), phosphate-sulfate (ardealite) and phosphate (brushite). Phosphates (hydroxylapatite, fluorapatite) occur at the interface with host rock or carbonate speleothems. At the contact of phyllosilicates contained in allogenic fluvial deposits or shale partings, or with pyrite-rich sediments, various phosphates occur (Alrich strengite, Fe- rich variscite, phosphosiderite, leucophosphite, spheniscidite, crandallite, minyulite, variscite, and strengite), the latter two minerals being the stable end-members. Black seams of oxyhydroxides (goethite, hematite, birnessite) line the contact between carbonate host rock and weathered fluvial deposits. After “digestion” by acidic guano leachates, fluvial deposits only display the most resistant minerals (quartz, muscovite, K-feldspars, and Na-plagioclases) and weathering byproducts (kaolinite). We discuss the origin of a pure gypsum particle cone, possibly related to evaporation at the edge of a wet cupola and subsequent detachment of sulfate particles. Among environmental conditions, humidity is required for decay. In this dry cave, most of the damp originates from either permanent or seasonal condensation. Dust particle advection seems to be essential in providing compounds that are not present on fresh guano (quartz, clay minerals). Bat guano phosphatization has probably occurred since >100 ka. The Chameau Cave appears as an outstanding site for bat guano-related minerals (n = 12), including rare phosphates (spheniscidite and minyulite).

AZAMI-CONESA, I., GÓMEZ-MUÑOZ, M.T. and MARTÍNEZ-DÍAZ, R.A. 2021. A systematic review (1990 - 2021) of wild animals infected with zoonotic Leishmania. Microorganisms, 9 (5): 1101. doi: 10.3390/ microorganisms9051101. Leishmaniasis are neglected diseases caused by several species of Leishmania that affect humans and many domestic and wild animals with a worldwide distribution. The objectives of this review are to identify wild animals naturally infected with zoonotic Leishmania species as well as the organs infected, methods employed for detection and percentage of infection. A literature search starting from 1990 was performed following the PRISMA methodology and 161 reports were included. One hundred and eighty-nine species from ten orders (i.e., Carnivora, Chiroptera, Cingulata, Didelphimorphia, Diprotodontia, Lagomorpha, Eulipotyphla, Pilosa, Primates and Rodentia) were reported to be infected, and a few animals were classified only at the genus level. An exhaustive list of species; diagnostic techniques, including PCR targets; infected organs; number of animals explored and percentage of positives are presented. L. infantum infection was described in 98 wild species and L. (Viania) spp. in 52 wild animals, while L. mexicana, L. amazonensis, L. major and L. tropica were described in fewer than 32 animals each. During the last decade, intense research revealed new hosts within Chiroptera and Lagomorpha. Carnivores and rodents were the most relevant hosts for L. infantum and L. (Viannia) spp., with some species showing lesions, although in most of the studies clinical signs were not reported.

AZIZ, S. A., MCCONKEY, K. R., TANALGO, K., SRITONGCHUAY, T., LOW, M.-R., YONG, J. Y., MILDENSTEIN, T. L., NUEVO-DIEGO, C. E., LIM, V.-C. and RACEY, P. A. 2021. The critical importance of Old World fruit bats for healthy ecosystems and economies. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 9: 641411. doi: 10.3389/ fevo.2021.641411. Despite extensive documentation of the ecological and economic importance of Old World fruit bats (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) and the many threats they face from humans, negative attitudes towards pteropodids have persisted, fuelled by perceptions of bats as being pests and undesirable neighbours. Such long-term negativity towards bats is now further exacerbated by more recent disease-related concerns, particularly associated with the current COVID-19 pandemic. There remains an urgent need to investigate and highlight the positive and beneficial aspects of bats across the Old World. While previous reviews have summarised these extensively, numerous new studies conducted over the last 36 years have provided further valuable data and insights which warrant an updated review. Here we synthesise research on pteropodid- interactions, comprising diet, ecological roles, and ecosystem services, conducted during 1985 - 2020. We uncovered a total of 311 studies covering 75 out of the known 201 pteropodid species (37 %), conducted in 47 countries. The majority of studies documented diet (52 % of all studies; 67 pteropodid species), followed by foraging movement (49 %; 50 pteropodid species), with fewer studies directly investigating the roles played by pteropodids in seed dispersal (24 %; 41 pteropodid species), pollination (14 %; 19 pteropodid species), and conflict with fruit growers (12 %; 11 pteropodid species). Pteropodids were recorded feeding on 1072 plant species from 493 genera and 148 families, with fruits comprising the majority of plant parts consumed, followed by flowers/nectar/pollen, leaves, and other miscellaneous parts. Sixteen pteropodid species have been confirmed to act as pollinators for a total of 21 plant species, and 29 pteropodid species have been confirmed to act as seed dispersers for a total of 311 plant species. Anthropogenic threats disrupting bat-plant interactions in the Old World include hunting, direct persecution, habitat loss/disturbance, invasive species, and climate change, leading to ecosystem-level repercussions. We identify notable research gaps and important research priorities to support conservation action

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BACHOREC, E., HORÁCEK, I., HULVA, P., KONECNÝ, A., LUCAN, R. K., JEDLICKA, P., SHOHDI, W. M., RERUCHA, S., ABI-SAID, M. and BARTONICKA, T. 2020a. Spatial networks differ when food supply changes: Foraging strategy of Egyptian fruit bats. PLoS ONE, 15 (2): e0229110. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229110. Animals are faced with a range of ecological constraints that shape their behavioural decisions. Habitat features that affect resource abundance will also have an impact, especially as regards spatial distribution, which will in turn affect associations between the animals. Here we utilised a network approach, using spatial and genetic data, to describe patterns in use of space (foraging sites) by free-ranging Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) at the Dakhla Oasis in Egypt. We observed a decrease in home range size during spring, when food availability was lowest, which was reflected by differences in space sharing networks. Our data showed that when food was abundant, space sharing networks were less connected and more related individuals shared more foraging sites. In comparison, when food was scarce the bats had few possibilities to decide where and with whom to forage. Overall, both networks had high mean degree, suggesting communal knowledge of predictable food distribution.

BAGHERFARD, S., NAJAFI, N., GHARZI, A. and AKMALI, V. 2020. Lack of intraspecific variations of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene in the greater mouse-tailed bat Rhinopoma microphyllum (Chiroptera: Rhinopomatidae) in Iran. Genetica, 149 (1): 37 - 45. doi: 10.1007/s10709-020-00109-z. Rhinopoma microphyllum is one of the species of bats that lives in arid and semi-arid areas of Iran. The initial suggestion of the presence of two subspecies R. m. microphyllum and R. m. harrisoni based on their morphological characteristics has been questioned on the basis of small differences between the populations. Later, other researchers assigned Iranian populations of this species to one or two subspecies based on their morphological and molecular characteristics. The present study provides a phylogeographical analysis of this species using 687 bp of the mitochondrial cytochrome b in 81 bats in Iran, Jordan, Levant and Ethiopia. Based on mtDNA sequences, we found a low degree of genetic diversity in the Iranian populations of R. microphyllum (p = 0.0025), which shows a close relationship between the haplotypes. The analysis of genetic distance (0.15 - 1.93%), phylogenetic trees, and statistical parsimony network showed that all Iranian samples were grouped in the same clade, while Levant, Jordan and Ethiopian samples belonged to a different clade. Molecular dating suggested the Iranian R. microphyllum lineage split from the R. microphyllum of the Levant and Jordan clade during the Pliocene 3.18 (2.11 - 4.32 Ma). Taking these results into consideration, we can conclude that all Iranian specimens belong to the same subspecies as R. m. harrisoni since molecular results indicate that Iranian samples are differ from Levant subspecies (R. m. microphyllum).

BAKER, K. S., TACHEDJIAN, M., BARR, J., MARSH, G. A., TODD, S., CRAMERI, G., CRAMERI, S., SMITH, I., HOLMES, C. E. G., SUU-IRE, R., FERNANDEZ-LORAS, A., CUNNINGHAM, A. A., WOOD, J. L. N. and WANG, L.-F. 2020. Achimota Pararubulavirus 3: a new bat-derived Paramyxovirus of the genus Pararubulavirus. Viruses, 12 (11): 1236. doi: 10.3390/v12111236. Bats are an important source of viral zoonoses, including paramyxoviruses. The paramyxoviral Pararubulavirus genus contains viruses mostly derived from bats that are common, diverse, distributed throughout the Old World, and known to be zoonotic. Here, we describe a new member of the genus Achimota pararubulavirus 3 (AchPV3) and its isolation from the urine of African straw-coloured fruit bats on primary bat kidneys cells. We sequenced and analysed the of AchPV3 relative to other , revealing it to be similar to known pararubulaviruses. Phylogenetic analysis of AchPV3 revealed the failure of molecular detection in the urine sample from which AchPV3 was derived and an attachment protein most closely related with AchPV2-a pararubulavirus known to cause cross-species transmission. Together these findings add to the picture of pararubulaviruses, their sources, and variable zoonotic potential, which is key to our understanding of host restriction and spillover of bat-derived paramyxoviruses. AchPV3 represents a novel candidate and an important tool for further study.

BAKWO FILS, E. M. and KALEME, P. 2020. pusillus (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T13402A166518027. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS. T13402A166518027.en.

BAKWO FILS, E. M., KALEME, P. and WEBER, N. 2020. Megaloglossus woermanni (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T84462869A166504706. doi: 10.2305/ IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T84462869A166504706.en.

BALEELA, R., ABDALWHAB, E., ELNAIM, H., YOUSIF, M., SHABO, M., ELFAKI, E., ABDELGADIR, M. and KHALID, N. 2020. First record of Leishmania spp. in birds and bats from Sudan. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 101 (S1): 359 - 360. doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.09.944. Background: Sudan is one of the endemic areas of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) in the world. The disease represents a major health problem with outbreaks occurring periodically claiming the life of high number of victims. The disease is caused by many strains/ species of Leishmania parasite which is harbored by many different species of reservoir hosts. The objectives of this study were to investigate the reservoir hosts of Leishamania spp among different vertebrates from two areas: a VL endemic area Dinder National Park (DNP) and a non-endemic area (Khartoum State); and to identify and characterize Leishmania spp if present. Methods and materials: Thin blood films from 119 samples from five possible vertebrate resevoir hosts (bats, birds, Egyptian mongoose, reed buck and rodents) were microscopically examined and screened for the presence of Leishmania parasites. Genomic DNA was extracted from different tissue parts from the same sample. For the molecular detection of the parasite; three genes were successfully amplified:Leishmania minicircle kDNA, small subunit - ribosomal DNA (SSU-rDNA), and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS1) which was further characterized by restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. Results: Leishmania amastigotes were microscopically observed in 14.3 % (3 of 21) of the bats collected from DNP. Leishmania specific genomic target DNA was amplified in 17.6 % of the sample (21 of 119) belonging to five vertebrate species: the Egyptian mongoose Herpestes ichneumon, the Spiny mice Acomys albegina, the Nile rat Arvicanthis nilotucs, the Reed Buck Redunca arundinum, birds including (the African jacana Actophiloms africanus, Pied kingfisher Cerylr rudis, greater painted snipe Rostratula

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benghalensis) and two bats: variegata and nigrita. The ITS1-RFLP analysis successfully identified Leishmania donovani in (2 out of 5) positive samples of bats. All positive samples were collected from DNP. Conclusion: The detection of Leishmania spp. in bats, birds and reedbuck is the first of its kind in Sudan. The finding ofL. donovani in bats from Sudan has serious implications on control programs. More work is needed for further identification of the Leishmania species detected in birds and the reedbuck, in addition to the evaluation of the capacity of these animals to transmit the disease.

BARTLETT, M. L., LARSON, P. A., SANCHEZ-LOCKHART, M. and PALACIOS, G. 2020. Unique features of immunity within the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus of Egyptian rousette bats. Proceedings, 50 (1): 142. doi: 10.3390/proceedings2020050142. Marburg virus (MARV) presents with a hemorrhagic fever in primates but asymptomatically in its known reservoir, the Egyptian rousette bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus, ERB). Understanding the biological mechanisms that explain these differential outcomes could be used to develop efficient therapeutics against MARV disease in humans. Since one of the antiviral mechanismsto control viruses is the humoral response, we hypothesize that the B cell repertoire is unique to primates and contributes to the ERB’s ability to overcome MARV infection. Immunoglobulin (Ig) heavy and light chains undergo DNA rearrangement to generate a diverse repertoire. To be able to study B cell rearrangement, the accurate annotation of the Ig heavy chain (IGH) locus is needed. We implemented three complementary strategies to describe and annotate the IGH locus of ERBs. First, we identified and annotated genes at the IGH locus, utilizing the previously described genome and transcriptome of the ERB our group created in collaboration with the CDC and the University of Boston. Second, we sequenced the specific IgM transcriptome of B cells from ERB peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), to confirm or identify new IGH germline genes. Third, we generated bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) libraries to confirm and improve the layout of theIGH locus. We were able to resolve misassemblies of these regions and identify multiple gene expansions unique to ERBs that may contribute to their ability to generate B cell diversity and control infections. We found an expansion of genes associated with protection from various viruses in humans, differential expression of ERB isotypes across tissues, and two functional IgE genes.

BEGEMAN, L., SUU-IRE, R., BANYARD, A. C., DROSTEN, C., EGGERBAUER, E., FREULING, C. M., GIBSON, L., GOHARRIZ, H., HORTON, D. L., JENNINGS, D., MARSTON, D. A., NTIAMOA-BAIDU, Y., RIESLE SBARBARO, S., SELDEN, D., WISE, E. L., KUIKEN, T., FOOKS, A. R., MÜLLER, T., WOOD, J. L. N. and CUNNINGHAM, A. A. 2020. Experimental Lagos bat virus infection in straw-colored fruit bats: A suitable model for bat in a natural reservoir species. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 14 (12): e0008898. doi: 10.1371/ journal.pntd.0008898. Rabies is a fatal neurologic disease caused by infection. Bats are important natural reservoir hosts of various that can be transmitted to people. The epidemiology and pathogenesis of rabies in bats are poorly understood, making it difficult to prevent zoonotic transmission. To further our understanding of lyssavirus pathogenesis in a natural bat host, an experimental model using straw-colored fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) and Lagos bat virus, an endemic lyssavirus in this species, was developed. To determine the lowest viral dose resulting in 100 % productive infection, bats in five groups (four bats per group) were inoculated 0.1 4.1 intramuscularly with one of five doses, ranging from 10 to 10 median tissue culture infectious dose (TCID50). More bats died due 2.1 1.1 1.1 3.1 to the development of rabies after the middle dose (10 TCID50, 4/4 bats) than after lower (10 , 2/4; 10 , 2/4) or higher (10 , 2/4; 104.1, 2/4) doses of virus. In the two highest dose groups, 4/8 bats developed rabies. Of those bats that remained healthy 3/4 bats seroconverted, suggesting that high antigen loads can trigger a strong immune response that abrogates a productive infection. In contrast, in the two lowest dose groups, 3/8 bats developed rabies, 1/8 remained healthy and seroconverted and 4/8 bats remained healthy and did not seroconvert, suggesting these doses are too low to reliably induce infection. The main lesion in all clinically affected bats was meningoencephalitis associated with lyssavirus-positive neurons. Lyssavirus antigen was detected in tongue epithelium (5/11 infected bats) rather than in salivary gland epithelium (0/11), suggesting viral excretion via the tongue. Thus, 2.1 intramuscular inoculation of 10 TCID50 of Lagos bat virus into straw-colored fruit bats is a suitable model for lyssavirus associated bat rabies in a natural reservoir host, and can help with the investigation of lyssavirus infection dynamics in bats.

BENDA, P. and AULAGNIER, S. 2020. ariel. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T171619155A22071929. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T171619155A22071929.en.

BENDA, P., KASSO, M., NICOLAS, V., PLEURDEAU, D., STOETZEL, E., WORKALEMAHU, S., BEKELE, A. and DENYS, C. 2020. New data on bats from Dire Dawa region, eastern Ethiopia, with the first record of Rhinopoma microphyllum in the country. Journal of natural history, 53 (41-42): 2579 - 2591 (for 2019). doi: 10.1080/00222933.2019.1705416. A small collection of bats composed of six species from Dire Dawa area, eastern Ethiopia, is presented. Besides three species previously known in the region, Rousettus aegyptiacus, Epomophorus minimus and pumilus, three bats were newly documented from the area, Rhinopoma microphyllum, R. cystops and Scotophilus leucogaster. R. microphyllum is here reported for the first time in Ethiopia. From molecular genetic comparisons Ethiopian R. cystops belongs to the Arabian subspecies lineage R. c. arabium, previously unknown from the African continent, raising interesting biogeographic questions.

BENDJEDDOU, M. L., BOUAM, I. and KHELFAOUI, F. 2020. First photographed record of the naked-rumped tomb bat, Taphozous nudiventris Cretzschmar, 1830 (Chiroptera: Emballonuridae), in the Grand Maghreb. African Journal of Ecology, 58 (4): 852 - 854. doi: 10.1111/aje.12780.

BENNETT, A. J. and GOLDBERG, T. L. 2020. Pteropine in an Angolan soft-furred fruit bat (Lissonycteris angolensis) in Uganda dramatically expands the global distribution of an emerging bat- borne respiratory virus. Viruses, 12 (7): 740. doi: 10.3390/v12070740. Pteropine orthoreovirus (PRV; : ) is an emerging bat-borne zoonotic virus that causes -like illness (ILI). PRV has thus far been found only in Australia and Asia, where diverse old-world fruit bats (Pteropodidae) serve as

Recent Literature African Bat Conservation News ISSN 1812-1268 July 2021 vol. 49 17 hosts. In this study, we report the discovery of PRV in Africa, in an Angolan soft-furred fruit bat (Lissonycteris angolensis ruwenzorii) from Bundibugyo District, Uganda. Metagenomic characterization of a rectal swab yielded 10 dsRNA genome segments, revealing this virus to cluster within the known diversity of PRV variants detected in bats and humans in . Phylogeographic analyses revealed a correlation between geographic distance and genetic divergence of PRVs globally, which suggests a geographic continuum of PRV diversity spanning Southeast Asia to sub-Saharan Africa. The discovery of PRV in an African bat dramatically expands the geographic range of this zoonotic virus and warrants further surveillance for PRVs outside of Southeast Asia.

BENNETT, A. J., PASKEY, A. C., EBINGER, A., PFAFF, F., PRIEMER, G., HÖPER, D., BREITHAUPT, A., HEUSER, E., ULRICH, R. G., KUHN, J. H., BISHOP-LILLY, K. A., BEER, M. and GOLDBERG, T. L. 2020a. Relatives of virus in diverse mammals. Nature, 586: 424 - 430. doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2812-9. Since 1814, when rubella was first described, the origins of the disease and its causative agent, (Matonaviridae: Rubivirus), have remained unclear. Here we describe ruhugu virus and rustrela virus in Africa and Europe, respectively, which are, to our knowledge, the first known relatives of rubella virus. Ruhugu virus, which is the closest relative of rubella virus, was found in apparently healthy cyclops leaf-nosed bats (Hipposideros cyclops) in Uganda. Rustrela virus, which is an outgroup to the clade that comprises rubella and ruhugu viruses, was found in acutely encephalitic placental and marsupial animals at a zoo in Germany and in wild yellow-necked field mice (Apodemus flavicollis) at and near the zoo. Ruhugu and rustrela viruses share an identical genomic architecture with rubella virus. The amino acid sequences of four putative B cell epitopes in the fusion (E1) protein of the rubella, ruhugu and rustrela viruses and two putative T cell epitopes in the protein of the rubella and ruhugu viruses are moderately to highly conserved. Modelling of E1 homotrimers in the post-fusion state predicts that ruhugu and rubella viruses have a similar capacity for fusion with the host-cell membrane. Together, these findings show that some members of the familyMatonaviridae can cross substantial barriers between host species and that rubella virus probably has a zoonotic origin. Our findings raise concerns about future zoonotic transmission of rubella-like viruses, but will facilitate comparative studies and animal models of rubella and congenital rubella syndrome.

BENNETT, A. J., PASKEY, A. C., KUHN, J. H., BISHOP-LILLY, K. A. and GOLDBERG, T. L. 2020b. Diversity, transmission, and cophylogeny of Ledanteviruses (: Ledantevirus) and nycteribiid bat parasitizing angolan soft-furred fruit bats in Bundibugyo District, Uganda. Microorganisms, 8: 750. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms8050750. Obligate hematophagous ectoparasitic flies of the superfamily Hippoboscoidea are distributed worldwide, but their role as vectors and reservoirs of viruses remains understudied. We examined hippoboscoid bat flies (family Nycteribiidae) parasitizing Angolan soft-furred fruit bats (Lissonycteris angolensis ruwenzorii) from Bundibugyo District, Uganda. Using metagenomic methods, we detected 21 variants of the rhabdovirid genus Ledantevirus, which contains medically important “bat-associated” viruses. These 21 viruses, representing at least two divergent viral lineages, infected 26 bat flies from 8 bats in a single roost. Cophylogenetic analyses of viruses and bat flies resulted in strong evidence of virus-host codivergence, indicating vertical transmission of bat fly ledanteviruses. Examination of oral swabs from bats revealed ledantevirus RNA in the saliva of 1 out of 11 bats, with no evidence of insect genetic material in the mouth of this bat. These data demonstrate that bat flies can harbor diverse ledanteviruses even in a single roost and that the predominant mode of transmission is likely vertical (among bat flies), but that bats can become infected and shed viruses orally. In conclusion, bat flies may serve as ectoparasitic reservoirs of “bat-associated” viruses that only transiently or sporadically infect bats.

BHAGWANDIN, A., DEBIPERSADH, A., KASWERA-KYAMAKYA, C., GILISSEN, E., ROCKLAND, K. S., MOLNÁR, Z. and MANGER, P. R. 2020. Distribution, number, and certain neurochemical identities of infracortical white matter neurons in the brains of three megachiropteran bat species. The Journal of Comparative Neurology, 528 (17): 3023 - 3038. doi: 10.1002/cne.24894. A large population of infracortical white matter neurons, or white matter interstitial cells (WMICs), are found within the subcortical white matter of the mammalian telencephalon. We examined WMICs in three species of megachiropterans, Megaloglossus woermanni, argynnis, and Rousettus aegyptiacus, using immunohistochemical and stereological techniques. Immunostaining for neuronal nuclear marker (NeuN) revealed substantial numbers of WMICs in each species - M. woermanni 124,496 WMICs, C. argynnis 138,458 WMICs, and the larger brained R. aegyptiacus having an estimated WMIC population of 360,503. To examine the range of inhibitory neurochemical types we used antibodies against parvalbumin, calbindin, calretinin, and neural nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). The calbindin and nNOS immunostained neurons were the most commonly observed, while those immunoreactive for calretinin and parvalbumin were sparse. The proportion of WMICs exhibiting inhibitory neurochemical profiles was ± 26 %, similar to that observed in previously studied primates. While for the most part the WMIC population in the megachiropterans studied was similar to that observed in other mammals, the one feature that differed was the high proportion of WMICs immunoreactive to calbindin, whereas in primates (macaque monkey, lar gibbon and human) the highest proportion of inhibitory WMICs contain calretinin. Interestingly, there appears to be an allometric scaling of WMIC numbers with brain mass. Further quantitative comparative work across more mammalian species will reveal the developmental and evolutionary trends associated with this infrequently studied neuronal population.

BIELSA, M., A’BEAR, L., BUNBURY, N. and FLEISCHER-DOGLEY, F. 2020. pusillus, Seychelles Free-tailed bat. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T4318A22017997. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3. RLTS.T4318A22017997.en.

BOKELMANN, M., EDENBOROUGH, K., HETZELT, N., KREHER, P., LANDER, A., NITSCHE, A., VOGEL, U., FELDMANN, H., COUACY-HYMANN, E. and KURTH, A. 2020. Utility of primary cells to examine NPC1 receptor expression in Mops condylurus, a potential Ebola virus reservoir. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 14 (1): e0007952. doi: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0007952. The significance of the integral membrane protein Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1) in the ebolavirus entry process has been determined using various cell lines derived from humans, non-human primates and fruit bats. Fruit bats have long been purported as the potential

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reservoir host for ebolaviruses, however several studies provide evidence that Mops condylurus, an insectivorous microbat, is also an ebolavirus reservoir. NPC1 receptor expression in the context of ebolavirus replication in microbat cells remains unstudied. In order to study Ebola virus (EBOV) cellular entry and replication in M. condylurus, we derived primary and immortalized cell cultures from 12 different organs. The NPC1 receptor expression was characterized by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry comparing the expression levels of M. condylurus primary and immortalized cells, HeLa cells, human embryonic kidney cells and cells from a European microbat species. EBOV replication kinetics was studied for four representative cell cultures using qRT- PCR. The aim was to elucidate the suitability of primary and immortalized cells from different tissues for studying NPC1 receptor expression levels and their potential influence on EBOV replication. The NPC1 receptor expression level in M. condylurus primary cells differed depending on the organ they were derived from and was for most cell types significantly lower than in human cell lines. Immortalized cells showed for most cell types higher expression levels than their corresponding primary cells. Concluding from our infection experiments with EBOV we suggest a potential correlation between NPC1 receptor expression level and virus replication rate in vitro.

BONILLA-ALDANA, D. K., JIMENEZ-DIAZ, S. D., ARANGO-DUQUE, J. S., AGUIRRE-FLOREZ, M., BALBIN- RAMON, G. J., PANIZ-MONDOLFI, A., SUÁREZ, J. A., PACHAR, M. R., PEREZ-GARCIA, L. A., DELGADO- NOGUERA, L. A., SIERRA, M. A., MUÑOZ-LARA, F., ZAMBRANO, L. I. and RODRIGUEZ-MORALES, A. J. 2020. Bats in ecosystems and their Wide spectrum of viral infectious potential threats: SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging viruses. International Journal of Infectious Diseases, 102: 87 - 96 (for 2021). doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2020.08.050. Bats have populated earth for approximately 52 million years, serving as natural reservoirs for a variety of viruses through the course of evolution. Transmission of highly pathogenic viruses from bats has been suspected or linked to a spectrum of potential emerging infectious diseases in humans and animals worldwide. Examples of such viruses include Marburg, Ebolavirus, Nipah, Hendra, Influenza A, Dengue, Equine viruses, Lyssaviruses, Madariaga and , involving the now pandemic Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Herein, we provide a narrative review focused in selected emerging viral infectious diseases that have been reported from bats.

BORLOTI, I. (S.), DINIS, H. and VASCONCELOS, R. 2020. Bats out of Africa: disentangling the systematic position and biogeography of bats in Cabo Verde. Genes, 11 (8): 877. doi: 10.3390/genes11080877. Cabo Verde Archipelago presents one of the largest knowledge gaps in the distribution and taxonomy of bats in the world. Old works indicated that there are five species classified as European taxa. We have conducted an integrative taxonomy to revise the systematic position and distribution of Cabo Verdean bats with molecular, morphological, and ecological data, to test their native or exotic origin, and infer possible colonization patterns based on fieldwork and museum samples. Results showed that Cabo Verde Hypsugo is closely related to those from the Canary Islands, in which the taxonomic status is under debate, presenting unique mitochondrial and nuclear haplotypes. We also expanded the distribution of Taphozous nudiventris for Fogo Island through pellets and acoustic identification, showed unique haplotypes for this species, and that Miniopterus schreibersii shared a haplotype with European, North African, and Western Asian specimens. The morphological and acoustic identification of Cabo Verdean specimens was challenging because of the lack of modern morphological descriptions and similarity of echolocation calls within the same genus. More studies are definitely needed to access the systematic of bat species in the archipelago, but this work is the first step for the establishment of conservation actions of the probable only native Cabo Verdean mammals.

BOSO, A., ÁLVAREZ, B., PÉREZ, B., IMIO, J. C., ALTAMIRANO, A. and LISÓN, F. 2021. Understanding human attitudes towards bats and the role of information and aesthetics to boost a positive response as a conservation tool. Animal conservation, doi: 10.1111/acv.12692. An understanding of human attitudes towards wildlife can be an essential element in the success or failure of a conservation initiative, policy or practice and represents one of the main conservation problems for wildlife species. Despite the ecosystem services bats provide, they often are a socially stigmatized group, misperceived and even hunted. This problem has been on the increase as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. We examined how aesthetic appeal and informational factors could influence human attitudes towards bats in a survey of 1966 participants from Spanish-speaking countries. Gender, educational level, religiousness and previous experiences with bats were relevant variables to understand attitudes towards them. The results indicate that both aesthetic and informational stimuli increase the positive responses, reducing the negatives on the participants’ attitudes. Our results show the importance of public attitudes to achieve conservation goals, especially in the context of human-wildlife conflict. Bats are not charismatic animals and are still surrounded in mystery; however, our findings could benefit bat conservation plans, allowing the development of new communication strategies both locally and nationally and increasing public acceptance that will facilitate bat conservation.

BURT, C., FRITZ, H., KEITH, M., GUERBOIS, C. and VENTER, J. A. 2021. Assessing different methods for measuring diversity in two southern African arid ecosystems. Mammal Research, 66 (2): 313 - 326. doi: 10.1007/s13364-021-00562-x. Management and conservation actions are only as effective as our ability to monitor and assess biodiversity trends. We therefore compared the cost efficiency and effectiveness of several standard methods to assess mammal diversity using camera traps, live traps, track plates, mist nets for bats, acoustic bat surveys, spotlight surveys, and block transects recording individual animals, scat, and tracks. We also assessed local knowledge through interviews. We surveyed on two contrasting arid ecosystems in South Africa. Our data indicated that block transects were the most cost-efficient and effective method at ascertaining terrestrial mammal species richness. Depending on the goal of the study and the area, a combination of block transects with camera traps or spotlight surveys is a viable option. However, our study indicated the best combination to detect species across different taxonomic groups was block transects and live traps. Local knowledge interviews can be a good addition to a survey as it assesses mammal diversity for longer time period and not just the survey season and it provides knowledge on species that are difficult to detect.

CABRERA-CAMPOS, I., CARBALLO-MORALES, J. D., SALDAÑA-VÁZQUEZ, R. A., VILLALOBOS, F. and

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AYALA-BERDON, J. 2021. Body mass explains digestive traits in small vespertilionid bats. Journal of Comparative Physiology, B 191: 427 - 438. doi: 10.1007/s00360-021-01348-y. Bats are unique among mammals in that they have evolved the capacity to fly. This has generated strong selective pressure on the morphology and function of their digestive system. Given that in bats intestinal length and nominal surface-area are proportional to body mass, this trait importantly relates to explaining some of their digestive characteristics. We described the relationship between digestive traits and body mass of four species of bats of the family Vespertilionidae living in a montane ecosystem in central Mexico. We calculated food transit time, apparent dry matter digestibility, and defecation rate in feeding trials under captive conditions. We also: (1) built a model of the relationship between digestive traits and body mass to determine if this association was consistent within the members of the family Vespertilionidae, and (2) mapped these traits along the phylogeny to explore how digestive characteristics may have evolved. In our feeding trials, body mass was positively related to transit time and negatively related to apparent dry matter digestibility. The model predicted accurately the transit time in bats with body mass < 20 g. The phylogenetic approach suggested that over the evolutionary history of the family, transit time decreased as digestibility increased. Because of the results obtained here, it is likely that for most bats of the family Vespertilionidae, adaptations in digestive traits to process food have followed evolutionary changes in their body mass. We discuss these findings in a physiological and ecological context.

CALDERÓN-CAPOTE, M. C., DECHMANN, D. K. N., FAHR, J., WIKELSKI, M., KAYS, R. and O’MARA, M. T. 2020. Foraging movements are density-independent among straw-coloured fruit bats. Royal Society Open Science, 7: 200274. doi: 10.1098/rsos.200274. Intraspecific competition in large aggregations of animals should generate density-dependent effects on foraging patterns. To test how large differences in colony size affect foraging movements, we tracked seasonal movements of the African straw-coloured fruit bat (Eidolon helvum) from four colonies that range from 4000 up to 10 million animals. Contrary to initial predictions, we found that mean distance flown per night (9 - 99 km), number of nightly foraging sites (2 - 3) and foraging and commuting times were largely independent of colony size. Bats showed classic central-place foraging and typically returned to the same day roost each night. However, roost switching was evident among individuals in three of the four colonies especially towards the onset of migration. The relatively consistent foraging patterns across seasons and colonies indicate that these bats seek out roosts close to highly productive landscapes. Once foraging effort starts to increase due to local resource depletion they migrate to landscapes with seasonally increasing resources. This minimizes high intraspecific competition and may help to explain why long-distance migration, otherwise rare in bats, evolved in this highly gregarious species.

CAMERON, K., HAYES, B., OLSON, S. H., SMITH, B. R., PANTE, J., LAUDISOIT, A., GOLDSTEIN, T., JOLY, D. O., BAGAMBOULA MPASSI, R. and LANGE, C. E. 2020. Detection of first gammaherpesvirus sequences in Central African bats. New Microbes and New Infections, 36: 100705. doi: 10.1016/j.nmni.2020.100705. Herpesviruses have been identified in many species; however, relatively few bat herpesvirus are known, considering the enormous diversity of bats. We used consensus PCR to test bats from the Republic of the Congo and found DNA of two different novel bat herpesviruses. One was detected in a Pipistrellus nanulus, the other in a persicus bat and both resemble gammaherpesviruses. On the amino acid level, the amplified sequences differ by 55 % from each other, and by 27 % and 25 % from the next closest known viruses. The findings point towards the diversity of herpesviruses in Central African bats.

CAMERON, K.N., NIAMA, F.R., HAYES, B., MBALA, P., OLSON, S.H., TAKUO, J.M., ONDZIE, A., LE DOUX DIFFO, J., SMITH, B.R., PANTE, J., LAUDISOIT, A., LEBRETON, M., TAMUFE, U., MAKUWA, M.,. JOLY, D.O., GOLDSTEIN, T., MUYEMBE TAMFUM, J.J., BAGAMBOULA MPASSI, R. and LANGE, C.E. 2021. Sequences of previously unknown rhabdoviruses detected in bat samples from the Republic of the Congo. Vector- Borne and Zoonotic Diseases. doi: 10.1089/vbz.2020.2736. The family Rhabdoviridae contains diverse viruses, including vector-borne and nonvector-borne viruses, some that are human pathogens, including and also nonpathogenic viruses. Bats, which are a known reservoir of viruses with zoonotic potential including coronaviruses, also carry multiple rhabdoviruses such as but not limited to lyssaviruses. We collected samples from 193 insectivorous and frugivorous bats in the Republic of the Congo and tested them for rhabdovirus RNA. Four samples were found positive for viral RNA representing sequences of four different, not previously described rhabdoviruses. Although phylogenetic and taxonomic placement of the novel sequences is uncertain, similarities with previously detected rhabdovirus sequences in bats suggest that these could represent vertebrate viruses. Considering the pathogenic risks some rhabdoviruses pose for humans, these results highlight the need for more research and surveillance regarding rhabdoviruses and bats.

CARABALLO, D. A., MONTANI, M. E., MARTÍNEZ, L. M., ANTONIAZZI, L. R., SAMBRANA, T. C., FERNÁNDEZ, C., CISTERNA, D. M., BELTRÁN, F. J. and COLOMBO, V. C. 2020. Heterogeneous taxonomic resolution of cytochrome b gene identification of bats from Argentina: Implications for field studies.PLoS ONE, 15 (12): e0244750. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244750. Bats are among the most diverse, widespread, and abundant mammals. In Argentina, 67 species of bats have been recorded, belonging to 5 families and 29 genera. These high levels of biodiversity are likely to complicate identification at fieldwork, especially between closely related species, where external morphology-based approaches are the only immediate means for a priori species assignment. The use of molecular markers can enhance species identification, and acquires particular relevance in capture-release studies. In this study, we discuss the extent of the use of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene for species identification, comparing external morphology identification with a molecular phylogenetic classification based on this marker, under the light of current bat systematics. We analysed 33 samples collected in an eco-epidemiological survey in the province of Santa Fe (Argentina). We further sequenced 27 museum vouchers to test the accuracy of cytochrome b-based phylogenies in taxonomic identification of bats occurring in the Pampean/Chacoan regions of Argentina. The cytochrome b gene was successfully amplified in all Molossid and Vespertilionid species except for , for which we designed a new reverse primer. The resulting Bayesian phylogeny was congruent with current systematics. Cytochrome b proved useful for species-level delimitation in non-conflicting genera (Eumops, , Molossops) and has infrageneric resolution in more complex lineages (Eptesicus, Myotis, Molossus). We discuss four sources of incongruence that may act separately or in combination: 1) molecular processes, 2) biology, 3) limitations in identification, and 4) errors in the current taxonomy. The present study confirms the general applicability of cytochrome b-based phylogenies

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in eco-epidemiological studies, but its resolution and reliability depend mainly, but not solely, on the level of genetic differentiation within each bat genus.

CARTER, R. T. 2020. Reinforcement of the larynx and trachea in echolocating and non-echolocating bats. Journal of Anatomy, 237 (3): 495 - 503. doi: 10.1111/joa.13204. The synchronization of flight mechanics with respiration and echolocation call emission by bats, while economizing these behaviors, presumably puts compressive loads on the cartilaginous rings that hold open the respiratory tract. Previous work has shown that during postnatal development of Artibeus jamaicensis (Phyllostomidae), the onset of adult echolocation call emission rate coincides with calcification of the larynx, and the development of flight coincides with tracheal ring calcification. In the present study, I assessed the level of reinforcement of the respiratory system in 13 bat species representing six families that use stereotypical modes of echolocation (i.e. duty cycle % and intensity). Using computed tomography, the degree of mineralization or ossification of the tracheal rings, cricoid, thyroid and arytenoid cartilages were determined for non-echolocators, tongue clicking, low-duty cycle low-intensity, low-duty cycle high-intensity, and high-duty cycle high-intensity echolocating bats. While all bats had evidence of cervical tracheal ring mineralization, about half the species had evidence of thoracic tracheal ring calcification. Larger bats (hastatus and Pterpodidae sp.) exhibited more extensive tracheal ring mineralization, suggesting an underlying cause independent of laryngeal echolocation. Within most of the laryngeally echolocating species, the degree of mineralization or ossification of the larynx was dependent on the mode of echolocation system used. Low-duty cycle low-intensity bats had extensively mineralized cricoids, and zero to very minor mineralization of the thyroids and arytenoids. Low-duty cycle high-intensity bats had extensively mineralized cricoids, and patches of thyroid and arytenoid mineralization. The high-duty cycle high-intensity rhinolophids and hipposiderid had extensively ossified cricoids, large patches of ossification on the thyroids, and heavily ossified arytenoids. The high-duty cycle high-intensity echolocator, Pteronotus parnellii, had mineralization patterns and laryngeal morphology very similar to the other low-duty cycle high-intensity mormoopid species, perhaps suggesting relatively recent evolution of high-duty cycle echolocation in P. parnellii compared with the Old World high-duty cycle echolocators (Rhinolophidae and Hipposideridae). All laryngeal echolocators exhibited mineralized or ossified lateral expansions of the cricoid for articulation with the inferior horn of the thyroid, these were most prominent in the high-duty cycle high-intensity rhinolophids and hipposiderid, and least prominent in the low-duty cycle low-intensity echolocators. The non-laryngeal echolocators had extensively ossified cricoid and thyroid cartilages, and no evidence of mineralization/ossification of the arytenoids or lateral expansions of the cricoid. While the non-echolocators had extensive ossification of the larynx, it was inconsistent with that seen in the laryngeal echolocators.

CECHETTO, C., DE BUSSEROLLES, F., JAKOBSEN, L. and WARRANT, E. J. 2020. Retinal ganglion cell topography and spatial resolving power in echolocating and non-echolocating bats. Brain; Behavior and Evolution, 95 (2): 58 - 68. doi: 10.1159/000508863. Bats are nocturnal mammals known for their ability to echolocate, yet all bats can see, and most bats of the family Pteropodidae (fruit bats) do not echolocate - instead they rely mainly on vision and olfaction to forage. We investigated whether echolocating bats, given their limited reliance on vision, have poorer spatial resolving power (SRP) than pteropodids and whether tongue click echolocating fruit bats differ from non-echolocating fruit bats in terms of visual performance. We compared the number and distribution of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) as well as the maximum anatomical SRP derived from these distributions in 4 species of bats: Myotis daubentonii, a laryngeal echolocating bat from the family Vespertilionidae, Rousettus aegyptiacus, a tongue clicking echolocating bat from the family Pteropodidae, and Pteropus alecto and P. poliocephalus, 2 non-echolocating bats (also from the Pteropodidae). We find that all 3 pteropodids have a similar number (~200,000 cells) and distribution of RGCs and a similar maximum SRP (~4 cycles/degree). M. daubentonii has fewer (~6,000 cells) and sparser RGCs than the pteropodids and thus a significantly lower SRP (0.6 cycles/degree). M. daubentonii also differs in terms of the distribution of RGCs by having a unique dorsal area of specialization in the retina. Our findings are consistent with the existing literature and suggest that M. daubentonii likely only uses vision for orientation, while for pteropodids vision is also important for foraging.

CHABER, A.-L., AMSTRONG, K.N., WIANTORO, S., XERRI, V., CARAGUEL, C., BOARDMAN, W.S.J. and NIELSEN, T.D. 2021. Bat e-commerce: insights into the extent and potential implications of this dark trade. Front. Vet. Sci., 8: 651304. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.651304. Little is known about the global bat souvenir trade despite previous research efforts into bat harvest for . We screened eBay listings of bats in Australia, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, United Kingdom and USA to assess the nature and extent of the online offers. A total of 237 listings were retrieved in between the 11th and 25th of May 2020 with a median price per item of US$38.50 (range: US$8.50–2,500.00). Items on offer were mostly taxidermy (61.2 %) or skull (21.1 %) specimens. Overall, 32 different species of bat were advertised, most of which (n = 28) are listed as “Least Concern” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. One species ( javanica) is classified as “Vulnerable” and one (Eidolon helvum) as “Near Threatened.” Pteropus spp. specimens were the most expensive specimens on offer and the conservations status of these species may range from “Critically Endangered” to “Data Deficient” by IUCN and the entire genus is listed in the Appendix II by the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). However, the exact species concerned, and their respective , could not be confirmed based on the listings’ photos. The sourcing of bat was restricted to mostly South-East Asian countries (a third of items sourced from ) and to two African countries. Our survey revealed that the online offer of bat products is diverse, abundant, and facilitated by worldwide sellers although most offered bats species are from South-. With a few exceptions, the species on offer were of little present conservation concern, however, many unknowns remain on the potential animal welfare, biosecurity, legal implications, and most importantly public health risks associated with this dark trade.

CHAWANA, R., PATZKE, N., BHAGWANDIN, A., KASWERA-KYAMAKYA, C., GILISSEN, E., BERTELSEN, M. F., HEMINGWAY, J. and MANGER, P. R. 2020. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis in Egyptian fruit bats from three different environments: Are interpretational variations due to the environment or methodology? The Journal of Comparative Neurology, 528 (17): 2994 - 3007. doi: 10.1002/cne.24895. We quantified both proliferative (Ki-67 immunohistochemistry) and immature (doublecortin immunohistochemistry) cells within the dentate gyrus of adult Egyptian fruit bats from three distinct environments: (a) primary rainforest, (b) subtropical woodland, and

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(c) fifth-generation captive-bred. We used four different previously reported methods to assess the effect of the environment on proliferative and immature cells: (a) the comparison of raw totals of proliferative and immature cells; (b) these totals standardized to brain mass; (c) these totals expressed as a density using the volume of the granular cell layer (GCLv) for standardization; and (d) these totals expressed as a percentage of the total number of granule cells. For all methods, the numbers of proliferative cells did not differ statistically among the three groups, indicating that the rate of proliferation, while malleable to experimental manipulation or transiently in response to events of importance in the natural habitat, appears to occur, for the most part, at a predetermined rate within a species. For the immature cells, raw numbers and standardizations to brain mass and GCLv revealed no difference between the three groups studied; however, standardization to total granule cell numbers indicated that the two groups of wild-caught bats had significantly higher numbers of immature neurons than the captive-bred bats. These contrasting results indicate that the interpretation of the effect of the environment on the numbers of immature neurons appears method dependent. It is possible that current methods are not sensitive enough to reveal the effect of different environments on proliferative and immature cells.

CHEETHAM, S. and MARKOTTER, W. 2021. Bats as reservoirs of viral zoonoses. In LIM, B.K., FENTON, M.B., BRIGHAM, R.M., MISTRY, S., KURTA, A., GILLAM, E.H., RUSSELL, A., ORTEGA, J. [EDS]: 50 Years of bat research. Foundations and new frontiers. Springer Nature Switzerland AG: 313 - 330. doi: 10.1007/978- 3-030-54727-1_19. In the last few decades, a special interest in viruses hosted by bats arose after links with zoonoses of public health importance emerged. A dramatic increase in documented viral diversity in bats has occurred with an increasing difficulty in interpretation of results and risk assessments. In addition, the risk of spillover directly from bats or through other intermediate hosts is on the rise as human exposure results from habitat encroachment, human population expansion, and changes in climate and human behavior, such as increased bushmeat consumption, live animal markets, and cave exploration. The link between rabies and bats has been known for decades; however, there are many other viruses that also pose a threat with no prophylactic treatment or prevention measures existing yet. In addition, viruses have different routes of transmission and shedding may be seasonal. Our aim is to summarize what is known about important virus families implicated in zoonotic events with a bat origin. We include a discussion on potential immunological characteristics that allow bats to harbor many of these viruses without showing signs of disease and raise awareness on how to avoid exposure by considering different routes of exposure to infectious agents.

CHUMNANDEE, C., PHA-OBNGA, N., WERB, O., MATUSCHEWSKI, K. and SCHAER, J. 2020. Molecular characterization of Polychromophilus parasites of Scotophilus kuhlii bats in Thailand. Parasitology, 148: 495 - 499 (for 2021). doi: 10.1017/S003118202000222X. Parasites of the haemosporidian genus Polychromophilus have exclusively been described in bats. These parasites belong to the diverse group of malaria parasites, and Polychromophilus presents the only haemosporidian taxon that infects mammalian hosts in tropical as well as in temperate climate zones. This study provides the first information of Polychromophilus parasites in the lesser Asiatic yellow bat (Scotophilus kuhlii) in Thailand, a common vespertilionid bat species distributed in South and Southeast Asia. The gametocyte blood stages of the parasites could not be assigned to a described morphospecies and molecular analysis revealed that these parasites might represent a distinct Polychromophilus species. In contrast to Plasmodium species, Polychromophilus parasites do not multiply in red blood cells and, thus, do not cause the clinical symptoms of malaria. Parasitological and molecular investigation of haemosporidian parasites of wildlife, such as the neglected genus Polychromophilus, will contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of malaria parasites.

COERTSE, J., GROBLER, C. S., SABETA, C. T., SEAMARK, E. C. J., KEARNEY, T., PAWESKA, J. T. and MARKOTTER, W. 2020. Lyssaviruses in insectivorous bats, South Africa, 2003 - 2018. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 26 (12): 3056 - 3060. doi: 10.3201/eid2612.203592. We detected 3 lyssaviruses in insectivorous bats sampled in South Africa during 2003 - 2018. We used phylogenetic analysis to identify and a potentially new lyssavirus, provisionally named Matlo bat lyssavirus, that is related to West Caucasian bat virus. These new detections highlight that much about lyssaviruses remains unknown.

CONENNA, I., SANTINI, L., ROCHA, R., MONADJEM, A., CABEZA, M. and RUSSO, D. 2021. Global patterns of functional trait variation along aridity gradients in bats. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 30 (5): 1014 - 1029. doi: 10.1111/geb.13278. Aim: Our understanding of the biological strategies employed by species to cope with challenges posed by aridity is still limited. Despite being sensitive to water loss, bats successfully inhabit a wide range of arid lands. We here investigated how functional traits of bat assemblages vary along the global aridity gradient to identify traits that favour their persistence in arid environments. Location: Global. Time period: Contemporary. Major taxa studied: Bats. Methods: We mapped the assemblage-level averages of four key bat traits describing wing morphology, echolocation and body size, based on a grid of 100-km resolution and a pool of 915 bat species, and modelled them against aridity values. To support our results, we conducted analyses also at the species level to control for phylogenetic autocorrelation. Results: At the assemblage level, we detected a rise in values of aspect ratio, wing loading and forearm length, and a decrease in echolocation frequency with increasing aridity. These patterns were consistent with trends detected at the species level for all traits. Main conclusions: Our findings show that trait variation in bats is associated with the aridity gradient and suggest that greater mobility and larger body size are advantageous features in arid environments. Greater mobility favours bats’ ability to track patchy and temporary resources, while the reduced surface-to-volume ratio associated with a larger body size is likely to reduce water stress by limiting cutaneous evaporation. These findings highlight the importance of extending attention from species-specific adaptations to broad scale and multispecies variation in traits when investigating the ability of species to withstand arid conditions.

COOPER-BOHANNON, R. 2020. Rhinolophus maendeleo, Maendeleo horseshoe bat. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T44783A22067758. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T44783A22067758.

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en.

COOPER-BOHANNON, R. and FAHR, J. 2020. brunnea, Dark-brown Serotine. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T44917A22048243. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T44917A22048243. en.

COOPER-BOHANNON, R., FAHR, J. and JACOBS, D. 2020a. Kerivoula africana, Tanzanian Woolly Bat. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T10966A21975149. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS. T10966A21975149.en.

COOPER-BOHANNON, R., MICKLEBURGH, S., HUTSON, A. M., BERGMANS, W. and FAHR, J. 2020b. Hipposideros jonesi, Jones’ Roundleaf Bat. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T10140A22092411. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T10140A22092411.en.

COOPER-BOHANNON, R., MICKLEBURGH, S., HUTSON, A. M., BERGMANS, W. and FAHR, J. 2020c. Hipposideros marisae, Aellen’s Roundleaf Bat. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T10149A22101390. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T10149A22101390.en.

COOPER-BOHANNON, R., MICKLEBURGH, S., HUTSON, A. M., BERGMANS, W., FAHR, J. and RACEY, P. A. 2020d. Eidolon helvum, African Straw-coloured Fruit-bat. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T7084A22028026. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T7084A22028026.en.

COOPER-BOHANNON, R. and MONADJEM, A. 2020. Rhinolophus ziama, Ziama Horseshoe Bat. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T44786A22068674. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS. T44786A22068674.en.

ÇORAMAN, E., DUNDAROVA, H., DIETZ, C. and MAYER, F. 2020. Patterns of mtDNA introgression suggest population replacement in Palaearctic whiskered bat species. Royal Society Open Science, 7 (6): 191805. doi: 10.1098/rsos.191805. Secondary contacts can play a major role in the evolutionary histories of species. Various taxa diverge in allopatry and later on come into secondary contact during range expansions. When they meet, their interactions and the extent of gene flow depend on the level of their ecological differentiation and the strength of their reproductive isolation. In this study, we present the multilocus phylogeography of two cryptic whiskered bat species, Myotis mystacinus and M. davidii, with a particular focus on their putative sympatric zone. Our findings suggest that M. mystacinus and M. davidii evolved in allopatry and came into secondary contact during range expansions. Individuals in the area of secondary contact, in Anatolia and the Balkans, have discordant population assignments based on the mitochondrial and the nuclear datasets. These observed patterns suggest that the local M. mystacinus populations hybridized with expanding M. davidii populations, which resulted in mitochondrial introgression from the former. In the introgression area, M. mystacinus individuals with concordant nuclear and mitochondrial genotypes were identified in relatively few locations, suggesting that the indigenous populations might have been largely replaced by invading M. davidii. Changing environmental conditions coupled with ecological competition is the likely reason for this replacement. Our study presents one possible example of a historical population replacement that was captured in phylogeographic patterns.

COSTA, T. D., SANTOS, C. D., RAINHO, A., ABEDI-LARTEY, M., FAHR, J., WIKELSKI, M. and DECHMANN, D. K. N. 2020. Assessing roost disturbance of straw-coloured fruit bats (Eidolon helvum) through tri-axial acceleration. PLoS ONE, 15 (11): e0242662. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242662. The disturbance of wildlife by humans is a worldwide phenomenon that contributes to the loss of biodiversity. It can impact animals’ behaviour and physiology, and this can lead to changes in species distribution and richness. Wildlife disturbance has mostly been assessed through direct observation. However, advances in bio-logging provide a new range of sensors that may allow measuring disturbance of animals with high precision and remotely, and reducing the effects of human observers. We used tri-axial accelerometers to identify daytime flights of roosting straw-coloured fruit bats (Eidolon helvum), which were used as a proxy for roost disturbance. This bat species roosts on trees in large numbers (often reaching hundreds of thousands of animals), making them highly vulnerable to disturbance. We captured and tagged 46 straw-coloured fruit bats with dataloggers, containing a global positioning system (GPS) and an accelerometer, in five roosts in Ghana, Burkina Faso and Zambia. Daytime roost flights were identified from accelerometer signatures and modelled against our activity in the roosts during the days of trapping, as a predictor of roost disturbance, and natural stressors (solar irradiance, precipitation and wind speed). We found that daytime roost flight probability increased during days of trapping and with increasing solar irradiance (which may reflect the search for shade to prevent overheating). Our results validate the use of accelerometers to measure roost disturbance of straw-coloured fruit bats and suggest that these devices may be very useful in conservation monitoring programs for large fruit bat species.

CROWLEY, D., BECKER, D., WASHBURNE, A. and PLOWRIGHT, R. 2020. Identifying suspect bat reservoirs of emerging infections. , 8 (2): 228. doi: 10.3390/vaccines8020228. Bats host a number of pathogens that cause severe disease and onward transmission in humans and domestic animals. Some of these pathogens, including and filoviruses, are considered a concern for future pandemics. There hasbeen substantial effort to identify these viruses in bats. However, the reservoir hosts for Ebola virus are still unknown and henipaviruses are largely uncharacterized across their distribution. Identifying reservoir species is critical in understanding the viral ecology within these hosts and the conditions that lead to spillover. We collated surveillance data to identify taxonomic patterns in prevalence and seroprevalence and to assess sampling efforts across species. We systematically collected data on filovirus and detections and used a machine-learning algorithm, phylofactorization, in order to search the bat phylogeny for cladistic patterns in filovirus and henipavirus infection, accounting for sampling efforts. Across sampled bat species, evidence for filovirus infection

Recent Literature African Bat Conservation News ISSN 1812-1268 July 2021 vol. 49 23 was widely dispersed across the sampled phylogeny. We found major gaps in filovirus sampling in bats, especially in Western Hemisphere species. Evidence for henipavirus infection was clustered within the Pteropodidae; however, no other clades have been as intensely sampled. The major predictor of filovirus and henipavirus exposure or infection was sampling effort. Based on these results, we recommend expanding surveillance for these pathogens across the bat .

CZENZE, Z. J., NAIDOO, S., KOTZE, A. and MCKECHNIE, A. E. 2020. Bat thermoregulation in the heat: Limits to evaporative cooling capacity in three southern African bats. Journal of Thermal Biology, 89: 102542. doi: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2020.102542. High environmental temperatures pose significant physiological challenges related to energy and water balance for small endotherms. Although there is a growing literature on the effect of high temperatures on birds, comparable data are scarcer for bats. Those data that do exist suggest that roost microsite may predict tolerance of high air temperatures. To examine this possibility further, we quantified the upper limits to heat tolerance and evaporative cooling capacity in three southern African bat species inhabiting the same hot environment but using different roost types (crevice, foliage or cave). We used flow-through respirometry and compared heat tolerance limits (highest air temperature (Ta) tolerated before the onset of severe hyperthermia), body temperature (Tb), evaporative water loss, metabolic rate, and maximum cooling capacity (i.e., evaporative heat loss/metabolic heat production). Heat tolerance limits for the two bats roosting in more exposed sites, Taphozous mauritianus (foliage-roosting) and Eptesicus hottentotus

(crevice-roosting), were Ta = ~44 °C and those individuals defended maximum Tb between 41 °C and 43 °C. The heat tolerance limit for the bat roosting in a more buffered site,Rousettus aegyptiacus (cave-roosting), was Ta = ~38 °C with a corresponding Tb of ~38 °C. These interspecific differences, together with a similar trend for higher evaporative cooling efficiency in species occupying warmer roost microsites, add further support to the notion that ecological factors like roost choice may have profound influences on physiological traits related to thermoregulation.

DANILOVICH, S., SHALEV, G., BOONMAN, A., GOLDSHTEIN, A. and YOVEL, Y. 2020. Echolocating bats detect but misperceive a multidimensional incongruent acoustic stimulus. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, U.S.A., 117 (45): 28475 - 28484. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2005009117. Coherent perception relies on integrating multiple dimensions of a sensory modality, for example, color and shape in vision. We reveal how different acoustic dimensions, specifically echo intensity and sonar aperture (or width), are important for correct perception by echolocating bats. We flew bats down a corridor blocked by objects with different intensity-aperture combinations. To our surprise, bats crashed straight into large (aperture) walls with weak echo intensity as if they did not exist. The echolocation behavior of the bats indicated that they did detect the wall, suggesting that crashing was not a result of limited sensory sensitivity, but of a perceptual deficit. We systematically manipulated intensity and aperture by changing the materials and width of different reflectors, and we conclude that a coherent echo-based percept is created only when these two acoustic dimensions have certain relations which are typical for objects in nature (e.g., large and intense or small and weak reflectors). Nevertheless, we show that these preferred relations are not innate. We show that young pups are not constrained to these relations and that new intensity- aperture associations can also be learned by adult bats.

DAVID, D., DAVIDSON, I., BERKOWITZ, A., KARNIELY, S., EDERY, N., BUMBAROV, V., LASKAR, O. and ELAZARI- VOLCANI, R. 2020. A novel poxvirus isolated from an Egyptian fruit bat in Israel. Veterinary Medicine and Science, doi: 10.1002/vms3.233. An Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) from the Zoological Gardens, at Tel Aviv, Israel, showed pox-like clinical signs including vesicular and nodular skin lesions on the wings. Cell culture isolation, histopathology, electron microscopy and molecular analysis, revealed the presence of a novel bat poxvirus. Future research is needed to determine whether this virus can affect human health.

DAVID, D., DAVIDSON, I., KARNIELY, S., EDERY, N., ROSENZWEIG, A. and SOL, A. 2021. Israeli Rousettus aegyptiacus pox virus (IsrRAPXV) infection in juvenile Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus): clinical findings and molecular detection. Viruses , 13 (3): 407. doi: 10.3390/v13030407. During 2019, five carcasses of juvenile Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) were submitted to the Kimron Veterinary Institute. These bats exhibited typical poxvirus like lesion plaques of different sizes on the skin, abdomen and the ventral side of the wings. Clinical and histopathological findings suggested a poxvirus infection. Infectious virus was isolated from skin swabs, skin tissue and tongue of the dead bats and was further confirmed to be a Poxvirus by molecular diagnosis using PCR with -chordopoxviruses primers. All the dead bats were found positive for two Poxvirus genes encoding a metalloproteinase and DNA dependent DNA polymerase. In this study, a novel real time quantitative PCR (qPCR) assay was established to further confirmed the presence of specific poxvirus viral DNA in all pathologically tested tissues. Moreover, according to sequence analysis, the virus was found to be highly similar to the recently discovered Israeli Rousettus aegyptiacus Pox Virus (IsrRAPXV).

DECHER, J., NORRIS, R.W., ABEDI-LARTEY, M., OPPONG, J., HUTTERER, R., WEINBRENNER, M., KOCH, M., PODSIADLOWSKI, L. and KILPATRICK, C.W. 2001. A survey of small mammals in the Volta Region of Ghana with comments on zoogeography and conservation. Zoosystema, 43 (14): 253 - 281. doi: 10.5252/ zoosystema2021v43a14. We examined small mammal (insectivores, bats and rodents) diversity in community and legally protected forest remnants in the Ghana- Highlands of the Volta Region of Ghana, West Africa, a zoologically understudied area compared to neighboring Togo to the East, or Ghana west of the Volta River. We recorded 34 small mammal species: three species of shrews (Soricidae Fischer, 1815), 12 species of rodents, one primate (Galagidae Gray, 1825) and 17 species of bats (Chiroptera Blumenbach, 1779). The Stochomys longicaudatus (Tullberg, 1893) appears to be a first record for Ghana. Two , three rodent and one bat species were first records for the Volta Region. By comparing our small mammal captures and limited microhabitat data from 1999 and 2001 to forest cover change maps for the period 2000-2015 we discuss trends in species community changes due to forest cover loss and other disturbance regimes. Aside from contributing to our understanding of the distribution of several small mammal species, the study demonstrates the progressive loss of forest habitat in the Volta Region.

DE GROOT, M. D., DUMOLEIN, I., HILLER, T., SÁNDOR, A. D., SZENTIVÁNYI, T., SCHILTHUIZEN, M., AIME, M.

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C., VERBEKEN, A. and HAELEWATERS, D. 2020. On the fly: tritrophic associations of bats, bat flies, and fungi. Journal of Fungi, 6 (4): 361. doi: 10.3390/jof6040361. Parasitism is one of the most diverse and abundant modes of life, and of great ecological and evolutionary importance. Notwithstanding, large groups of parasites remain relatively understudied. One particularly unique form of parasitism is hyperparasitism, where a parasite is parasitized itself. Bats (Chiroptera) may be parasitized by bat flies (Diptera: Hippoboscoidea), obligate blood-sucking parasites, which in turn may be parasitized by hyperparasitic fungi, Laboulbeniales (Ascomycota: Laboulbeniomycetes). In this study, we present the global tritrophic associations among species within these groups and analyze their host specificity patterns. Bats, bat flies, and Laboulbeniales fungi are shown to form complex networks, and sixteen new associations are revealed. Bat flies are highly host-specific compared to Laboulbeniales. We discuss possible future avenues of study with regard to the dispersal of the fungi, abiotic factors influencing the parasite prevalence, and ecomorphology of the bat fly parasites.

DEMOS, T.C., GOODMAN, S.M. and PATTERSON, B.D. 2001. The status of Nycteris madagascariensis G. Grandidier, 1937, a reputed endemic to Madagascar. Acta Chiropterologica, 23 (1): 21 - 32. doi: 10.3161 /15081109ACC2021.23.1.002. Nycteris madagascariensis is an enigmatic bat species, described as endemic to Madagascar and known only from two century- old specimens. Vigorous recent efforts to document this species on the island have proven unsuccessful. We extracted DNA from the fluid-preserved paratype of this taxon and used high-throughput sequencing methods to recover cytochrome b sequence data, which was overlaid on an extensive phylogeny of Afrotropical Nycteris. We also analyzed craniodental measurements of both Malagasy and Afrotropical Nycteris using principal components analysis and one-way ANOVAs. Both genetic and morphological analyses unequivocally place N. madagascariensis in a clade otherwise known only from eastern and coastal Kenya. Review of the collector’s notes and itinerary raises doubts on the accuracy of its having originated in Madagascar; the hypodigm was probably collected during his travels in coastal East Africa. We therefore place Nycteris madagascariensis G. Grandidier, 1937 in the synonymy of N. macrotis sensu lato and remove this species from the bat fauna of Madagascar.

DI CATALDO, S., KAMANI, J., CEVIDANES, A., MSHELIZA, E. G. and MILLÁN, J. 2020. Hemotropic mycoplasmas in bats captured near human settlements in Nigeria. Comparative Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, 70: 101448. doi: 10.1016/j.cimid.2020.101448. The presence of DNA of hemotropic mycoplasmas (hemoplasmas) was investigated for the first time in bats in Africa. Blood samples from 90 bats captured within or near human settlements in nine study areas from five states in Nigeria belonging to six genera of the families Pteropodidae, Rhinolophidae, and Molossidae were analyzed using conventional PCR protocol targeting a 391 bp part of the 16S rRNA gene. Of these, 32 samples (35 %) resulted positive. Eight nucleotide sequence types were identified, which were assigned to five genotypes showing between 93 - 99 % similarity with hemoplasmas from bats and/or rodents from other parts of the world, and/or Candidatus Mycoplasma haemohominis from a human patient. Network analysis showed genetic structure of hemoplasma sequences among bat species, but some sequences were shared among bats of different taxonomic groups and distant study areas. Further characterization of the samples using a protocol targeting ~1200 bp of the 16S rRNA gene resulted in seven sequences that confirmed the results of the screening protocol. Hemoplasmas in Nigerian bats are prevalent, widely distributed and genetically diverse. The zoonotic risk to local inhabitants should not be neglected, due to the high similarity of some of the retrieved sequences with the C. M. haemohominis.

DONGMO, E. M., BAKWO FILS, E.-M., MANGA MONGOMBE, A. and TCHUENGUEM FOHOUO, F.-N. 2020. Diversity of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) along an altitudinal gradient in the western region of Cameroon. Bonn Zoological Bulletin, 69 (1): 45 - 54. doi: 10.20363/BZB-2020.69.1.045. We investigated the patterns of bat species richness, abundance and distribution along an altitudinal gradient in the West region of Cameroon from December 2016 to November 2018 with the use of mist nets. Captures were conducted at 32 sites distributed over six distinct elevational ranges, comprising five sites in elevation range I (< 750 m a.s.l.), four sites in elevation range II (750 - 1,000 m a.s.l.), eight sites in elevation range III (1,000 - 1,250 m a.s.l.), six sites in elevation range IV (1,250 - 1,500 m a.s.l.), six sites in elevation range V (1,500 - 1,750 m a.s.l.) and two sites in elevation range VI (> 1,750 m a.s.l.). A total of 442 bats were captured during 95 sampling nights, comprising 25 species, 16 genera and six families. Out of the 25 species, angolensis was the most abundant species captured with 80 individuals, followed by Micropteropus pusillus (61 individuals) and Eidolon helvum (60 individuals). Moreover, species richness peaked at the mid-elevation range III (1,000 - 1,250 m a.s.l.), with 13 species, with richness decreasing both at higher and lower elevations. Elevation range I had the second highest species richness with 12 species, while elevational range VI had the least species riches with three species. Species abundance peaked at elevation range IV (750 - 1,250 m a.s.l.) and decreases at higher elevations. The sample efficiency was estimated as 72.8 % and a species accumulation curve of bats did not reach an asymptote, indicating that our sampling was incomplete. Our data showed that species richness and abundance is affected by elevation, with species richness probably depending on habitat types and availability of resources such as food and suitable roost sites. Our data also contributes to a better description of the local fauna and fills gaps on the species distribution for high altitude sites.

DUONAMOU, L., KONATE, A., DJOSSOU, S. D., MENSAH, G. A., XU, J. and HUMLE, T. 2020. Consumer perceptions and reported wild and domestic meat and fish consumption behavior during the Ebola epidemic in , West Africa. PeerJ, 8: e9229. doi: 10.7717/peerj.9229. The handling, capturing, butchering, and transportation of wildmeat can increase the risk of zoonoses, including the Ebola virus disease (EVD). Guinea, West Africa, experienced a catastrophic outbreak of EVD between 2013 and 2016. This study aimed to understand local people’s sources of information concerning EVD, their perceptions of potential wildlife carriers of EVD and their meat and fish consumption behavior during this period. A semi-structured questionnaire was administered to 332 participants in two urban centers (N D 209) and three villages (N D 123) between January 3 and March 30, 2015 in the prefecture of Lola in southeastern Guinea. Chi-square analyses revealed that, in rural areas, awareness missions represented the main source of information about EVD (94.3 %), whereas in urban settings such missions (36.1 %), as well as newspapers (31.6 %) and radio (32.3 %) were equally mentioned. Bats (30.1 % and 79.4 %), chimpanzees (16.3 % and 48.8 %) and monkeys (13.0 % and 53.1 %) were the most commonly cited potential agents of EVD in both rural and urban areas respectively, while the warthog (2.3 % rural and 6.5

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% urban), crested porcupine (1.7 % rural and 10.7 % urban), (1.19 % rural and 2.6 % urban) and the greater cane rat (1.1 % rural and 9.5 % urban) were also cited but to a lesser extent. However, 66.7 % of rural respondents compared to only 17.2 % in the urban area did not consider any of these species as potential carriers of the Ebola virus. Nonetheless, a fifth of our respondents reported not consuming any of these species altogether during the EVD outbreak. Among all seven faunal groups mentioned, a significant reduction in reported consumption during the Ebola outbreak was only noted for bats (before: 78.3 % and during: 31.9 %) and chimpanzees (before: 31.6 % and during: 13.5 %). Automatic Chi-Square Interaction Detection (CHAID) analysis revealed that the belief that bats or chimpanzees were associated with EVD or not had a significant effect respectively on their non-consumption or continued consumption. However, only 3.9 % of respondents reported shifting to alternative protein sources such as domestic meat or fish specifically to avoid EVD. Only 10.8 % reported consuming more domestic meat during the EVD outbreak compared with before; affordability and availability were the main reported reasons for why people did not consume more domestic meat and why two thirds reported consuming more fish. While increased domestic meat consumption was linked to the belief that , the most commonly consumed wildmeat before the epidemic, were associated with EVD, increased fish consumption was not predicted by any EVD related factors. Our study revealed deep-rooted false beliefs among rural respondents and constraints when it comes to access to alternative protein sources such as domestic meat. Our findings emphasize the urgent need for greater consideration of the relationship between socio-economic context, food security, and public health.

EGERT-BERG, K., HANDEL, M., GOLDSHTEIN, A., EITAN, O., BORISSOV, I., and YOVEL, Y. 2001. Fruit bats adjust their foraging strategies to urban environments to diversify their diet. BMC Biol., 19 (1): 123. doi: 10.1186/s12915-021-01060-x. Background: Urbanization is one of the most influential processes on our globe, putting a great number of species under threat. Some species learn to cope with urbanization, and a few even benefit from it, but we are only starting to understand how they do so. In this study, we GPS tracked Egyptian fruit bats from urban and rural populations to compare their movement and foraging in urban and rural environments. Because fruit trees are distributed differently in these two environments, with a higher diversity in urban environments, we hypothesized that foraging strategies will differ too. Results: When foraging in urban environments, bats were much more exploratory than when foraging in rural environments, visiting more sites per hour and switching foraging sites more often on consecutive nights. By doing so, bats foraging in settlements diversified their diet in comparison to rural bats, as was also evident from their choice to often switch fruit species. Interestingly, the location of the roost did not dictate the foraging grounds, and we found that many bats choose to roost in the countryside but nightly commute to and forage in urban environments. Conclusions: Bats are unique among small mammals in their ability to move far rapidly. Our study is an excellent example of how animals adjust to environmental changes, and it shows how such mobile mammals might exploit the new urban fragmented environment that is taking over our landscape.

EDENBOROUGH, K. M., MU, A., MÜHLDORFER, K., LECHNER, J., LANDER, A., BOKELMANN, M., COUACY- HYMANN, E., RADONIC, A. and KURTH, A. 2020. Microbiomes in the insectivorous bat species Mops condylurus rapidly converge in captivity. PLoS ONE, 15 (3): e0223629. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223629. Bats are well known reservoir hosts for RNA and DNA viruses. The use of captive bats in research has intensified over the past decade as researchers aim to examine the virus-reservoir host interface. In this study, we investigated the effects of captivity on the fecal bacterial microbiome of an insectivorous microbat, Mops condylurus, a species that roosts in close proximity to humans and has likely transmitted viral infections to humans. Using amplicon 16S rRNA gene sequencing, we characterized changes in fecal bacterial community composition for individual bats directly at the time of capture and again after six weeks in captivity. We found that microbial community richness by measure of the number of observed operational taxonomic units (OTUs) in bat feces increases in captivity. Importantly, we found the similarity of microbial community structures of fecal microbiomes between different bats to converge during captivity. We propose a six week-acclimatization period prior to carrying out infection studies or other research influenced by the microbiome composition, which may be advantageous to reduce variation in microbiome composition and minimize biological variation inherent to in vivo experimental studies.

EL-MANSI, A. A., AL-KAHTANI, M. A., AL-SAYYAD, K. M., AHMED, E. A. and GAD, A. R. 2020. Visual adaptability and retinal characterization of the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus, Pteropodidae): New insights into photoreceptors spatial distribution and melanosomal activity. Micron, 137: 102897. doi: 10.1016/j. micron.2020.102897. Our study was conducted to characterize the retinal structure of the Egyptian fruit bat, Rousettus aegyptiacus to determine the distribution of photoreceptors and melanosomal populations in various retinal zones. Also, we paid attention to the specific structural and functional adaptations related to their nocturnal habits. We analysed the retinae of 12 adult male Egyptian fruit bats using morphometrical, histological, ultrastructural, and immunoblotting standard techniques. Histological findings revealed that the retinal cells have variations in geometrical architecture and different retinal thickness together with their corresponding layers bearing specific choroidal papillae projecting towards the inner retina. Immunoblotting and ultrastructure results showed that the microstructure of the retina conforms to that pattern found in mammalian species. The retinal photoreceptors are rod-dominant; alternatively, possess two spectral types of cones: SWS and LW/MWS cones as evidence for the basis for dichromatic vision. In addition, the outer retina showed densely-distributed melanin granules with a significant increase in the number of pigment epithelium cells in the eccentric retina. Furthermore, the asymmetric distribution among the retinal quadrants for the visual pigments of both rods and cones coinciding with neuronal cells such as bipolar and ganglion cells confers instructive information about their visual perception and orientation. In conclusion, our findings indicate that R. aegyptiacus efficiently discriminates colors with complex visual adaptations to mediate increased visual acuity coopted for the nocturnal niches.

EL TAWEEL, A., KANDEIL, A., BARAKAT, A., RABIEE, O. A., KAYALI, G. and ALI, M. A. 2020. Diversity of circulating in humans, bats, and wild birds in Egypt. Viruses, 12 (5): 485. doi: 10.3390/ v12050485. Astroviruses belong to Astroviridae family which includes two main genera: that infect mammals, and that infect avian hosts. Bats and wild birds are considered among the natural reservoirs for astroviruses. Infections in humans are

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associated with severe , especially among children. We conducted surveillance for astroviruses in bats, wild birds, and humans in Egypt. Our results indicated relatively high prevalence of astroviruses in those hosts. Phylogenetic analysis revealed diversity of these viruses within hosts. Detected human viruses showed similarity with classic and variant human astroviruses, as well as similarity with animal-origin viruses. Viruses in bats were dispersed, with similarities to other bat viruses as well as other mammalian, including human, viruses. Wild bird viruses varied and were related to other avastroviruses, as well as human astroviruses. Our results indicate that astroviruses are common in bats, wild birds, and humans in Egypt, with a wide gene pool. Potential cross-species transmission may be occurring but should be verified by further surveillance and molecular studies.

ESQUIVEL, D. A., MAESTRI, R. and SANTANA, S. E. 2021. Evolutionary implications of dental anomalies in bats. Evolution, 75 (5): 1087 - 1096. doi: 10.1111/evo.14211. The gain or loss of anatomical features is an important mechanism of morphological evolution and ecological adaptation. Dental anomalies - the loss or gain of teeth - are widespread and a potential source of craniodental specialization among mammals, yet their macroevolutionary patterns have been rarely explored. We present the first phylogenetic comparative study of dental anomalies across the second largest mammal Order, Chiroptera (bats). We conducted an extensive literature review and surveyed a large sample of museum specimens to analyze the types and prevalence of dental anomalies across bats, and performed phylogenetic comparative analyses to investigate the role of phylogenetic history and dietary specialization on incidence of dental anomalies. We found dental anomalies have a significant phylogenetic signal, suggesting they are not simply the result of idiosyncratic mutations or random developmental disorders, but may have ancestral genetic origins or result from shared developmental pathways among closely related species. The incidence of dental anomalies was not associated with diet categories, suggesting no effect of craniodental specialization on dental anomalies across bats. Our results give insight into the macroevolutionary patterns of dental anomalies in bats, and provide a foundation for investigating new hypotheses underlying the evolution of dental variation and diversity in mammals.

EUREN, J., BANGURA, J., GBAKIMA, A., SINAH, M., YONDA, S., LANGE, C. E., MCIVER, D. J., LEBRETON, M., WOLKING, D., GRIGORESCU MONAGIN, C., BIRD, B. and SAYLORS, K. 2020. Human interactions with bat populations in Bombali, Sierra Leone. EcoHealth, 17 (3): 292 - 301. doi: 10.1007/s10393-020-01502-y. Human contact with bats has been epidemiologically linked to several of the most recent Ebola outbreaks, including the 2014 West Africa epidemic and the 2007 Luebo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, outbreak. While fruit bats remain the likely primary reservoir for Ebola virus (Zaire ebolavirus), recent wildlife surveillance efforts have identified a new species of ebolavirus (Bombali ebolavirus) in microchiropteran insect-eating bats in West and East Africa. Given the role of bats as potential Ebola reservoirs and sources of spillover into human populations, it is critically important to understand the circumstances and behaviors that bring human populations into close contact with bats. This study explores two sites in Bombali, Sierra Leone, where human populations have had close contact with microchiropteran bats via household infestations and fruit bats by hunting practices. Through interviews and focus groups, we identify the knowledge, beliefs, perceptions, and behaviors that may potentially protect or expose individuals to zoonotic spillover through direct and indirect contact with bats. We also describe how this research was used to develop a risk reduction and outreach tool for living safely with bats.

FAGRE, A.C., LEWIS, J., MILLER, M.R., MOSSEL, E.C., LUTWAMA, J.J., NYAKARAHUKA, L., NAKAYIKI, T., KITYO, R., NALIKKA, B., TOWNER, J.S., AMMAN, B.R., SEALY, T.K., FOY, B., SCHOUNTZ, T., ANDERSON, J. and KADING, R.C. 2021. Subgenomic RNA (sfRNA) associated with Asian lineage identified in three species of Ugandan bats (family Pteropodidae). Scientific Reps, 11 (1): 8370. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-87816-5. Serological cross-reactivity among makes determining the prior exposure of animals challenging in areas where multiple flavivirus strains are circulating. We hypothesized that prior infection with ZIKV could be confirmed through the presence of subgenomic flavivirus RNA (sfRNA) of the 3′ untranslated region (UTR), which persists in tissues due to XRN-1 stalling during RNA decay. We amplified ZIKV sfRNA but not NS5 from three experimentally-infected Jamaican fruit bats, supporting the hypothesis of sfRNA tissue persistence. Applying this approach to 198 field samples from Uganda, we confirmed presence of ZIKV sfRNA, but not NS5, in four bats representing three species: Eidolon helvum (n = 2), Epomophorus labiatus (n = 1), and Rousettus aegyptiacus (n = 1). Amplified sequence was most closely related to Asian lineage ZIKV. Our results support the use of sfRNA as a means of identifying previous flavivirus infection and describe the first detection of ZIKV RNA in East African bats.

FAHR, J. and COOPER-BOHANNON, R. 2020. Rhinolophus ruwenzorii, Ruwenzori horseshoe bat. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T44784A22067834. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS. T44784A22067834.en.

FASEL, N. J., MAMBA, M. L. and MONADJEM, A. 2020. Penis morphology facilitates identification of cryptic African bat species. Journal of Mammalogy, 101 (5): 1392 - 1399. doi: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa073. Africa hosts a high number of bat species, many of which have been poorly studied. Among African vesper bats (Vespertilionidae), some species are morphologically similar to each other, hampering identification in the field. Consequently, basic information on these species’ population dynamics, distributions, or behaviors is vague and/or incorrectly documented. Among some Vespertilionidae, variation in flaccid penis shape enables species identification. This variation in morphology is thought to have resulted from sexual selection operating on the erect penis. Furthermore, in the context of strong postcopulatory competition, divergence in sperm traits may have evolved among closely related species. These male reproductive characters have hitherto not been investigated in southern African vespertilionid bats. In this study, we present the morphology of flaccid penis, erect penis, and sperm, of six small vesper species, based on the prediction that these characters have evolved sufficiently toward different optima to allow species discrimination. Species identification based solely on the morphological characters of the penis entirely matched species identification based on traditional (craniodental) characters. We illustrate penis morphology of these species to assist with field identifications for future ecological, conservation, or behavioral studies. Sperm morphology was sufficient to discriminate between the different genera, but could not reliably separateNeoromicia nana, Ne. zuluensis, and Ne. capensis. Hence, we demonstrate that these difficult to identify species can be readily distinguished based on traits directly observable in the field and on living animals,

Recent Literature African Bat Conservation News ISSN 1812-1268 July 2021 vol. 49 27 which will lead to more focused field studies on these otherwise morphologically cryptic species. Finally, our comparisons of penis morphology support the suggestion that Hypsugo anchietae is better placed within the genus Neoromicia.

FENTON, M. B. 2020. Bats navigate with cognitive maps. Tagging and tracking systems reveal the way-finding strategies of fruit bats. Science, 369 (6500): 142. doi: 10.1126/science.abd1213.

FERREIRA, R. L., GIRIBET, G., DU PREEZ, G., VENTOURAS, O., JANION, C. and SILVA, M. S. 2020. The Wynberg Cave System, the most important site for cave fauna in South Africa at risk. Subterranean Biology, 36: 73 - 81. doi: 10.3897/subtbiol.36.60162. The Wynberg Cave System, located on the Cape Peninsula, represents one of the most significant sites of cave fauna in southern Africa. However, the continuous increase in cave visitation is severely impacting the system as evidenced by graffiti, the trampling and destruction of cave habitats and even a reduction in the sizes of bat colonies. In October 2019, the Wynberg Cave System was visited by a group of scientist, who discovered unregistered troglomorphic species. This, subsequently increased the number of troglobites occurring in the system to 19, which likely means that this system has the potential to become the first hotspot of subterranean biodiversity in Africa. Protecting the Wynberg Cave System is therefore of great importance. Here, we propose short and long-term strategies that include educating local communities on the importance of conserving caves and installing gated entrances.

FLANDERS, A. J., FARINA, L. L., SZIVEK, A., FOX-ALVAREZ, W. A., DONNELLY, K., HAMEL, P. E. S., GIGLIO, R. F., BEATTY, S. S. K., WELLEHAN, J. F. X., CREVASSE, S. E. and ALEXANDER, A. B. 2020. Renal neoplasia from a single population of pteropodid bats. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 51 (3): 696 - 704. doi: 10.1638/2019-0220. Neoplastic diseases have rarely been reported in the family Pteropodidae, and primary malignant renal neoplasms are generally uncommon across animal species. This case series describes four cases of primary renal neoplasia: three renal cell carcinomas and one nephroblastoma in three species of pteropodid bats, specifically large flying foxes (Pteropus vampyrus, n = 2), straw-colored fruit bat (Eidolon helvum, n = 1), and a little golden-mantled flying fox (Pteropus pumilus, n = 1). Two of the cases were diagnosed antemortem using ultrasonography, computed tomography, and cytology; and one of these bats with a renal cell carcinoma was treated successfully with a unilateral nephrectomy. The remaining two cases were diagnosed at necropsy.

FOUNTAIN, K. (I.), GIBBON, M. J., LOEFFLER, A. and FEIL, E. J. 2021. Closed genome sequences of Staphylococcus lloydii sp. nov. and Staphylococcus durrellii sp. nov. isolated from captive fruit bats (Pteropus livingstonii). International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, 71 (3): 004715. doi: 10.1099/ijsem.0.004715. The increasing availability of whole genome sequencing of bacteria has accelerated the discovery of novel species which may not have been easy to discriminate using standard phenotypic or single gene methods. Phylogenomic analysis of genome sequences from a collection of coagulase-negative staphylococcal species isolated from captive fruit bats revealed two clusters which were close to Staphylococcus kloosii. To assess the relatedness of the strains we used digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) and two methods for average nucleotide identity (ANI) computation which predicted two novel species having dDDH less than 70 % and ANI less than 95 %. We propose these species as Staphylococcus lloydii sp. nov. (type strain 23_2_7_LYT=NCTC 14453T=DSM 111639T) and Staphylococcus durrellii sp. nov (type strain 27_4_6_LYT=NCTC 14454T=DSM 111640T).

FUKUI, D., TU, V. T., THANH, H. T., ARAI, S., HARADA, M., CSORBA, G. and SON, N. T. 2020. First record of the genus Plecotus from Southeast Asia with notes on the taxonomy, karyology and echolocation call of P. homochrous from Vietnam. Acta Chiropterologica, 22 (1): 57 - 74. doi: 10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.1. 006. Long-eared bats of the genus Plecotus are known to occur predominantly in the Palaearctic Region, and at the margins of the Afrotropical and Indomalayan regions. In 2014, four specimens of the genus Plecotus were collected in a high altitude montane temperate forest in the Hoang Lien National Park, northern Vietnam, representing the first record of Plecotus from the Indochinese subregion, and considerably extending the southern border of the genus’ distribution range. Detailed morphological comparisons and phylogenetic reconstructions based on the mitochondrial control region suggest that these specimens can be assigned to P. homochrous, a mountain-dwelling bat from the Himalayas. Moreover, for the first time, we provide information on the species’ echolocation call and karyological characteristics. Our results also indicate that the taxonomic status of some Plecotus species recognized by previous studies is doubtful and must be revised. Although rarely encountered, Plecotus is likely to be widely distributed at the higher elevations of the Himalayan chain in southern China and the adjoining northern areas of Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar. Our findings strongly support the importance of the mountainous areas within the Indo-Burma .

FUNK, S. M., FA, J. E., AJONG, S. N., ENIANG, E. A., DENDI, D., DI VITTORIO, M., PETROZZI, F., AMADI, N., AKANI, G. C. and LUISELLI, L. 2021. Pre- and post-Ebola outbreak trends in wild meat trade in West Africa. Biological Conservation, 255: 109024. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109024. Ebola virus disease, EVD, has been linked with wild meat. In Nigeria, strict restrictions on wild meat sales were applied after the first case in July 2014. We quantified wild meat trade in nine markets in southern Nigeria, during Oct. 2010 - Dec. 2019, and undertook consumer interviews during 2018 - 2019. Wild meat sales fell to low levels between during EVD (Jul. - Oct. 2014), after which Nigeria was declared Ebola-free. Prior to EVD (2012 - 2014), reptile carcass numbers declined markedly, collapsed during EVD, but rebounded immediately post-EVD until 2017 to values exceeding pre-EVD (especially true for turtles and tortoises). Reptile consumption increased as mammal numbers declined. After 2017, reptile numbers fell and remained low until the end of the study, indicating population collapses and depletion. Fruit bats and primates did not recover after EVD, but ungulates, rodents and carnivores increased significantly after EVD though never reached pre-EVD levels. Interviews revealed strong rural versus urban and age-specific differences regarding wild meat consumption and attitudes. Most people worried about Ebola and more than half of interviewees agreed that wild meat poses a transmission risk. Except urban males, over-60-year olds were least informed

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about the Ebola risk of wild meat, indicating that any future behavioural change campaign should focus on the younger age classes. Unlike other studies, our research clearly shows that changes in purchasing behaviour of consumers and education campaigns were effective in reducing the trade of bats and primates, animal groups likely to be implicated in the transmission of Ebola.

GARBINO, G. S. T., FEIJÓ, A., BELTRÃO-MENDES, R. and ROCHA, P. A. D. 2021. Evolution of litter size in bats and its influence on longevity and roosting ecology. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 132 (3): 676 - 684. doi: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa203. Litter size varies in mammals, with about half of the species producing at least two offspring per gestation (polytocy). In bats, however, the modal litter size is one (monotocy), and polytocy is restricted to family Vespertilionidae. Here, we reconstruct the evolutionary history of polytocy in chiropterans and use phylogenetically informed regressions to investigate its relationship to roost type, longevity and group size. Our phylogenetic reconstructions suggested that production of multiple offspring was the ancestral condition in family Vespertilionidae. The distribution of monotocy/polytocy in Chiroptera was best explained by a minimum of two evolutionary transitions from monotocy to polytocy and by = 18 transitions from polytocy to monotocy. The regression models showed that longevity and roost type explained the variation in litter size, whereas group size did not. Our analyses also revealed a greater diversity of polytocous bats in the Northern Hemisphere, in both temperate and tropical regions. We suggest that the high resource allocation to reproduction in polytocous bats limited their lifespan. The absence of a relationship between polytocy and group size indicates that the benefits of cooperative breeding surpass the costs of intrasexual competition in bats.

GELDENHUYS, M., MORTLOCK, M., EPSTEIN, J.H., PAWĘSKA, J.T., WEYER, J. and MARKOTTER, W. 2021. Overview of bat and wildlife coronavirus surveillance in Africa: a framework for global investigations. Viruses, 13 (5): 936. doi: 10.3390/v13050936. The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had devastating health and socio-economic impacts. Human activities, especially at the wildlife interphase, are at the core of forces driving the emergence of new viral agents. Global surveillance activities have identified bats as the natural hosts of diverse coronaviruses, with other domestic and wildlife animal species possibly acting as intermediate or spillover hosts. The African continent is confronted by several factors that challenge prevention and response to novel disease emergences, such as high species diversity, inadequate health systems, and drastic social and ecosystem changes. We reviewed published animal coronavirus surveillance studies conducted in Africa, specifically summarizing surveillance approaches, species numbers tested, and findings. Far more surveillance has been initiated among bat populations than other wildlife and domestic animals, with nearly 26,000 bat individuals tested. Though coronaviruses have been identified from approximately 7 % of the total bats tested, surveillance among other animals identified coronaviruses in less than 1 %. In addition to a large undescribed diversity, sequences related to four of the seven human coronaviruses have been reported from African bats. The review highlights research gaps and the disparity in surveillance efforts between different animal groups (particularly potential spillover hosts) and concludes with proposed strategies for improved future biosurveillance.

GENTLES, A. D., GUTH, S., ROZINS, C. and BROOK, C. E. 2020. A review of mechanistic models of viral dynamics in bat reservoirs for zoonotic disease. Pathogens and Global Health, 114 (8): 407 - 425. doi: 10.1080/20477724.2020.1833161. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2, a coronavirus with suspected bat origins, highlights a critical need for heightened understanding of the mechanisms by which bats maintain potentially zoonotic viruses at the population level and transmit these pathogens across species. We review mechanistic models, which test hypotheses of the transmission dynamics that underpin viral maintenance in bat systems. A search of the literature identified only twenty-five mechanistic models of bat-virus systems published to date, derived from twenty-three original studies. Most models focused on rabies and related lyssaviruses (eleven), followed by Ebola-like filoviruses (seven), Hendra and Nipah-like henipaviruses (five), and coronaviruses (two). The vast majority of studies has modelled bat virus transmission dynamics at the population level, though a few nested within-host models of in population- level frameworks, and one study focused on purely within-host dynamics. Population-level studies described bat virus systems from every continent but Antarctica, though most were concentrated in North America and Africa; indeed, only one simulation model with no associated data was derived from an Asian bat-virus system. In fact, of the twenty-five models identified, only ten population- level models were fitted to data - emphasizing an overall dearth of empirically derived epidemiological inference in bat virus systems. Within the data fitted subset, the vast majority of models were fitted to serological data only, highlighting extensive uncertainty in our understanding of the transmission status of a wild bat. Here, we discuss similarities and differences in the approach and findings of previously published bat virus models and make recommendations for improvement in future work.

GEORGIAKAKIS, P. and BENDA, P. 2021. Hanák’s Pipistrelle Hulva et Benda, 2004. In: Hackländer, K., Zachos, F.E. (Eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of Europe. Springer Nature Switzerland: 1 - 12. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-65038-8_78-1.

GOODMAN, S. M., FRATPIETRO, S. and TORTOSA, P. 2020. Insight into the identity and origin of Scotophilus borbonicus (E. Geoffroy, 1803). Acta Chiropterologica, 22 (1): 41 - 47. doi: 10.3161/15081109ACC2020.2 2.1.004. The species delimitations species of Scotophilus from the of Afro-Malagasy Region remain unresolved. One of the most problematic named taxa is S. borbonicus, which was described based on specimens reputed to be from La Réunion Island, western Indian Ocean. Only one of two specimens mentioned in the description of S. borbonicus sensu stricto has been located in a museum collection and after considerable recent fieldwork on La Réunion, no Scotophilus has been captured. Given that the name borbonicus has priority over other named small Afro-Malagasy forms, this has led to considerable taxonomic ambiguity. We report here on a short mitochondrial sequence from the lectotype of S. borbonicus, which is nested within individuals of S. trujilloi captured in Kenya and . These results are best interpreted as the lectotype of S. borbonicus was not obtained on La Réunion but along the eastern coast of Africa. We propose that the best means to resolve potential taxonomic problems, particularly concerning future research on small Afro-Malagasy members of the genus, is to consider the name S. borbonicus a nomen dubium. If indeed individuals of this genus are captured on La Réunion in the future and molecular data obtained, the species in question may be new to science and in need of formal description.

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GIACOMINI, G., HERREL, A., CHAVERRI, G., BROWN, R.P., RUSSO, D., SCARAVELLI, D. and MELORO, C. 2021. Functional correlates of skull shape in Chiroptera: feeding and echolocation adaptations. Integrative Zoology. doi: 10.1111/1749-4877.12564. Morphological, functional, and behavioral adaptations of bats are among the most diverse within mammals. A strong association between bat skull morphology and feeding behavior has been suggested previously. However, morphological variation related to other drivers of adaptation, in particular echolocation, remains understudied. We assessed variation in skull morphology with respect to ecology (diet and emission type) and function (bite force, masticatory muscles and echolocation characteristics) using geometric morphometrics and comparative methods. Our study suggests that variation in skull shape of 10 bat families is the result of adaptations to broad dietary categories and sound emission types (oral or nasal). Skull shape correlates with echolocation parameters only in a subsample of insectivorous species, possibly because they (almost) entirely rely on this sensory system for locating and capturing prey. Insectivores emitting low frequencies are characterized by a ventrally tilted rostrum, a trait not associated with feeding parameters. This result questions the validity of a trade-off between feeding and echolocation function. Our study advances understanding of the relationship between skull morphology and specific features of echolocation and suggests that evolutionary constraints due to echolocation may differ between different groups within the Chiroptera.

GÖRFÖL, T., KRUSKOP, S. V., TU, V. T., ESTÓK, P., SON, N. T. and CSORBA, G. 2020. A new genus of vespertilionid bat: the end of a long journey for Joffre’s Pipistrelle (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae). Journal of Mammalogy, 101 (2): 331 - 348. doi: 10.1093/jmammal/gyz202. Knowledge as to the taxonomic status of enigmatic bat species often is hindered by limited availability of specimens. This is particularly true for aerial-hawking bats that are difficult to catch. One such species, “Hypsugo” joffrei, was originally described in due to its long and slender wings, but subsequently transferred to Pipistrellus, and most recently to Hypsugo, on the basis of morphology. Analysis of newly available material, which more than doubles the known specimens of this taxon, demonstrates that it is morphologically and genetically distinct from all other bat genera. We accordingly describe it as belonging to a new, monotypic genus. We provide a detailed description of its external and craniodental traits, measurements, and assessment of genetic relationships, including barcode sequences to facilitate its rapid identification in future. The new genus belongs to a group that includes the recently described Cassistrellus, as well as , and its closest relative, Philetor. We also describe the echolocation calls emitted by members of the taxon in different situations, which may facilitate finding them in previously unsampled locations. Based on the new data, the species occurs from Nepal to North Vietnam and China, which suggests that it could be more widespread than previously thought.

GROBLER, C.S., COERTSE, J. and MARKOTTER, W. 2021. Complete genome sequence of Matlo bat lyssavirus. Microbiology Resource Announcements, 10 (20): e00241-21. doi: 10.1128/MRA.00241-21. The genus Lyssavirus includes rabies virus as well as multiple diverse and recently described novel species. Using next-generation sequencing technologies, we have obtained the whole-genome sequence of Matlo bat lyssavirus, which was isolated from a Natal long-fingered bat (Miniopterus natalensis) in South Africa.

GRYSEELS, S., MBALA-KINGEBENI, P., AKONDA, I., ANGOYO, R., AYOUBA, A., BAELO, P., MUKADI, D. B., BUGENTHO, E., BUSHMAKER, T., BUTEL, C., CALVIGNAC-SPENCER, S., DELAPORTE, E., DE SMET, B., DÜX, A., EDIDI-ATANI, F., FISCHER, R., KAHANDI, C., KAPETSHI, J., SUMBA, S. K., KOUADIO, L., BENDEKE, A. M., MANDE, C., SEPOLO, G. M., MOUDINDO, J., NGOLE, E. M., MUSABA, P., MUTOMBO, P., BASS, I. N., NEBESSE, C., NGOY, S., KUMOGO, S.-P. N., SEIFERT, S. N., TANZITO, J., AKAIBE, D., AMUNDALA, N., ARIËN, K. K., GEMBU, G.-C., LEENDERTZ, F. H., LEIRS, H., MUKINZI, J.-C., MUNSTER, V., MUYEMBE-TAMFUM, J. J., PEETERS, M., VERHEYEN, E. and AHUKA-MUNDEKE, S. 2020. Role of wildlife in emergence of Ebola Virus in Kaigbono (Likati), Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2017. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 26 (9): 2205 - 2209. doi: 10.3201/eid2609.191552. After the 2017 Ebola virus (EBOV) outbreak in Likati, a district in northern Democratic Republic of the Congo, we sampled small mammals from the location where the primary case-patient presumably acquired the infection. None tested positive for EBOV RNA or antibodies against EBOV, highlighting the ongoing challenge in detecting animal reservoirs for EBOV.

GUAL-SUÁREZ, F. and MEDELLÍN, R.A. 2021. We eat meat: a review of carnivory in bats. Mammal Review. doi: 10.1111/mam.12254. 1. Some bat species in the families Phyllostomidae, Megadermatidae, and Nycteridae have long been known to consume terrestrial vertebrates and, more recently, reports of aerial-hawking vespertilionid carnivores have surfaced. 2. We review the diets, hunting behaviour and roosting ecology of 17 bat species that are known to consume terrestrial vertebrates: Vampyrum spectrum, Chrotopterus auritus, Trachops cirrhosus, Macroderma gigas, Megaderma (Lyroderma) lyra, Nycteris grandis, Nyctalus lasiopterus, Nyctalus aviator, io, Antrozous pallidus, Cardioderma cor, Phyllostomus hastatus, Mimon (Gardnerycteris) crenulatum, Mimon cozumelae, Tonatia saurophila, Tonatia bidens, and Lophostoma silvicolum. 3. Data on their diet and roosts were obtained from 241 original works, with considerable differences in the amount of research and information available among species. 4. Carnivorous bats were found to belong to an ecologically diverse group and share little but their diet. Therefore, we define a carnivorous bat as a bat that, either year-round or seasonally, uses terrestrial vertebrates as the main component of its diet, at least in part of its geographic range. 5. We conclude from available data that Mimon crenulatum, Lophostoma silvicolum, Mimon cozumelae, Phyllostomus hastatus, Tonatia bidens, Tonatia saurophila, Cardioderma cor, and Antrozous pallidus use vertebrates as a minor part of their diet and should not be considered carnivorous. 6. The nine other species we reviewed do fit into the definition of carnivorous bats, and can be further subdivided basedon their ecology and the seasonality of their habits into three categories: year-round predominantly gleaning carnivores (Chrotopterus auritus, Trachops cirrhosus, and Vampyrum spectrum), seasonal predominantly gleaning carnivores (Megaderma lyra, Macroderma

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gigas, and Nycteris grandis) and seasonal aerial-hawking bird-eating carnivores (Ia io, Nyctalus aviator, and Nyctalus lasiopterus).

GUITO, J. C., PRESCOTT, J. B., ARNOLD, C. E., AMMAN, B. R., SCHUH, A. J., SPENGLER, J. R., SEALY, T. K., HARMON, J. R., COLEMAN-MCCRAY, J. D., KULCSAR, K. A., NAGLE, E. R., KUMAR, R., PALACIOS, G. F., SANCHEZ-LOCKHART, M. and TOWNER, J. S. 2021. Asymptomatic infection of Marburg virus reservoir bats is explained by a strategy of immunoprotective disease tolerance. Current Biology, 31 (2): 257 - 270. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.10.015. Marburg virus (MARV) is among the most virulent pathogens of primates, including humans. Contributors to severe MARV disease include immune response suppression and inflammatory gene dysregulation (“cytokine storm”), leading to systemic damage and often death. Conversely, MARV causes little to no clinical disease in its reservoir host, the Egyptian rousette bat (ERB). Previous genomic and in vitro data suggest that a tolerant ERB immune response may underlie MARV avirulence, but no significant examination of this response in vivo yet exists. Here, using colony-bred ERBs inoculated with a bat isolate of MARV, we use species-specific antibodies and an immune gene probe array (NanoString) to temporally characterize the transcriptional host response at sites of MARV replication relevant to primate pathogenesis and immunity, including CD14+ monocytes/macrophages, critical immune response mediators, primary MARV targets, and skin at the inoculation site, where highest viral loads and initial engagement of antiviral defenses are expected. Our analysis shows that ERBs upregulate canonical antiviral genes typical of mammalian systems, such as ISG15, IFIT1, and OAS3, yet demonstrate a remarkable lack of significant induction of proinflammatory genes classically implicated in primate filoviral pathogenesis, including CCL8, FAS, and IL6. Together, these findings offer the first in vivo functional evidence for disease tolerance as an immunological mechanism by which the bat reservoir asymptomatically hosts MARV. More broadly, these data highlight factors determining disparate outcomes between reservoir and spillover hosts and defensive strategies likely utilized by bat hosts of other emerging pathogens, knowledge that may guide development of effective antiviral therapies.

GUTIÉRREZ-GUERRERO, Y. T., IBARRA-LACLETTE, E., MARTÍNEZ DEL RÍO, C., BARRERA-REDONDO, J., REBOLLAR, E. A., ORTEGA, J., LÉON-PANIAGUA, L., URRUTIA, A., AGUIRRE-PLANTER, E. and EGUIARTE, L. E. 2020. Genomic consequences of dietary diversification and parallel evolution due to nectarivory in leaf-nosed bats. Gigascience, 9 (6): 1 - 14. doi: 10.1093/gigascience/giaa059. Background: The New World leaf-nosed bats (Phyllostomids) exhibit a diverse spectrum of feeding habits and innovations in their nutrient acquisition and foraging mechanisms. However, the genomic signatures associated with their distinct diets are unknown. Results: We conducted a genomic comparative analysis to study the evolutionary dynamics related to dietary diversification and specialization. We sequenced, assembled, and annotated the of five Phyllostomid species: one insect feeder (Macrotus waterhousii), one fruit feeder (Artibeus jamaicensis), and three nectar feeders from the Glossophaginae subfamily (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae, Leptonycteris nivalis, and Musonycteris harrisoni), also including the previously sequenced vampire Desmodus rotundus. Our phylogenomic analysis based on 22,388 gene families displayed differences in expansion and contraction events across the Phyllostomid lineages. Independently of diet, genes relevant for feeding strategies and food intake experienced multiple expansions and signatures of positive selection. We also found adaptation signatures associated with specialized diets: the vampire exhibited traits associated with a blood diet (i.e., coagulation mechanisms), whereas the nectarivore clade shares a group of positively selected genes involved in sugar, lipid, and iron metabolism. Interestingly, in fruit-nectar-feeding Phyllostomid and Pteropodids bats, we detected positive selection in two genes: AACS and ALKBH7, which are crucial in sugar and fat metabolism. Moreover, in these two proteins we found parallel amino acid substitutions in conserved positions exclusive to the tribe Glossophagini and to Pteropodids. Conclusions: Our findings illuminate the genomic and molecular shifts associated with the evolution of nectarivory and shed light on how nectar-feeding bats can avoid the adverse effects of diets with high glucose content.

GUY, C., RATCLIFFE, J. M. and MIDEO, N. 2020. The influence of bat ecology on viral diversity and reservoir status. Ecology and Evolution, 10 (12): 5748 - 5758. doi: 10.1002/ece3.6315. Repeated emergence of zoonotic viruses from bat reservoirs into human populations demands predictive approaches to preemptively identify virus-carrying bat species. Here, we use machine learning to examine drivers of viral diversity in bats, determine whether those drivers depend on viral genome type, and predict undetected viral carriers. Our results indicate that bat species with longer life spans, broad geographic distributions in the eastern hemisphere, and large group sizes carry more viruses overall. Life span was a stronger predictor of deoxyribonucleic acid viral diversity, while group size and family were more important for predicting ribonucleic acid viruses, potentially reflecting broad differences in infection duration. Importantly, our models predict 54 bat species as likely carriers of zoonotic viruses, despite not currently being considered reservoirs. Mapping these predictions as a proportion of local bat diversity, we identify global regions where efforts to reduce disease spillover into humans by identifying viral carriers may be most productive.

HAGGAG, T., MAHMOUD, E. F., SALEM, Z. A. and ABUBAKR, N. 2020. Comparative evaluation of the ultrastructural morphology and distribution of filiform and fungiform tongue papillae in Egyptian mice, fruit bats and long-eared hedgehogs. Anatomy & Cell Biology, 53 (4): 493 - 501. doi: 10.5115/acb.20.173. The tongue is a specialized vital organ. It aids in mastication, deglutition and food digestion. It also shares in the perception of taste sensation as it possesses various gustatory papillae. It is being subjected to numerous anatomical and histological examinations aiming at exploring the correlation between its morphological features and animal adaptations to various types of nutrition and environmental conditions. The goal of the present work was to compare the ultrastructural features of the filiform and fungiform papillae of three various mammals possessing different feeding habits; Egyptian mice, fruit bats and long-eared hedgehogs. Specimens were obtained from the tongues of four healthy adult animals from each mammalian type. Tongues were fixed and all the appropriate procedures were done to perform scanning electron microscopic investigation. Scanning electron microscopic examination demonstrated that in mice, there were four different sub-types of filiform papillae (spike, leaf, conical and tongue- shaped). In bats, there were two sub-types (flower and leaf-like) and in hedgehogs, there was only one type (tongue-like). These filiform papillae showed different distribution and orientation. As for the fungiform papillae, they were cylindrical in mice, rounded or conical in bats and dome-shaped in hedgehogs. Fungiform papillae possessed taste pores containing taste buds. Ultrastructural

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HALWE, N. J., GORKA, M., HOFFMANN, B., RISSMANN, M., BREITHAUPT, A., SCHWEMMLE, M., BEER, M., KANDEIL, A., ALI, M. A., KAYALI, G., HOFFMANN, D. and BALKEMA-BUSCHMANN, A. 2021. Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) were resistant to experimental inoculation with avian-origin of subtype H9N2, but are susceptible to experimental infection with bat-borne H9N2 virus. Viruses, 13 (4): 672. doi: 10.3390/v13040672. Influenza A viruses (IAV) of subtype H9N2, endemic in world-wide poultry holdings, are reported to cause spill-over infections to and humans and have also contributed substantially to recent -derived pre-pandemic zoonotic viruses of concern, such as the Asian H7N9 viruses. Recently, a H9N2 bat influenza A virus was found in Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus), raising the question of whether this bat species is a suitable host for IAV. Here, we studied the susceptibility, pathogenesis and transmission of avian and bat-related H9N2 viruses in this new host. In a first experiment, we oronasally inoculated six Egyptian fruit bats with an avian-related H9N2 virus (A/layer chicken/Bangladesh/VP02-plaque/2016 (H9N2)). In a second experiment, six Egyptian fruit bats were inoculated with the newly discovered bat-related H9N2 virus (A/bat/Egypt/381OP/2017 (H9N2)). While R. aegyptiacus turned out to be refractory to an infection with H9N2 avian-type, inoculation with the bat H9N2 subtype established a productive infection in all inoculated animals with a detectable seroconversion at day 21 post-infection. In conclusion, Egyptian fruit bats are most likely not susceptible to the avian H9N2 subtype, but can be infected with fruit bat-derived H9N2. H9-specific sero-reactivities in fruit bats in the field are therefore more likely the result of contact with a bat-adapted H9N2 strain.

HARWOOD, A., STONE, E., PETERSONWOOD, B. and HAMMER, M. 2020. Expedition Report: From elephants to cats to butterflies: Monitoring biodiversity of Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve, Malawi. Biosphere Expeditions.org: 1 - 62. The Lilongwe Wildlife Trust (LWT) and Conservation Research Africa are the first to conduct long-term research projects in Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve (VMWR). These projects focus on large mammals, elephants, primates, bats and insects, and aim to identify and monitor biodiversity and long-term trends in VMWR. Habitats are under increasing pressure from climate change and wildlife populations are at risk from many anthropogenic threats, such as poaching and deforestation. Biosphere Expeditions citizen scientists supported these research projects for the first time in 2018. Field work was conducted for a second year between 22 September and 18 October 2019 in two two-week long groups comprising twelve citizen scientists per group from Australia, Canada, Germany, the UK and the USA. Large mammal surveys Camera trapping surveys were successful and recorded a high species diversity in VMWR (24 species) in 1,670 images. One large carnivore (leopard) and seven mesocarnivores was detected, proving again the success of camera traps at providing data on elusive and nocturnal species. Transect surveys, covering nearly 200 km, recorded 11 different species and a 43% encounter rate. Species of note were roan antelope, which are rarely sighted, and puku, as they are classified by the IUCN Red List as Near Threatened. Hippo surveys of the populations in Lake Kazuni along the southern border of VMWR yielded an average of 125 hippos, which is lower than the previous year. Survey results confirm a high species diversity in VMWR. Elephants were observed mainly along the shores of Lake Kazuni, with data collected on herd demographics and individual identification. These observations produced numerous second-sighting records and 10 new individual identifications, bringing the total elephant database to more than 200 individuals, which is estimated to be two-thirds of the total VMWR elephant population. Bat, insect and vegetation monitoring Bat surveys resulted in 51 bats caught representing 11 species. Two new bat species, Myotis bocagii and botswanae were recorded for VMWR. Kerivoula lanosa was also caught for the first time in Malawi for African Bat Conservation. Nine standardised bat surveys were conducted at 7 different sites comprising 6 surveys in floodplain and 3 in woodland. The highest relative bat species richness was recorded in woodland. Of the new bat species records, Laephotis botswanae is of particular interest as little is known about its distribution and the few records indicate patchy distribution. This record therefore provides valuable data for the conservation of this species. Over 9,000 insects were captured in 13 different orders. Four new orders were captured not previously recorded in 2018, although in very low numbers, suggesting they likely occur at low densities in VMWR. Although the 2018 and 2019 expedition results are based on relatively low sample sizes, they add to growing records of biodiversity surveys for bats and insects in VMWR and show high diversity in abundance and overall presence of orders. In addition, vegetation surveys completed in conjunction with bat and insect surveys provide baseline ecological data and serve as indicators for any changes to the local environment. Climate change and other anthropogenic impacts in VMWR will first be noticed in changes to the vegetation and insects and bats, which feed on them. As such, the continued monitoring of these species is of upmost importance for the conservation management of VMWR. Primate behaviour In March 2019, LWT released a troop of 13 vervet monkeys into Vwaza Marsh Wildlife Reserve. After initial predations and emigrations, the troop observed during this expedition was 6 individuals. Data collected during the expedition contributed to the year-long post-release monitoring and data collection of the release troop. Activity budgets were determined and showed that the troop mimics wild conspecifics in terms of their activity budgets, with the majority of their time spent being Vigilant, followed by Feeding, Travelling, and spending little time Resting. A social network web was created; reflecting observations that the alpha male was the most central figure in the troop and the beta male was the least, often not seen by observers. Both analyses show that the troop is doing well with their new life in the wild.

HASSANIN, A. 2020. Scotonycteris bergmansi, Bergmans’s Fruit Bat. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T84466436A84466645. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T84466436A84466645.en.

HASSANIN, A., BONILLO, C., TSHIKUNG, D., PONGOMBO SHONGO, C., POURRUT, X., KADJO, B., NAKOUNÉ, E., TU, V. T., PRIÉ, V. and GOODMAN, S. M. 2020. Phylogeny of African fruit bats (Chiroptera, Pteropodidae)

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based on complete mitochondrial genomes. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, 58 (4): 1395 - 1410. doi: 10.1111/jzs.12373. Members of the family Pteropodidae, also known as Old World fruit bats, are represented in Africa by 14 genera and 44 species. Here, we sequenced 67 complete mitochondrial genomes from African and Asian pteropodids to better understand the evolutionary history of the subfamily , which includes most of the African species. An increased frequency of guanine to adenine transitions is detected in the mtDNA genomes of sobrinus and all species of Casinycteris and Scotonycteris. Our phylogenetic and molecular dating analyses based on 126 taxa and 15,448 characters indicate a low signal for deep relationships within the family, suggesting a rapid diversification during the Late Oligocene period of “warming.” Within the subfamily Rousettinae, most nodes are highly supported by our different analyses (all nucleotide sites, SuperTRI analyses of a sliding window, transversions only, coding genes only, and amino acid sequences). The results indicate the existence of four tribes: Rousettini - distributed from Africa through Mediterranean region and South Asia to South-East Asia; Eonycterini - found in Asia; and Epomophorini and Scotonycterini - restricted to sub-Saharan Africa. Although most interspecies relationships are highly supported, three parts of the Rousettinae mitochondrial tree are still unresolved, suggesting rapid diversification: (a) among the three subtribes Epomophorina (Epomophorus sensu lato, i.e., including Micropteropus, Epomops, Hypsignathus, Nanonycteris), Plerotina (Plerotes), and Myonycterina (Myonycteris, Megaloglossus) in the Late Miocene; (b) among Epomops, Hypsignathus, and other species of Epomophorina at the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary; and (c) among Myonycteris species in the Early Pleistocene. Within the Epomophorini, Stenonycteris lanosus emerged first, suggesting that lingual echolocation may have appeared in the common ancestor of Epomophorini and Rousettini. Our analyses suggest that multiple events of mtDNA introgression occurred within the Epomophorus species complex during the Pleistocene.

HENDING, D., DREW, H. and HOLDERIED, M.W. 2021. Habitat use of constant frequency echolocating bats in north-west Madagascar with acoustic evidence for a possible new species. Acta Chiropterologica, 23 (1): 153 - 164. doi: 10.3161/15081109ACC2021.23.1.012. Bioacoustics can be a non-invasive, cost-effective way of studying echolocating bats, and is especially useful for detecting and identifying rare or cryptic species. The insectivorous bats of Madagascar are understudied in comparison to the rest of the island’s fauna, and very little is known about their habitat use. Here, we used a remote bioacoustic surveying technique in a bat survey of the Sahamalaza-Îles Radama National Park, northwest Madagascar, to study constant frequency echolocating bats (Hipposideridae and ). We used two passive acoustic monitoring units to automatically record bat activity from dusk until dawn in a range of habitat types that are characteristic of the region. Analysis of call acoustic parameters revealed three distinct constant- frequency phonic types within the national park, which we identified as Commerson’s leaf-nosed bat (Macronycteris commersoni), the red (Triaenops menamena) and an unknown phonic type of ca. 78 kHz. We found significant differences in the habitat usage of these three species, suggesting species-specific habitat preferences among Madagascar’s bats. Our statistical analyses revealed significant differences between the acoustic echolocation calls of these three phonic types. The 78 kHz calls do not match any of the other constant frequency-calling bat species currently described for Madagascar, indicating either acoustic divergence among bat sub-populations or the possible existence of a new undescribed species. These results highlight the need for increased survey efforts to gain an understanding of species-specific geographic distributions and habitat usage among Malagasy bats and to disentangle their cryptic species complexes.

HENDING, D., RANDRIANARISON, H., HOLDERIED, M., MCCABE, G. and COTTON, S. 2021. The kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra (L.) Gaertn, Malvaceae) as a food source for native vertebrate species during times of resource scarcity and its potential for reforestation in Madagascar. Austral Ecology. doi: 10.1111/ aec.13076. Reforestation in Madagascar often relies on a few tree species with known properties. Species selection may consider aspects like human use, growth characteristics and animal use. Here, we investigated the use of the kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra) as a food source for vertebrates during the dry season in North West Madagascar. We observed 21 native vertebrate species (five lemurs, five bats and 11 birds) feed on or within C. pentandra during this period of low food availability, 48 % of which are known seed dispersers. As a fast-growing species, C. pentandra may therefore be suitable for inclusion in reforestation and forest restoration efforts to facilitate seed dispersal, natural forest regeneration and animal movement between adjacent forest fragments.

HERCULANO-HOUZEL, S., DA CUNHA, F. B., REED, J. L., KASWERA-KYAMAKYA, C., GILLISSEN, E. and MANGER, P. R. 2020. Microchiropterans have a diminutive cerebral cortex, not an enlarged cerebellum, compared to megachiropterans and other mammals. The Journal of Comparative Neurology, 528 (17): 2978 - 2993. doi: 10.1002/cne.24985. Small echolocating bats are set apart from most other mammals by their relatively large cerebellum, a feature that has been associated to echolocation, as it is presumed to indicate a relatively enlarged number of neurons in the cerebellum in comparison to other brain structures. Here we quantify the neuronal composition of the cerebral cortex, cerebellum and remaining brain structures of seven species of large Pteropodid bats (formerly classified as megachiropterans), one of which echolocates, and six species of small bats (formerly classified as microchiropterans), all of which echolocate. This chiropteran data is compared to 60 mammalian species in our dataset to determine whether the relatively large cerebellum of the small echolocating bats, and possibly that of the echolocating Pteropodid, contains a relatively enlarged number of neurons. We find no evidence that the distribution of neurons differs between microchiropterans and megachiropterans, but our data indicate that microchiropterans, like the smallest shrew in our dataset, have diminutive cerebral cortices, which makes the cerebellum appear relatively large. We propose that, in agreement with the diminutive brain size of the earliest fossil mammals, this is a plesiomorphic, not a derived, feature of microchiropteran brains. The results of this study also reveal important neural characteristics related to the phylogenetic affinities and relationships of the chiropterans.

HERMIDA LORENZO, R. J., CADAR, D., KOUNDOUNO, F. R., JUSTE, J., BIALONSKI, A., BAUM, H., GARCÍA- MUDARRA, J. L., HAKAMAKI, H., BENCSIK, A., NELSON, E. V., CARROLL, M. W., MAGASSOUBA, N., GÜNTHER, S., SCHMIDT-CHANASIT, J., MUÑOZ FONTELA, C. and ESCUDERO-PÉREZ, B. 2021. Metagenomic snapshots of viral components in Guinean bats. Microorganisms, 9: 599. doi: 10.3390/

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microorganisms9030599. To prevent the emergence of zoonotic infectious diseases and reduce their epidemic potential, we need to understand their origins in nature. Bats in the order Chiroptera are widely distributed worldwide and are natural reservoirs of prominent zoonotic viruses, including , Marburg virus, and possibly SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we applied unbiased metagenomic and metatranscriptomic approaches to decipher the virosphere of frugivorous and insectivorous bat species captured in Guéckédou, Guinea, the epicenter of the West African Ebola virus disease epidemic in 2013 - 2016. Our study provides a snapshot of the viral diversity present in these bat species, with several novel viruses reported for the first time in bats, as well as some bat viruses closely related to known human or animal pathogens. In addition, analysis of Mops condylurus genomic DNA samples revealed the presence of an Ebola virus (NP)-derived pseudogene inserted in its genome. These findings provide insight into the evolutionary traits of several virus families in bats and add evidence that nonretroviral integrated RNA viruses (NIRVs) derived from filoviruses may be common in bat genomes.

HOSTNIK, E. T., ADKESSON, M. J. and IVANCIC, M. 2020. Computed tomography lung volume differs between vertical and inverted positioning for Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus). Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 50 (4): 897 - 902 (for 2019). doi: 10.1638/2018-0215. This prospective study characterizes the impact of positioning on the pulmonary volume and pulmonary atelectasis in Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus). The soft tissue appearance of atelectactic pulmonary parenchyma can obscure or mask pulmonary pathology. Soft tissue within healthy lung parenchyma caused by atelectasis can efface the margins of pathology, such as pulmonary metastasis or , due to overlapping attenuation profiles. Pulmonary atelectasis is an unwanted side effect of anesthesia resulting from muscle relaxation and is exacerbated by high (80 - 100 %) inspired oxygen supplementation during general anesthesia. Positioning can help minimize pulmonary atelectasis. Seven R. aegyptiacus received computed tomography imaging in suspended vertical (head-up) and inverted (head-down) positions that generated images in the dorsoventral plane. Vertically positioned bats had a significantly greater lung volume compared to inverted positioning (P = 0.0053). The nondependent portion of the lung apices in the vertically positioned bats had significantly more negative Hounsfield units (i.e. less dense tissue) than the dependent portions of the lung and was also less dense than both portions of the lungs in inverted positioned bats. Although not an intuitive positioning for bats, a vertical orientation generates less pulmonary atelectasis and a greater lung volume compared to bats positioned in a more natural inverted position. Despite physiologic adaptations to hang in an inverted position when not in flight, avoidance of inverted positioning during anesthesia and anesthetic recovery is recommended based on these findings.

HUTTERER, R. and KERBIS PETERHANS, J. 2020. A further new species of vesper bat from Central Africa (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae). Lynx (Praha), NS 50: 51 - 59 (for 2019). A new species of the vespertilionid bat genus Parahypsugo is described from Central Africa, increasing the number of species of the genus at least to five. The new taxon occurs in montane of Rwanda and eastern DR Congo and is larger than any other of the four known species. In skull measurements, it is the largest species of the genus.

IGBOKWE, C. O., BELLO, U. M. and MBAJIORGU, F. E. 2020. Anatomical and surface ultrastructural investigation of the tongue in the straw-coloured fruit bat (Eidolon helvum, Kerr 1972). Anatomia Histologia Embryologia, 50 (3): 448 - 458 (for 2021). doi: 10.1111/ahe.12648. The morphology of tongue in straw-coloured fruit bat from tropical forests was evaluated in relation to frugivorous diets and in comparison with other species that consumes other food types. Gross, stereomicroscopy, scanning electron microscope and histological methods were used. The tongue was relatively long with round tip, which closely fitted into oral cavity. Five types of mechanical papillae included crown-like and trifid filiform papillae. Also bulky, cone-shaped papillae and long conical papillae were identified. These mechanical types also showed variations in shape, size and number of processes of papillae. Transitional forms of these mechanical papillae were present. Fungiform papillae with taste pores were interposed amongst filiform types in apex and body; three ovoid-shaped vallate papillae were in triangular arrangement on root and displayed taste pores. Some bulky, cone-shaped papillae surrounded the vallate papillae. Histologically, mechanical filiform types showed highly keratinized stratified squamous epithelium and dense connective tissue core with secondary papillae. Taste buds appeared in fungiform and vallate papillae. Neutral and acidic secretions were identified in lingual glands of root. The presence of prominent filamentous processes of filiform papillae and conical papillae of the tongue in conjunction with gustatory papillae ensures adaptation to copious fruit diets. The gross morphometric and histometric parameters of the tongue did not differ remarkably from previous values obtained for some fruit bats with comparable weight. This investigation showed similarities with fruit bats such as large flying fox and Egyptian fruit bat and reflect common diet and feeding habits but varied from insectivorous and nectivorous bats.

IZDEBSKA, J. N. and ROLBIECKI, L. 2020. The biodiversity of demodecid mites (Acariformes: Prostigmata), specific parasites of mammals with a global checklist and a new finding forDemodex sciurinus. Diversity, 12: 261. doi: 10.3390/d12070261. Demodecidae are the most specialized parasitic mites of mammals; they typically inhabit the skin, but they have been found in other tissues and organs. They can cause demodecosis (a disease which is hazardous and difficult to cure) in humans, domestic animals and livestock. They are parasites with high host and topical specificity. They have been found for most orders of mammals, and they are common in the populations of numerous host species. Therefore, they not only constitute an important subject of veterinary and medical study, but also comprise an excellent model for faunistic and parasitological analyses concerning different aspects of functioning and evolution of the host-parasite relationship. The current level or knowledge of demodecid mites is irregular and fragmentary, and numerous questions require elaboration and ordering, from the taxonomic diversity to geographic distribution and relations with hosts. Such data may be of use i.a. for the development of more efficient and reliable diagnostic methods, as well as understanding the etiology and pathogenesis mechanisms of demodecosis, currently a contentious issue. The present paper lists all formally-described valid species of demodecid mites, together with other functioning specific names, verified and with comments on their status. This is significant for correct species identification and demodecosis diagnostics. The list has been drawn up on the basis of data acquired in the period 1842-2020. It contains 122 valid species of parasite, including their hosts and geographic distribution, data on parasitism, as well as only the second record of Demodex sciurinus in Eurasian red squirrel Sciurus vulgaris in over 100 years since its initial discovery.

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JACOBS, D., COTTERILL, F. P. D. and TAYLOR, P. J. 2020a. Pipistrellus musciculus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T44855A22072827. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T44855A22072827. en.

JACOBS, D. (S.), COTTERILL, F. P. D. and TAYLOR, P. J. 2020b. Hypsugo musciculus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T44855A22072827. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T44855A22072827. en. URL: https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T44855A22072827.en.

JAHARI, P. N. S., AZMAN, S. M., MUNIAN, K., FAUZI, N. F. M., SHAMSIR, M. S., RICHTER, S. R. and SALLEH, F. M. 2020. The first complete mitochondrial genome data of Geoffroy’s rousette,Rousettus amplexicaudatus originating from Malaysia. Mitochondrial DNA, B 5 (3): 3280 - 3282. doi: 10.1080/23802359.2020.1812449. The increasing interest in understanding the evolutionary relationship between members of the Pteropodidae family has been greatly aided by genomic data from the Old World fruit bats. Here we present the complete mitogenome of Geoffroy’s rousette, Rousettus amplexicaudatus found in Peninsular Malaysia. The mitogenome constructed is 16,511bp in length containing 37 genes; 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNA genes, two rRNA genes, and a D-loop region. The overall base composition is estimated to be 32.28% for A, 25.64% for T, 14.09% for G and 27.98% for C, indicating a slightly AT rich feature (57.93%). A phylogenetic and BLASTn analysis against other available mitogenomes showed Malaysian R. amplexicaudatus matched 98% similarity to the same species in Cambodia and Vietnam. However, it differed considerably (92.53% similarity) with the same species in the Philippines. This suggests flexibility in Rousettus sp. with regards to adapting to mesic and dry habitats, ability for long-distance dispersal and remarkably precise lingual echolocation thus supporting its wide-range distribution and colonization. Further taxonomical and mitogenomic comparatives are required in resolving the evolutionary relationship between Rousettus spp.

JAHARI, P. N. S., AZMAN, S. M., MUNIAN, K., ZAKARIA, N. A., OMAR, M. S. S., RICHTER, S. R. and SALLEH, F. M. 2021. The first mitochondrial genome data of an old world fruit bat,Cynopterus sphinx from Malaysia. Mitochondrial DNA, B 6 (1): 53 - 55. doi: 10.1080/23802359.2020.1846472. We assembled the complete mitogenome of Cynopterus sphinx (Vahl, 1797) of the family Pteropodidae originating from Malaysia. The total mitogenome size was 16,710bp which consists of 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, two ribosomal RNA genes and one control region). A phylogenetic and BLASTn result showed the mitogenome sequence in this study varies by nearly 7 % (93.48 % similarity) from the same species in Cambodia. The next closest match of BLASTn was at 92 % similarity to the C. brachyotis. This suggests the species-complex in Cynopterus sp. has given rise to the genetic variability.

JAUNKY, V. C., JEETOO, J. and THOMAS, J. M. 2021. Willingness to pay for the conservation of the . Global Ecology and Conservation, 26: e01504. doi: 10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01504. The threatened Mauritian Flying Fox (Pteropus niger) has been facing repeated mass-culling since 2015 due to the perceived damage to commercial fruits. The significant reduction in numbers from that period had led to its International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List Status being up-listed to endangered status. The purpose of the study is to employ a contingency valuation method (CVM) to determine the factors influencing the decision to contribute and how much to contribute for conserving the Mauritian Flying Fox by the Mauritian public in the midst of the human-wildlife conflict (HWC). A household drop-off survey with a sample size of 525 observations was employed. Favourable environmental attitudes, higher perceived ability to contribute (PAC), better knowledge about bats, higher aesthetic value of bats and lower negativistic attitudes towards bats were found to increase the probability of contributing to the conservation of the species. Conditional on these results, individuals with higher knowledge about bats and perceived ability to contribute were found willing to pay more for conserving the species. The findings help us to draw attention on the perspective of supporting a preservation fund for the Mauritian Flying Fox.

JEBB, D., HUANG, Z., PIPPEL, M., HUGHES, G. M., LAVRICHENKO, K., DEVANNA, P., WINKLER, S., JERMIIN, L. S., SKIRMUNTT, E. C., KATZOURAKIS, A., BURKITT-GRAY, L., RAY, D. A., SULLIVAN, K. A. M., ROSCITO, J. G., KIRILENKO, B. M., DÁVALOS, L. M., CORTHALS, A. P., POWER, M. L., JONES, G., RANSOME, R. D., DECHMANN, D. K. N., LOCATELLI, A. G., PUECHMAILLE, S. J., FEDRIGO, O., JARVIS, E. D., HILLER, M., VERNES, S. C., MYERS, E. W. and TEELING, E. C. 2020. Six reference-quality genomes reveal evolution of bat adaptations. Nature, 583: 578 - 584. doi: 10.1038/s41586-020-2486-3. Bats possess extraordinary adaptations, including flight, echolocation, extreme longevity and unique immunity. High-quality genomes are crucial for understanding the molecular basis and evolution of these traits. Here we incorporated long-read sequencing and state-of-the-art scaffolding protocols to generate, to our knowledge, the first reference-quality genomes of six batspecies (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Rousettus aegyptiacus, Phyllostomus discolor, Myotis myotis, Pipistrellus kuhlii and Molossus molossus). We integrated gene projections from our ‘Tool to infer Orthologs from Genome Alignments’ (TOGA) software with de novo and homology gene predictions as well as short- and long-read transcriptomics to generate highly complete gene annotations. To resolve the phylogenetic position of bats within , we applied several phylogenetic methods to comprehensive sets of orthologous protein-coding and noncoding regions of the genome, and identified a basal origin for bats within Scrotifera. Our genome-wide screens revealed positive selection on hearing-related genes in the ancestral branch of bats, which is indicative of laryngeal echolocation being an ancestral trait in this clade. We found selection and loss of immunity-related genes (including pro-inflammatory NF-?B regulators) and expansions of anti-viral APOBEC3 genes, which highlights molecular mechanisms that may contribute to the exceptional immunity of bats. Genomic integrations of diverse viruses provide a genomic record of historical tolerance to viral infection in bats. Finally, we found and experimentally validated bat-specific variation in microRNAs, which may regulate bat-specific gene-expression programs. Our reference-quality bat genomes provide the resources required to uncover and validate the genomic basis of adaptations of bats, and stimulate new avenues of research that are directly relevant to human health and disease

JOFFRIN, L., GOODMAN, S. M., WILKINSON, D. A., RAMASINDRAZANA, B., LAGADEC, E., GOMARD, Y., LE MINTER, G., DOS SANTOS, A., SCHOEMAN, M. C., SOOKHAREEA, R., TORTOSA, P., JULIENNE, S., GUDO,

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E. S., MAVINGUI, P. and LEBARBENCHON, C. 2020. Bat coronavirus phylogeography in the Western Indian Ocean. Scientific Reports, 10: 6873. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-63799-7. Bats provide key ecosystem services such as crop pest regulation, pollination, seed dispersal, and soil fertilization. Bats are also major hosts for biological agents responsible for zoonoses, such as coronaviruses (CoVs). The islands of the Western Indian Ocean are identified as a major biodiversity hotspot, with more than 50 bat species. In this study, we tested 1,013 bats belonging to 36 species from , Madagascar, Mauritius, Mayotte, Reunion Island and Seychelles, based on molecular screening and partial sequencing of the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene. In total, 88 bats (8.7 %) tested positive for coronaviruses, with higher prevalence in Mozambican bats (20.5% ± 4.9 %) as compared to those sampled on islands (4.5% ± 1.5 %). Phylogenetic analyses revealed a large diversity of a- and ß-CoVs and a strong signal of co-evolution between CoVs and their bat host species, with limited evidence for host-switching, except for bat species sharing day roost sites. These results highlight that strong variation between islands does exist and is associated with the composition of the bat species community on each island. Future studies should investigate whether CoVs detected in these bats have a potential for spillover in other hosts.

JÚNIOR, L. D. F., ARAÚJO, W. D. and FALCÃO, L. A. D. 2020. Structure of the interaction networks between bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) and ectoparasite flies (Diptera: Streblidae, Nycteribiidae) on a latitudinal gradient. Acta Chiropterologica, 22 (1): 187 - 196. doi: 10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.1.018. The study of parasites and their distributions is an important tool to understand the problems related to population dynamics and the evolution of the interactions between parasites and their hosts. Due in part to the unique adaptations of this group, bats are parasitized by many lineages, and the flies of the Streblidae and Nycteribiidae families are considered the most conspicuous. Network analysis is an approach that has been growing in recent decades and has contributed greatly to the understanding of ecological systems. The objective of this study is to analyze if the structure of the bat-ectoparasitic networks are consistent along a latitudinal gradient on a global scale. We searched the scientific literature for information about the relationship of bats and their ectoparasitic dipterans of Streblidae and Nycteribiidae using the Scopus, Google Scholar and PubMed databases. For each publication, nesting, connectivity, and modularity parameters were calculated for each network of bats and flies. In order to evaluate if the structure of the networks varies along the latitudinal gradient, we constructed generalized linear models. In general, we observed that the ectoparasite-bat interaction networks have a highly modular structure with low nesting and connectivity values, which is a pattern commonly presented by networks of antagonistic interactions. We also observed that the size of the network significantly influenced the nesting, connectivity and modularity, possibly due to the highly specialized nature of the ectoparasite- bat interaction. The latitude was positively correlated to the connectivity, which can be explained by the lower diversity observed in temperate regions.

KACPRZYK, J., LOCATELLI, A. G., HUGHES, G. M., HUANG, Z., CLARKE, M., GORBUNOVA, V., SACCHI, C., STEWART, G. S. and TEELING, E. C. 2021. Evolution of mammalian longevity: age-related increase in autophagy in bats compared to other mammals. Aging, 13 (6): 7998 - 8025. doi: 10.18632/aging.202852. Autophagy maintains cellular homeostasis and its dysfunction has been implicated in aging. Bats are the longest-lived mammals for their size, but the molecular mechanisms underlying their extended healthspan are not well understood. Here, drawing on > 8 years of mark-recapture field studies, we report the first longitudinal analysis of autophagy regulation in bats. Mining of published population level aging blood transcriptomes (M. myotis, mouse and human) highlighted a unique increase of autophagy related transcripts with age in bats, but not in other mammals. This bat-specific increase in autophagy transcripts was recapitulated by the western blot determination of the autophagy marker, LC3II/I ratio, in skin primary fibroblasts (Myotis myotis, Pipistrellus kuhlii, mouse), that also showed an increase with age in both bat species. Further phylogenomic selection pressure analyses across eutherian mammals (n=70 taxa; 274 genes) uncovered 10 autophagy-associated genes under selective pressure in bat lineages. These molecular adaptations potentially mediate the exceptional age-related increase of autophagy signalling in bats, which may contribute to their longer healthspans.

KAMANI, J., HARRUS, S., OCHOLI, R.A., YAGUE, I.I., NYANGO, P.G., GONZÁLEZ-MIGUEL, J. and KOIZUMI, N. 2021. Molecular detection and characterization of pathogenic Leptospira species in bats (Chiroptera) roosting in human habitats in Nigeria, West Africa. Zoonoses Public Health. doi: 10.1111/zph.12880. Leptospirosis is a neglected zoonosis with a nearly global distribution. In order to determine the role of bats in the epidemiology of leptospirosis in Nigeria, a total of 231 bats belonging to three families, Pteropodidae (n = 117), Molossidae (n = 107) and Nycteridae (n = 17), roosting in human habitats were screened by PCR and sequencing for the detection of pathogenic Leptospira species. DNA extracted from the kidneys of bats were subjected to conventional PCR targeting the rrs1, rrs2, flaB and secY genes for the detection of pathogenic Leptospira spp. Overall, 27 out of the 231 (11.7 %) of the samples screened were positive for Leptospira spp. High prevalence (> 80 %) of Leptospira spp. DNA was detected in Chaerophon and Nycteris bat species captures in an abandoned well located within a human habitation. Sequences generated in this study were highly identical to Leptospira borgpetersenii and Leptospira interrogans and clustered with sequences of pathogenic species in GenBank. The detection of pathogenic Leptospira spp. was significantly associated (p < .001) with the bat species, feeding habit, roosting site and study location. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first molecular detection and characterization of pathogenic Leptospira spp. in bats from Nigeria. Results show that bats in Nigeria are infected with diverse Leptospira genotypes phylogenetically related to known pathogenic, including zoonotic taxa. Together, these findings reinforce bats’ roles as potential reservoirs ofLeptospira spp. and should be considered as a starting point for future comparative studies to improve our understanding of the epidemiology of this bacterial pathogen in Nigeria.

KAREINEN, L., OGOLA, J., KIVISTÖ, I., SMURA, T., AALTONEN, K., JÄÄSKELÄINEN, A. J., KIBIWOT, S., MASIKA, M. M., NYAGA, P., MWAENGO, D., ANZALA, O., VAPALAHTI, O., WEBALA, P. W., FORBES, K. M. and SIRONEN, T. 2021. Range expansion of Bombali virus in Mops condylurus bats, Kenya, 2019. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 26 (12): 3007 - 3010. doi: 10.3201/eid2612.202925. Previously identified only in Sierra Leone, Guinea, and southeastern Kenya, Bombali virus-infected Mops condylurus bats were recently found ˜750 km away in western Kenya. This finding supports the role of M. condylurus bats as hosts and the potential for Bombali virus circulation across the bats’ range in sub-Saharan Africa.

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KATUNZI, T., SOISOOK, P., WEBALA, P. W., ARMSTRONG, K. N. and BUMRUNGSRI, S. 2020. Bat activity and species richness in different land-use types in and around Chome Nature Forest Reserve, Tanzania. African Journal of Ecology. doi: 10.1111/aje.12783. Bats have important ecological roles in ecosystems, but many species are threatened because of anthropogenic impacts. Tanzania has limited information on how bats respond to habitat modification. This makes it difficult to anticipate which bat species are at risk. Bat activity and species richness were assessed in five land-use types: forest and banana-coffee (upland habitats), rice paddy, riverine and sisal estate (lowland habitats). Mist nets, harp traps and bat detectors were used to sample bats. Species richness differed between habitats. Bat activity levels were higher in lowland habitats than upland habitats. Riverine and rice paddy habitats were shown to have an important role as foraging sites for many insectivorous bats as bat species richness and activity were generally higher than other habitats. Fruit-eating bats preferred riverine and banana-coffee habitats. We recommend using organic manure as alternatives to chemical fertilisers, and pesticide use should be avoided in rice paddies. Riparian vegetation along rivers and water bodies should be maintained as important faunal nesting, roosting and/or foraging grounds. The requirement that farming practices be at least 60 m from the river should be strictly enforced. These recommendations will help in the conservation of bats and their habitats in modified agricultural landscapes.

KHAJEH, A., MOHAMMADI, Z., GHORBANI, F. and JAHANTIG, H. 2020. Molecular and morphometric characterization of fruit bats of the genus Rousettus Gray, 1821 (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) in Iran. Zoology in the Middle East, 67 (1): 1 - 11 (for 2021). doi: 10.1080/09397140.2020.1859977. Inter- and intraspecific variation of fruit bats of the genus Rousettus in Iran were examined. Morphometric analyses of 7 external and 21 craniodental characters of material from southeast Iran showed that two species are found there, R. aegyptiacus and R. leschenaultii. Phylogenetic trees inferred from Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analyses of the mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b) marker revealed that R. aegyptiacus populations are divided into five lineages and the Iranian population clustered with the Middle East samples. The result showed very low genetic variation between different populations of R. leschenaultii throughout its range in the Palaearctic and Indo-Malayan realms.

KHANNOON, E. R., USUI, K. and TOKITA, M. 2020. Embryonic development of the Egyptian fruit bat Rousettus aegyptiacus (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Pteropodidae). Acta Chiropterologica, 21 (2): 309 - 319 (for 2019). doi: 10.3161/15081109ACC2019.21.2.006. Bats have evolved several unique morphological traits related to powered flight, such as wings, patagia, minute hindlimbs, large pinna, and a larynx specialised for echolocation. Studies of embryonic development in bats provide important insights into the mechanisms underlying the evolution of flight-related structures in vertebrates. Although embryonic development has been described in some bats species, only one species of Old World fruit bats (family Pteropodidae) has previously had its embryonic development examined. In this paper, we describe the embryonic development of the Egyptian fruit bat, Rousettus aegyptiacus, ranging from middle pharyngula to just before birth. We compared the growth patterns during embryogenesis among nine bat species for which data on embryonic development have been obtained. We discovered that i) the crown-rump length (CRL) is almost equivalent among the bat species until stage 22, and ii) compared to other bat species examined, the growth rate rapidly and substantially increases in two pteropodid species (R. aegyptiacus and R. amplexicaudatus) after stage 22. In placental mammals, larger body size at birth is advantageous for postnatal survival. To obtain large adult body size, some pteropodid bats may accelerate their postnatal growth and take advantage of larger body size at birth.

KITYO, R. (M.) and NALIKKA, B. 2020. Epomops franqueti (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T7909A166505893. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS. T7909A166505893.en.

KOCH, L. K., CUNZE, S., KOCHMANN, J. and KLIMPEL, S. 2020. Bats as putative Zaire ebolavirus reservoir hosts and their habitat suitability in Africa. Scientific Reports, 10 (1): 14268. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020- 71226-0. The genus Ebolavirus comprises some of the deadliest viruses for primates and humans and associated disease outbreaks are increasing in Africa. Different evidence suggests that bats are putative reservoir hosts and play a major role in the transmission cycle of these filoviruses. Thus, detailed knowledge about their distribution might improve risk estimations of where future disease outbreaks might occur. A MaxEnt niche modelling approach based on climatic variables and land cover was used to investigate the potential distribution of 9 bat species associated to the Zaire ebolavirus. This viral species has led to major Ebola outbreaks in Africa and is known for causing high mortalities. Modelling results suggest suitable areas mainly in the areas near the coasts of West Africa with extensions into Central Africa, where almost all of the 9 species studied find suitable habitat conditions. Previous spillover events and outbreak sites of the virus are covered by the modelled distribution of 3 bat species that have been tested positive for the virus not only using serology tests but also PCR methods. Modelling the habitat suitability of the bats is an important step that can benefit public information campaigns and may ultimately help control future outbreaks of the disease.

KRASNOV, B. R., JUNKER, K., WOOD, S., UECKERMANN, E. A., VENTER, G. J., VAN DER MESCHT, L., HEYNE, H. and JACOBS, D. S. 2020. Compositional turnover in ecto- and endoparasite assemblages of an African bat, Miniopterus natalensis (Chiroptera, Miniopteridae): effects of hierarchical scale and host sex. Parasitology, 147 (14): 1728 - 1742. doi: 10.1017/S0031182020001602. We studied the compositional turnover in infracommunities and component communities of ecto- and endoparasites infesting a bat, Miniopterus natalensis (Chiroptera, Miniopteridae), across seven sampling sites using the zeta diversity metric (measuring similarity between multiple communities) and calculating zeta decline and retention rate (both scales) and zeta decay (component communities). We asked whether the patterns of zeta diversity differ between (a) infracommunities and component communities; (b) ecto- and endoparasites and (c) subsets of communities infecting male and female bats. The pattern of compositional turnover differed between infracommunities and component communities in endoparasites only. The shape of zeta decline for infracommunities indicated that there were approximately equal probabilities of ecto- and endoparasitic species to occur on/in

Recent Literature African Bat Conservation News ISSN 1812-1268 July 2021 vol. 49 37 any bat individual within a site. The shape of zeta decline for component communities suggested the stochasticity of ectoparasite turnover, whereas the turnover of endoparasites was driven by niche-based processes. Compositional turnover in component communities of ectoparasites was more spatially dependent than that of endoparasites. Spatial independence of compositional turnover in endoparasites was due to subcommunities harboured by female bats. We conclude that the patterns of compositional turnover in infracommunities were similar in ecto- and endoparasites, whereas the patterns of turnover in component communities differed between these groups.

KRIVEK, G., FLORENS, F. B. V., BAIDER, C., SEEGOBIN, V. O. and HAUGAASEN, T. 2020. Invasive alien plant control improves foraging habitat quality of a threatened island flying fox. Journal for Nature Conservation, 54: 125805. doi: 10.1016/j.jnc.2020.125805. Flying foxes play keystone ecological roles in plant reproduction. Yet, they face numerous threats, including persecution for eating commercial fruits. This human-wildlife conflict has recently escalated to culling campaigns of a threatened flying fox on Mauritius. Finding non-lethal solutions to this human-wildlife conflict on the island is therefore extremely important. We hypothesized that invasive alien plants may reduce native fruit availability through competition and that weeding alien plants could improve the native foraging habitat quality of flying foxes - in turn, reducing their consumption of commercially important fruits. We compared native fruit production and foraging intensity of the Mauritian flying fox (Pteropus niger) in forests weeded of alien plants a decade previously and adjacent non-weeded forests. Fruits and ejecta were collected weekly during five months under 144 randomly chosen native trees of two canopy species whose fruits are eaten by flying foxes. Intraspecific variations in tree and fruit traits were used to examine flying fox foraging preference. Native fruit production was significantly higher in weeded forests for both tree species, and this was matched by higher flying fox foraging intensity. Flying foxes preferred large trees and fed predominantly on large and ripe fruits. The predominant consumption of ripe fruits emphasizes the importance of flying foxes as seed dispersers. Our results indicate that alien plant invasion substantially reduces native fruit production and that weeded forests provide a much better habitat for flying foxes. Our findings lend support to invasive alien plant control as a management strategy in mitigating such human-wildlife conflicts.

KRUSKOP, S. V., ARTYUSHIN, I. V., YUZEFOVICH, A. P., UNDRAKHBAYAR, E., SPERANSKYA, A. S., LISENKOVA, A. A., BANNIKOVA, A. A. and LEBEDEV, V. S. 2021. Genetic diversity of Mongolian long-eared bats (Plecotus; Vespertilionidae; Chiroptera). Acta Chiropterologica, 22 (2): 243 - 255 (for 2020). doi: 10.3161 /15081109ACC2020.22.2.002. Most of the molecular taxonomic studies on the Eurasian long-eared bats (Plecotus) are based on mitochondrial data only, which might lead to erroneous assessment of the phylogenetic relationships. Here, the genetic divergence among the Mongolian species of Plecotus is examined using sequences of two nuclear introns (THY and ABHD11) and the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Both mitochondrial and nuclear data support the existence of three species: Plecotus ognevi, P. kozlovi, and P. turkmenicus. The status of the latter taxon was unclear, as it was previously known from a single record in . In our study, P. turkmenicus is found to be widely distributed across the hyperarid deserts south of the Altai Mountains. In several locations, it is sympatric with P. kozlovi, the distribution of which is associated mostly with the semidesert zone, while P. ognevi occurs in the steppe and forest zones of northern Mongolia. The two desert species (P. kozlovi and P. turkmenicus) are quite similar in their morphology and ecological affinities; however, the molecular data clearly show that P. turkmenicus is highly divergent from both P. kozlovi and P. ognevi. In contrast, the mtDNA difference between the arid-dwelling P. kozlovi and the morphologically distant forest-steppe P. ognevi is low. This result demonstrates that more than one lineage of Plecotus independently developed adaptations to the arid habitats of and suggests that the morphological similarity between P. kozlovi and P. turkmenicus is a result of convergence. The difference in mtDNA between the Mongolian and West-Central Asian populations of P. turkmenicus indicates that the former may represent a separate taxon of uncertain rank.

KUMAKAMBA, C., NIAMA, F.R., MUYEMBE, F., MOMBOULI, J.-V., KINGEBENI, P.M., NINA, R.A., LUKUSA, I.N., BOUNGA, G., N’KAWA, F., NKOUA, C.G., LOSOMA, J.A., MULEMBAKANI, P., MAKUWA, M., TAMUFE, U., GILLIS, A., LEBRETON, M., OLSON, S.H., CAMERON, K., REED, P., ONDZIE, A., TREMEAU-BRAVARD, A., SMITH, B.R., PANTE, J., SCHNEIDER, B.S., MCIVER, D.J., AYUKEKBONG, J.A., HOFF, N.A., RIMOIN, A.W., LAUDISOIT, A., MONAGIN, C., GOLDSTEIN, T., JOLY, D.O., SAYLORS, K., WOLFE, N.D., RUBIN, E.M., MPASSI, R.B., TAMFUM, J.J.M. and LANGE, C.E. 2021. Coronavirus surveillance in wildlife from two Congo basin countries detects RNA of multiple species circulating in bats and rodents. PLoS ONE, 16 (6): e0236971. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236971. Coronaviruses play an important role as pathogens of humans and animals, and the emergence of epidemics like SARS, MERS and COVID-19 is closely linked to zoonotic transmission events primarily from wild animals. Bats have been found to be an important source of coronaviruses with some of them having the potential to infect humans, with other animals serving as intermediate or alternate hosts or reservoirs. Host diversity may be an important contributor to viral diversity and thus the potential for zoonotic events. To date, limited research has been done in Africa on this topic, in particular in the Congo Basin despite frequent contact between humans and wildlife in this region. We sampled and, using consensus coronavirus PCR-primers, tested 3,561 wild animals for coronavirus RNA. The focus was on bats (38 %), rodents (38 %), and primates (23 %) that posed an elevated risk for contact with people, and we found coronavirus RNA in 121 animals, of which all but two were bats. Depending on the taxonomic family, bats were significantly more likely to be coronavirus RNA-positive when sampled either in the wet (Pteropodidae and Rhinolophidae) or dry season (Hipposideridae, Miniopteridae, Molossidae, and Vespertilionidae). The detected RNA sequences correspond to 15 alpha- and 6 , with some of them being very similar (> 95% nucleotide identities) to known coronaviruses and others being more unique and potentially representing novel viruses. In seven of the bats, we detected RNA most closely related to sequences of the human coronaviruses 229E or NL63 (> 80% nucleotide identities). The findings highlight the potential for coronavirus spillover, especially in regions with a high diversity of bats and close human contact, and reinforces the need for ongoing surveillance.

LACROIX, A., MBALA KINGEBENI, P., NDIMBO KUMUGO, S.P., LEMPU, G., BUTEL, C., SERRANO, L., VIDAL,

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N., THAURIGNAC, G., ESTEBAN, A., MUKADI BAMULEKA, D., LIKOFATA, J., DELAPORTE, E., MUYEMBE TAMFUM, J.-J., AYOUBA, A., PEETERS, M. and AHUKA MUNDEKE, S. 2021. Investigating the circulation of Ebola viruses in bats during the Ebola Virus Disease Outbreaks in the Equateur and North Kivu Provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo from 2018. Pathogens, 10 (5): 557. doi: 10.3390/ pathogens10050557. With 12 of the 31 outbreaks, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is highly affected by Ebolavirus disease (EVD). To better understand the role of bats in the ecology of Ebola viruses, we conducted surveys in bats during two recent EVD outbreaks and in two areas with previous outbreaks. Dried blood spots were tested for antibodies to ebolaviruses and oral and rectal swabs were screened for the presence of filovirus using a broadly reactive semi-nested RT-PCR. Between 2018 and 2020, 892 (88.6 %) frugivorous and 115 (11.4 %) insectivorous bats were collected. Overall, 11/925 (1.2 %) to 100/925 (10.8 %) bats showed antibodies to at least one Ebolavirus antigen depending on the positivity criteria. Antibodies were detected in fruit bats from the four sites and from species previously documented to harbor Ebola antibodies or RNA. We tested for the first time a large number of bats during ongoing EVD outbreaks in DRC, but no viral RNA was detected in the 676 sampled bats. Our study illustrates the difficulty to document the role of bats as a source of Ebolaviruses as they might clear quickly the virus. Given the increasing frequency of EVD outbreaks, more studies on the animal reservoir are urgently needed.

LACROIX, A., VIDAL, N., KEITA, A. K., THAURIGNAC, G., ESTEBAN, A., DE NYS, H., DIALLO, R., TOURE, A., GOUMOU, S., SOUMAH, A. K., POVOGUI, M., KOIVOGUI, J., MONEMOU, J.-L., RAULINO, R., NKUBA, A., FOULONGNE, V., DELAPORTE, E., AYOUBA, A. and PEETERS, M. 2020. Wide diversity of coronaviruses in frugivorous and insectivorous bat species: a pilot study in Guinea, West Africa. Viruses, 12: 855. doi: 10.3390/v12080855. Zoonoses can constitute a threat for public health that can have a global importance, as seen with the current COVID-19 pandemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV2). Bats have been recognized as an important reservoir of zoonotic coronaviruses (CoVs). In West Africa, where there is a high diversity of bat species, little is known on the circulation of CoVs in these hosts, especially at the interface with human populations. In this study, in Guinea, we tested a total of 319 bats belonging to 14 genera and six families of insectivorous and frugivorous bats across the country, for the presence of coronaviruses. We found CoVs in 35 (11%) of the tested bats - in three insectivorous bat species and five fruit bat species that were mostly captured close to human habitat. Positivity rates varied from 5.7% to 100%, depending on bat species. A wide diversity of alpha and beta coronaviruses was found across the country, including three sequences belonging to SarbeCoVs and MerbeCoVs subgenera known to harbor highly pathogenic human coronaviruses. Our findings suggest that CoVs are widely spread in West Africa and their circulation should be assessed to evaluate the risk of exposure of potential zoonotic CoVs to humans.

LARSON, P.A., BARTLETT, M.L., GARCIA, K.G., CHITTY, J., BALKEMA-BUSCHMANN, A., TOWNER, J., KUGELMAN, J., PALACIOS, G. and SANCHEZ-LOCKHART, M. 2021. Genomic features of humoral immunity support tolerance model in Egyptian rousette bats. Cell Reports, 35 (7): 109140. doi: 10.1016/j. celrep.2021.109140. Bats asymptomatically harbor many viruses that can cause severe human diseases. The Egyptian rousette bat (ERB) is the only known reservoir for Marburgviruses and Sosuga virus, making it an exceptional animal model to study antiviral mechanisms in an asymptomatic host. With this goal in mind, we constructed and annotated the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus, finding an expansion on immunoglobulin variable genes associated with protective human antibodies to different viruses. We also annotated two functional and distinct immunoglobulin epsilon genes and four distinctive functional immunoglobulin gamma genes. We described the Fc receptor repertoire in ERBs, including features that may affect activation potential, and discovered the lack of evolutionary conserved short pentraxins. These findings reinforce the hypothesis that a differential threshold of regulation and/or absence of key immune mediators may promote tolerance and decrease inflammation in ERBs.

LAVERTY, T. M. and BERGER, J. 2020. Do bats seek clean water? A perspective on biodiversity from the Namib Desert. Biological Conservation, 248: 108686. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108686. Water abundance, distribution, and quality are key elements affecting species distributions in arid environments, yet how their interactions structure specific animal communities is often unclear. To address this knowledge gap, we examined relationships between bodies of water and bat communities in the northern Namib Desert. We predicted that water quality would be poorer (i.e., higher indices of electrical conductivity and ion concentrations) during the dry season and at artificial pools, and that bat species richness and activity would consequently be lower at these sites. We conducted extensive fieldwork at the terminus of the hot, dry season from November 2016 to January 2017 and at the conclusion of the following wet season from March to May 2017, collecting water samples and acoustic recordings of bat activity at both natural springs (n = 18) and artificial pools (n = 5). Overall activity (but not species richness) was greater during the wet season and at artificial pools, but we did not find systematic differences in water quality driven by seasonality or water body type. Although individual artificial pools harbored significantly greater bat activity,>35% of the species that we recorded were present only at natural springs. While bat species richness was reduced at saline sites, only the activity of the Zulu serotine also related to water quality. In general, water surface area was more often associated with bat activity in the Namib Desert than was water quality.

LAVERTY, T.M. and BERGER, J. 2021. Indirect effects of African megaherbivore conservation on bat diversity in the world’s oldest desert. Conservation Biology. doi: 10.1111/cobi.13780. In extreme environments, temperature and precipitation are often the main forces responsible for structuring ecological communities and species distributions. The role of biotic interactions is typically thought to be minimal. By clustering around rare and isolated features, like surface water, however, effects of herbivory by desert-dwelling wildlife can be amplified. Understanding how species interact in these environments is critical to safeguarding vulnerable or data-deficient species. We examined whether African elephants (Loxodonta africana), black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis), and southern giraffe (Giraffa giraffa) modulate insectivorous bat communities around permanent waterholes in the Namib Desert. We estimated megaherbivore use of sites based on dung transects, summarized vegetation productivity from measurements of the normalized difference vegetation index, and surveyed local

Recent Literature African Bat Conservation News ISSN 1812-1268 July 2021 vol. 49 39 bat communities acoustically. We used structural equation models to identify relationships among megaherbivores and bat species richness and dry - (November 2016 - January 2017) and wet - (February - May 2017) season bat activity. Site-level megaherbivore use in the dry season was positively associated with bat activity - particularly that of open-air foragers - and species richness through indirect pathways. When resources were more abundant (wet season), however, these relationships were weakened. Our results indicate that biotic interactions contribute to species distributions in desert areas and suggest the conservation of megaherbivores in this ecosystem may indirectly benefit insectivorous bat abundance and diversity. Given that how misunderstood and understudied most bats are relative to other mammals, such findings suggest that managers pursue short-term solutions (e.g., community game guard programs, water-point protection near human settlements, and ecotourism) to indirectly promote bat conservation and that research includes megaherbivores’ effects on biodiversity at other trophic levels.

LAVERTY, T. M., TEEL, T. L., GAWUSAB, A. A. and BERGER, J. 2021. Listening to bats: Namibian pastoralists’ perspectives, stories, and experiences. Journal of Ethnobiology, 41 (1): 70 - 86. doi: 10.2993/0278-0771- 41.1.70. While relatively little is known about bats across much of Africa, globally, many bat populations are in decline due to human activities. Successful bat conservation efforts, therefore, depend on both ecological studies and research on human-bat relationships. To address these knowledge gaps about African bats and their interactions with humans, we used semi-structured interviews of pastoralists in northwestern to assess local experiences with, attitudes toward, and cultural stories about bats. Our research was conducted in conjunction with an ecological study on Namib Desert bat distributions, thus allowing for a broader understanding of the social-ecological dynamics of human-bat interactions in this region. Though only 65 % of interviews were able to correctly identify bats from photographs, 100 % classified these species as bats when provided with an additional description of “animals that fly at night.” A majority (77 %) of interviews expressed positive attitudes toward bats and over a third (38 %) provided cultural stories, offering detailed reports of myths and common meanings assigned to bats. Of those stories, 12 % indicated that bats brought good luck or good rains, and 84 % specified that bats represented bad luck or omens of injuries, death, disease, or lack of rains. While the primary threats of habitat loss and bushmeat hunting were never mentioned in our interviews, the influence of negative cultural stories on individual behavior could pose challenges for future bat conservation initiatives. This qualitative approach combined with ecological research may be valuable for assessing cross-cultural relationships between humans and understudied wildlife in other remote areas.

LEHMANN, D., HALBWAX, M. L., MAKAGA, L., WHYTOCK, R., NDINDIWE MALATA, L.-L., BOMBENDA MOUELE, W., MOMBOUA, B. R., KOUMBA PAMBO, A. F. and WHITE, L. J. T. 2020. Pangolins and bats living together in underground burrows in Lopé National Park, Gabon. African Journal of Ecology, 58 (3): 540 - 542. doi: 10.1111/aje.12759. In light of recent publications (e.g. Lam et al., 2020; Shang et al., 2020) that indicate a link between pangolin and bat coronaviruses related to SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), we believe that recent observations of pangolins and bats sharing burrows in Lopé, Central Gabon, is of general interest. Our observations were made during an ecological and spatial movement study of the giant pangolin, Smutsia gigantea.

LETKO, M., SEIFERT, S. N., OLIVAL, K. J., PLOWRIGHT, R. K. and MUNSTER, V. J. 2020. Bat-borne virus diversity, spillover and emergence. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 18: 461 - 471. doi: 10.1038/s41579- 020-0394-z. Most viral pathogens in humans have animal origins and arose through cross-species transmission. Over the past 50 years, several viruses, including Ebola virus, Marburg virus, Nipah virus, , severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and SARS-CoV-2, have been linked back to various bat species. Despite decades of research into bats and the pathogens they carry, the fields of bat virus ecology and molecular biology are still nascent, with many questions largely unexplored, thus hindering our ability to anticipate and prepare for the next viral outbreak. In this Review, we discuss the latest advancements and understanding of bat-borne viruses, reflecting on current knowledge gaps and outlining the potential routes for future research as well as for outbreak response and prevention efforts.

LOUMASSINE, H. E., BONNOT, N., ALLEGRINI, B., BENDJEDDOU, M. L., BOUNACEUR, F. and AULAGNIER, S. 2020. How arid environments affect spatial and temporal activity of bats. Journal of Arid Environments, 180: 104206. doi: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2020.104206. Arid environments are characterized by resource fluctuations that lead to spatial and temporal variability in species abundance, resulting in low species diversity. This study aimed to determine the activity patterns and habitat use by bats in an arid environment in western (Bechar region). In 2016, six sites were studied using acoustic bat detection. A total of 10 species were reported: tridens, Rhinopoma cystops, R. microphyllum, teniotis, Miniopterus schreibersii, Eptesicus isabellinus, Hypsugo savii, Otonycteris hemprichii, Pipistrellus kuhlii (including P. kuhlii kuhlii and P. kuhlii deserti) and Vansonia rueppellii. Activity varied considerably from month to month and from site to site. Bats were particularly active in the spring and autumn. The first activity peak coincides with pregnancy (late April), followed by relatively low activity in August, probably due to summer torpor induced by high temperatures. The second peak in October coincides with mating and storage reserves before winter. Water bodies, oasis and urban lights concentrate bat activity. These results confirm the previously reported major role of water bodies in arid environments for bats. Further surveys should be carried out in the region and conservation measures should be taken to protect known roosts.

LUO, D.-S., LI, B., SHEN, X-R., JIANG, R.-D., ZHU, Y., WU, J., FAN, Y., BOURHY, H., HU, B., GE, X.-Y., SHI, Z.-L. and DACHEUX, L. 2021. Characterization of novel rhabdoviruses in Chinese bats. Viruses, 13: 64. doi: 10.3390/v13010064. Bats, the second largest order of mammals worldwide, harbor specific characteristics such as sustaining flight, a special immune system, unique habits, and ecological niches. In addition, they are the natural reservoirs of a variety of emerging or re-emerging zoonotic pathogens. Rhabdoviridae is one of the most diverse families of RNA viruses, which consists of 20 ecologically diverse genera, infecting plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish. To date, three bat-related genera are described, named Lyssavirus, , and Ledantevirus. However, the prevalence and the distribution of these bat-related rhabdoviruses remain largely

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unknown, especially in China. To fill this gap, we performed a large molecular retrospective study based on the real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) detection of lyssavirus in bat samples (1044 brain and 3532 saliva samples, from 63 different bat species) originating from 21 provinces of China during 2006 - 2018. None of them were positive for lyssavirus, but six bat brains (0.6 %) of Rhinolophus bat species, originating from Hubei and Hainan provinces, were positive for or ledanteviruses. Based on complete genomes, these viruses were phylogenetically classified into three putative new species, tentatively named Yinshui bat virus (YSBV), Taiyi bat virus (TYBV), and Qiongzhong bat virus (QZBV). These results indicate the novel rhabdoviruses circulated in different Chinese bat populations.

LUZIGA, C., MIYATA, H., NAGAHISA, H., OJI, T. and WADA, N. 2021. Muscle fibre distribution in forelimb, hindlimb and trunk muscles in three bat species: The little Japanese horseshoe, greater horseshoe and Egyptian fruit. Anatomia Histologia Embryologia. doi: 10.1111/ahe.12670. This study characterised muscle fibres in trunk, forelimb and hindlimb muscles of three bat species: little Japanese horseshoe (Rhinolophus cornutus), greater horseshoe (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum) and Egyptian fruit (Rousettus aegyptiacus). Twenty- seven muscles from trunk, forelimb and hindlimb were dissected, weighed and analysed by immunohistochemistry and sodium didecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and determined their cross-sectional areas (CSA). Results showed that Type IIa and Type IIa/x made the highest proportion of total muscle mass. Moderate proportion was formed by Type IIb. Type I and IIx appeared at very low levels in all bats. Type IIb was the only fibre type detected in patagial muscles in wing membrane of greater horseshoe while other fibre types were not observed. Type I muscle fibres were very few and appeared infrequently in fifteen muscles of Egyptian fruit and in only one muscle in each, greater horseshoe and little Japanese horseshoe. Type IIx was also detected in three muscles in greater horseshoe and only one muscle in Egyptian fruit but none in little Japanese horseshoe. The highest average CSA µm2 was detected in Type IIb and values were 734.2 µm2 for LHB; 1537.9 µm2 for GHB and 1,720.9 µm2 for EFB. Lowest and undetermined values were observed for Type I and IIx. These data demonstrate that Type IIa, IIa/x and IIb form significant proportion of adult bat muscle mass and Type IIb is the largest fibre type. The distribution pattern is suggestive of specialised functions of the fibres in relation to orientation and speed of bats during flight.

MAGANGA, G. D., PINTO, A., MOMBO, I. M., MADJITOBAYE, M., MBEANG BEYEME, A. M., BOUNDENGA, L., AR GOUILH, M., N’DILIMABAKA, N., DREXLER, J. F., DROSTEN, C. and LEROY, E. M. 2020. Genetic diversity and ecology of coronaviruses hosted by cave-dwelling bats in Gabon. Scientific Reports, 10: 7314. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-64159-1. Little research on coronaviruses has been conducted on wild animals in Africa. Here, we screened a wide range of wild animals collected in six provinces and five caves of Gabon between 2009 and 2015. We collected a total of 1867 animal samples (cave- dwelling bats, rodents, non-human primates and other wild animals). We explored the diversity of CoVs and determined the factors driving the infection of CoVs in wild animals. Based on a nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, only bats, belonging to the Hipposideros gigas (4/156), Hipposideros cf. ruber (13/262) and Miniopterus inflatus (1/249) species, were found infected with CoVs. We identified alphacoronaviruses in H. gigas and H. cf. ruber and betacoronaviruses in H. gigas. All Alphacoronavirus sequences grouped with (HCoV-229E). Ecological analyses revealed that CoV infection was significantly found in July and October in H. gigas and in October and November in H. cf ruber. The prevalence in the Faucon cave was significantly higher. Our findings suggest that insectivorous bats harbor potentially zoonotic CoVs; highlight a probable seasonality of the infection in cave-dwelling bats from the North-East of Gabon and pointed to an association between the disturbance of the bats’ habitat by human activities and CoV infection.

MAMBA, M.L., DALTON, D.L., MAHLABA, T.A.M., KROPFF, A.S. and MONADJEM, A. 2020. Small mammals of a West African hotspot, the Ziama-Wonegizi-Wologizi transfrontier forest landscape. Mammalia, 85 (2): 127 - 144 (for 2021). doi: 10.1515/mammalia-2020-0013. The Upper Guinea rainforest zone in West Africa is considered a biodiversity hotspot and contains important habitats for threatened and endemic mammals, yet this region remains poorly known particularly for small mammals. The aim of this study was to survey small mammals in a Liberian and Guinean cross-border conservation area, the Ziama-Wonegizi-Wologizi landscape. We recorded a total of 52 small mammal species, including 26 bats, 15 rodents, 10 shrews, one otter-shrew, of which one rodent species was new to science (Colomys sp. nov.). We also documented the first country records of the bats Chaerephon aloysiisabaudiae, Pseudoromicia brunnea and Pipistrellus inexspectatus from Guinea, and the shrews douceti and Crocidura grandiceps from . Furthermore, we recorded the recently described bat Nycticeinops happoldorum from Wologizi and Ziama, and we documented the presence of Micropotamogale lamottei at Wologizi, which represents the fourth known locality for this globally threatened species. Finally, the forests of Wologizi and Ziama support numerous threatened species. The results of our survey demonstrate the importance of this region for small mammals and support the creation of a transboundary protected area that will encompass the entire forest landscape.

MANFOTHANG DONGMO, E., BAKWO FILS, E.-M., MANGA MONGOMBE, A., ATAGANA, P.J. and TCHUENGUEM FOHOUO, F.-N. 2001. Diversity pattern of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in a modified tropical environment in the western region of Cameroon. African Zoology, 56 (2):133 - 145. doi: 10.1080/15627020.2021.1932588. The western region of Cameroon is one of the leading agricultural production areas in sub-Saharan Africa, and this ongoing anthropogenic perturbation has led to the replacement of natural forests with agroecosystems. Such anthropogenic landscape transformations may have affected bat species composition and abundance in the area. Our study assessed the response of bat assemblages to these changes, by comparing species diversity and abundance across four distinct habitat types within the region: cultivated farms (transformed landscape), savannah and gallery forest (both representing degraded areas), and secondary forest. A total of 442 individuals assigned to 25 species were captured using ground-level mist nets. The cultivated farms recorded the highest bat species richness (13 species) and abundance (145 individuals), whereas the gallery forest had the lowest species richness (six species) and abundance (62 individuals). Myonycteris angolensis had the highest relative abundance in the region, with large numbers captured in cultivated farms. According to the rank-frequency diagram, bat assemblages in cultivated farms (Akaike’s Information Criterion (AIC) = 53.7), gallery forest (AIC = 27.7), and secondary forest (AIC = 48.5) are distributed according to the pre-emption model, whereas the distribution in the savannah (AIC = 40.0) follow the null model. Generalised linear models

Recent Literature African Bat Conservation News ISSN 1812-1268 July 2021 vol. 49 41 revealed significant differences in species and relative abundance across the four habitat types.

MANGA MONGOMBE, A., BAKWO FILS, E. M. and TAMESSE, J. L. 2020. Annotated checklist of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) of Mount Cameroon, southwestern Cameroon. Zoosystema, 42 (24): 483 - 514. doi: 10.5252/ zoosystema2020v42a24. Mount Cameroon is a priority area for global biodiversity conservation, considering its high species richness and endemism across many taxa. As of yet, its Chiroptera fauna is still poorly known. Thus this paper aims to provide an updated checklist of the Chiroptera fauna of Mount Cameroon based on our own field data, previously published data and data from museum collections. Details on published references and conservation statuses are also provided for each species. During our field surveys (2016 - 2018), 613 individuals and 21 species were recorded. Among them three species are new to the area: Mops (Xiphonycteris) nanulus J. A. Allen, 1917, Mops (Xiphonycteris) thersites (Thomas, 1903) and Glauconycteris egeria Thomas, 1913. These new records bring the number of known bat species in the Mount Cameroon area to 38, belonging to seven families. This includes Pteropodidae Gray, 1821 (eleven species), Hipposideridae Gray, 1821 (six species), Rhinolophidae Gray, 1825 (three species), Miniopteridae Dobson, 1875 (three species), Vespertilionidae Gray, 1821 (seven species), Nycteridae Van der Hoeven, 1855 (five species) and Molossidae Gervais, 1856 (three species). We also observe that 23.7% of bats in the area are frugivorous (nine species), 71.1% are insectivorous (27 species) and 5.3% are nectarivorous (two species). Moreover, because of the increasing rate of deforestation in the area caused by slash-and-burn shifting cultivation and expansion of agro-industrial plantations, knowledge of the regional chiropteran fauna is imperative, especially as this information can provide a base for the development of future management and conservation strategies.

MARKOTTER, W., COERTSE, J., DE VRIES, L., GELDENHUYS, M. and MORTLOCK, M. 2020. Bat-borne viruses in Africa: a critical review. Journal of Zoology, 311 (2): 77 - 98. doi: 10.1111/jzo.12769. In Africa, bat-borne zoonoses emerged in the past few decades resulting in large outbreaks or just sporadic spillovers. In addition, hundreds of more viruses are described without any information on zoonotic potential. We discuss important characteristics of bats including bat biology, evolution, distribution and ecology that not only make them unique among most mammals but also contribute to their potential as viral reservoirs. The detection of a virus in bats does not imply that spillover will occur and several biological, ecological and anthropogenic factors play a role in such an event. We summarize and critically analyse the current knowledge on African bats as reservoirs for corona-, filo-, paramyxo- and lyssaviruses. We highlight that important information on epidemiology, bat biology and ecology is often not available to make informed decisions on zoonotic spillover potential. Even if knowledge gaps exist, it is still important to recognize the role of bats in zoonotic disease outbreaks and implement mitigation strategies to prevent exposure to infectious agents including working safely with bats. Equally important is the crucial role of bats in various ecosystem services. This necessitates a multidisciplinary One Health approach to close knowledge gaps and ensure the development of responsible mitigation strategies to not only minimize risk of infection but also ensure conservation of the species.

MARTINOLI, A. and SPADA, M. 2020. Eptesicus isabellinus (Temminck, 1840). In: Hackländer, K., Zachos, F.E. (Eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of Europe. Springer Nature Switzerland. 1 - 8. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-65038-8_81-2.

MAS, M., FLAQUER, C., REBELO, H. and LÓPEZ-BAUCELLS, A. 2021. Bats and wetlands: synthesising gaps in current knowledge and future opportunities for conservation. Mammal Review. doi: 10.1111/mam.12243. 1. Wetland areas have decreased by up to 33 % globally over the past ten years, threatening the biodiversity they support and essential ecosystem services they provide. Despite this, the importance of wetlands for bat conservation and the consequences of losing these habitats are not comprehensively understood. 2. Through a systematic literature review, we quantified the knowledge gaps regarding bats in wetlands by: 1) assessing research trends over time; 2) evaluating research biases in geography, themes, species, seasons, and methodology; 3) creating the ‘bat Knowledge Index’ (bKI), a standard indicator for measuring how well-studied bats in wetlands are per country; 4) compiling and summarising the ecological responses of bats to wetlands; and 5) assessing how bat researchers perceive the role of wetlands for bat conservation. 3. We found strong similarities between the reviewed studies and the bat researchers’ perceptions. However, although 75 % of respondents considered wetlands important for bat conservation, they rarely studied these habitats. Most of the studies took place in developed countries, leaving critical gaps in countries where wetlands are rapidly decreasing. The bKI can be used as a tool for land managers to prioritise conservation actions and resources for the protection of bats in wetlands geographically. 4. Research topics were found to be biased towards habitat selection and species inventory, with many topics only superficially explored. There was also an important seasonal bias, resulting in many unanswered questions during energetically demanding periods for bats (e.g. migration). However, constantly evolving technological developments, such as bat lures and tracking devices, might aid new studies in these habitats. 5. Up to 66 % of studies reported that wetlands benefit bat activity or species richness, mainly because of high prey densities and the availability of fresh water. However, the low number of studies and all the identified research gaps make ‘bats and wetlands’ a largely underexplored ecological interaction between a poorly studied animal taxon and an increasingly threatened habitat.

MASSOUD, D. and ABUMANDOUR, M. M. A. 2020. Anatomical features of the tongue of two chiropterans endemic in the Egyptian fauna; the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus) and insectivorous bat (Pipistrellus kuhlii). Acta Histochemica, 122 (2): 151503. doi: 10.1016/j.acthis.2020.151503. The current study aimed to investigate the tongue (lingual) morphometry, histology, and histochemistry of two chiropterans endemic in the Egyptian fauna, and having different feeding preferences. The tongues of nine adult individuals of each species were utilized in our investigation. The tongue of fruit-eating bat was observed relatively longer than the one of insect-eating bat. Grossly, the insect-eating bat had a lingual prominence on the dorsum of lingual body, while the fruit-eating bat had a concave midline over the lingual body. Histologically, numerous forms of lingual papillae were scattered along the dorsal epithelium of the tongue. The lingual papillae of the fruit-eating bat seem to be well adapted for piercing the skin of a fruit and liquid sap retention. The lingual

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glands of both species were lodged in the muscular layer. Two main sets were identified; the serous von Ebner’s gland usually seen accompanied by the circumvallate papillae and Weber’s gland with mixed mucoserous secretions. Von Ebner’s gland showed more prominent acidic mucins, while Weber’s gland expressed neutral mucins. The lingual epithelium of the fruit-eating bat had an outer covering of cornified non-nucleated epithelium. On the other hand, the insect-eating bat had an outer covering of nucleated epithelium. It is for the first time to record the existence of the entoglossal plates of both species which consisted of a bony core in the fruit-eating bat and a cartilaginous element in the insect-eating bat. The current study represents an attempt to shed more light on the tongue evolution among mammalian vertebrates.

MAUGOUST, J. and ORLIAC, M. J. 2021. Endocranial cast anatomy of the extinct Hipposiderid Bats Palaeophyllophora and Hipposideros (Pseudorhinolophus) (Mammalia: Chiroptera). Journal of Mammalian Evolution. doi: 10.1007/s10914-020-09522-9. Bat fossil endocasts have been little studied in the literature (nine published works, only one in the XXIth century), and macromorphology of the brain of extant bats has only been characterized at the family-level. We describe here in detail the endocranial casts of four fossil hipposiderid species based on µCT-scans data and propose a revised nomenclature of the hipposiderid brain structures that leave their imprint on endocranial casts. Exhaustive comparisons of the external morphology of our fossil cranial endocast sample allow us to discuss the distribution of both qualitative and quantitative features in this family for different epochs. A conservatism of the brain is considered to be the rule during bats evolution. Indeed, we found that encephalization did not increase since the Eocene in hipposiderid bats (contrary to other mammals) and that micromorphology of the brain is close between Paleogene, Miocene, and extant hipposiderid species. However, subtler but promising fine anatomical characters might allow distinguishing genera and species. Eventually, expanding the fossil sample and/or adding extant species could shake the paradigm of temporal homogeneity and bring new light on the morpho-anatomical evolutionary history of Hipposideridae.

MBEHANG NGUEMA, P. P., ONANGA, R., NDONG ATOME, G. R., OBAGUE MBEANG, J. C., MABIKA MABIKA, A., YARO, M., LOUNNAS, M., DUMONT, Y., ZOHRA, Z. F., GODREUIL, S. and BRETAGNOLLE, F. 2020. Characterization of ESBL-producing enterobacteria from fruit bats in an unprotected area of Makokou, Gabon. Microorganisms, 8 (1): 138. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms8010138. In Gabon, terrestrial mammals of protected areas have been identified as a possible source of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Some studies on antibiotic resistance in bats have already been carried out. The main goal of our study was to detect extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs) that are produced by enterobacteria from bats in the Makokou region in Gabon. Sixty-eight fecal samples were obtained from 68 bats caught in the forests located 1 km from the little town of Makokou. After culture and isolation, 66 Gram-negative bacterial colonies were obtained. The double-disk diffusion test confirmed the presence of ESBLs in six (20.69 %) Escherichia coli isolates, four (13.79 %) Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates, and one (3.45 %) Enterobacter cloacae isolate. The analysis based on the nucleotide sequences of the ESBL resistance genes showed that all cefotaximase-Munichs (CTX-Ms) were CTX-M-15 and that all sulfhydryl variables (SHVs) were SHV-11: 41.67 % CTX-M-15-producing E. coli, 16.67 % CTX-M-15+SHV- 11-producing E. coli, 8.33 % CTX-M-15-producing K. pneumoniae, 25 % CTX-M-15+SHV-11-producing K. pneumoniae, and 8.33 % CTX-M-15-produced E. cloacae. This study shows for the first time the presence of multiresistant ESBL-producing enterobacteria in fruit bats in Makokou.

MCKECHNIE, A. E., RUSHWORTH, I. A., MYBURGH, F. and CUNNINGHAM, S. J. 2021. Mortality among birds and bats during an extreme heat event in eastern South Africa. Austral Ecology, 46 (4): 687 - 691. doi: 10.1111/aec.13025. Heat-related mortality events involving birds and bats are projected to occur more frequently as a result of anthropogenic global heating. Reports of mass mortalities associated with extreme heat have, over the last decade, mostly involved Australian birds and pteropodid flying-foxes. Here, we report a mortality event involving ~110 birds and fruit bats in eastern South Africa in early November

2020 when maximum air temperatures (Tmax) reached 43 - 45°C and relative humidities were 21 - 23 %. The mortalities included 47 birds of 14 species, all but three of which were passerines, and ~60 Wahlberg’s epauletted fruit bats (Epomophorus wahlbergi). This

mortality event occurred on a single very hot day preceded by several cooler days (Tmax = 37 - 39°C at one location) and involved weather conditions similar to those associated with at least one recent flying-fox die-off in Australia. The disproportionately high representation of passerines among the avian mortalities supports recent predictions that songbirds are more vulnerable to lethal hyperthermia on account of the relative inefficiency of panting as an avenue of evaporative heat dissipation. As far as we are aware, this is the first documented heat-related mortality event involving wild birds and bats in southernAfrica.

MCKEE, C. D., BAI, Y., WEBB, C. T. and KOSOY, M. Y. 2021. Bats are key hosts in the radiation of mammal- associated Bartonella bacteria. Infection, Genetics and Evolution, 89: 104719. doi: 10.1016/j. meegid.2021.104719. Bats are notorious reservoirs of several zoonotic diseases and may be uniquely tolerant of infection among mammals. Broad sampling has revealed the importance of bats in the diversification and spread of viruses and eukaryotes to other animal hosts. Vector-borne bacteria of the genus Bartonella are prevalent and diverse in mammals globally and recent surveys have revealed numerous Bartonella lineages in bats. We assembled a sequence database of Bartonella strains, consisting of nine genetic loci from 209 previously characterized Bartonella lineages and 121 new cultured isolates from bats, and used these data to perform a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the Bartonella genus. This analysis included estimation of divergence dates using a molecular clock and ancestral reconstruction of host associations and geography. We estimate that Bartonella began infecting mammals 62 million years ago near the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. Additionally, the radiation of particular Bartonella clades correlate strongly to the timing of diversification and biogeography of mammalian hosts. Bats were inferred to be the ancestral hosts of all mammal-associated Bartonella and appear to be responsible for the early geographic expansion of the genus. We conclude that bats have had a deep influence on the evolutionary radiation ofBartonella bacteria and their spread to other mammalian orders. These results support a ‘bat seeding’ hypothesis that could explain similar evolutionary patterns in other mammalian parasite taxa. Application of such phylogenetic tools as we have used to other taxa may reveal the general importance of bats in the ancient diversification of mammalian parasites.

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MEHL, C., SCHOEMAN, M. C., SANKO, T. J., BEZUIDENHOUT, C., MIENIE, C. M. S., PREISER, W. and VOSLOO, D. 2021. Wastewater treatment works change the intestinal microbiomes of insectivorous bats. PLoS ONE, 16 (3): e0247475. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.+0247475. Mammals, born with a near-sterile intestinal tract, are inoculated with their mothers’ microbiome during birth. Thereafter, extrinsic and intrinsic factors shape their intestinal microbe assemblage. Wastewater treatment works (WWTW), sites synonymous with pollutants and pathogens, receive influent from domestic, agricultural and industrial sources. The high nutrient content of wastewater supports abundant populations of chironomid midges (Diptera), which transfer these toxicants and potential pathogens to their predators, such as the banana bat Neoromicia nana (Vespertilionidae), thereby influencing their intestinal microbial assemblages. We used next generation sequencing and 16S rRNA gene profiling to identify and compare intestinal bacteria of N. nana at two reference sites and two WWTW sites. We describe the shared intestinal microbiome of the insectivorous bat, N. nana, consisting of seven phyla and eleven classes. Further, multivariate analyses revealed that location was the most significant driver (sex, body size and condition were not significant) of intestinal microbiome diversity. Bats at WWTW sites exhibited greater intestinal microbiota diversity than those at reference sites, likely due to wastewater exposure, stress and/or altered diet. Changes in their intestinal microbiota assemblages may allow these bats to cope with concomitant stressors.

MICKLEBURGH, S., HUTSON, A. M., BERGMANS, W., COTTERILL, F. P. D. and COOPER-BOHANNON, R. 2020a. Macronycteris vittatus, Striped Leaf-nosed Bat. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T135485A22050985. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T135485A22050985.en.

MICKLEBURGH, S., HUTSON, A. M., BERGMANS, W. and FAHR, J. 2020b. Micropteropus intermedius, Hayman’s Lesser Epauletted Fruit Bat. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T13401A22126321. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T13401A22126321.en.

MICKLEBURGH, S., HUTSON, A. M., BERGMANS, W. and HOWELL, K. 2020c. Pteropus subniger, Lesser Mascarene Flying-fox. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T18761A22088168. doi: 10.2305/ IUCN.UK.2020-3.RLTS.T18761A22088168.en.

MINOZZO, G.A., DA SILVA MATHIAS, B., RIEDIGER, I.N., DE OLIVEIRA GUIMARÃES, L., DOS ANJOS, C.C., MONTEIRO, E.F., DOS SANTOS, A.P., BIONDO, A.W. and KIRCHGATTER, K. 2021. First molecular detection of Polychromophilus parasites in Brazilian bat species. Microorganisms, 9 (6): 1240. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms9061240. Blood parasites of the Haemosporida order, such as the Plasmodium spp. responsible for malaria, have become the focus of many studies in evolutionary biology. However, there is a lack of molecular investigation of haemosporidian parasites of wildlife, such as the genus Polychromophilus. Species of this neglected genus exclusively have been described in bats, mainly in Europe, Asia, and Africa, but little is known about its presence and genetic diversity on the American continent. Here, we investigated 406 bats from sites inserted in remnant fragments of the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado and urbanized areas from southern Brazil for the presence of Polychromophilus species by PCR of the mitochondrial cytochrome b encoding gene. A total of 1.2 % of bats was positive for Polychromophilus, providing the first molecular information of these parasites inMyotis riparius and Eptesicus diminutus, common vespertilionid bats widely distributed in different Brazilian biomes, and Myotis ruber, an endangered species. A Bayesian analysis was conducted to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships between Polychromophilus recovered from Brazilian bats and those identified elsewhere. Sequences of Brazilian Polychromophilus lineages were placed with P. murinus and in a clade distinct from P. melanipherus, mainly restricted to bats in the family Vespertilionidae. However, the sequences were split into two minor clades, according to the genus of hosts, indicating that P. murinus and a distinct species may be circulating in Brazil. Morphological observations combined with additional molecular studies are needed to conclude and describe these Polychromophilus species.

MOIR, M. I. 2020. Evaluating the effects of biogeography and fragmentation on the taxonomic, functional, and genetic diversity of forest-utilising bats in a South African biodiversity hotspot. PhD dissertation - Stellenbosch University, RSA: i - xx; 1 - 178. Bats are a highly diverse mammalian order and are some of the most economically important non-domesticated vertebrates, providing many ecosystem services that contribute to the global economy. Yet, they remain a largely understudied taxon, particularly in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa, in which basic surveys of bat assemblages utilising indigenous forests are lacking. Indigenous forests constitute South Africa’s smallest and most fragmented yet support disproportionally high biodiversity. They have been fragmented throughout most of their evolutionary history due to global palaeoclimatic shifts; the responses of bats to forest fragmentation and historical climatic shifts in this habitat have been poorly studied. This study addresses these gaps with the broad aims of compiling a species inventory from 17 forests across the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces; assessing the effects of fragmentation and biogeography on taxonomic and functional diversity of bat assemblages; and determining how genetic diversity and population genetic structure are informed by forest habitat associations and fragmentation. A multi-faceted approach of sampling methods, including capture and acoustic recording, and species identification techniques (morphology, acoustics, and DNA barcoding) were used to assemble an inventory of 25 species, with range extensions noted for six species. The first reference call library of hand released bats for forests in this region is presented, which may be used for species identification in further acoustic surveys. A minimum acoustic monitoring period of 6 to 7 nights per forest is recommended for future surveys. Forest biogeography was an important determinant of the functional diversity of insectivorous bat assemblages. Forest edge effects were found to demonstrate a positive relationship with functional evenness, thus motivating for maintenance and conservation of forest edges, particularly in temperate regions. Larger forearm length and low wing loading were identified as morphological traits exhibiting greater sensitivity to fragmentation, flagging species exhibiting these traits as potentially vulnerable to habitat fragmentation. The effect of historical climate-induced fluctuations of forest extent on population genetic structuring and demographic histories for six species was investigated using two mitochondrial markers, cytochrome b and D-loop. Population genetic trends were not

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informed by forest habitat associations, but rather by species-specific traits of dispersal ability, philopatry, and roost utilisation. Low genetic diversity and high population structure identify two species, Rhinolophus swinnyi and Laephotis botswanae, for conservation priority. Demographic responses to the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) were not detected, with all six species displaying population expansions over this time. It appears that volant insectivores in eastern South Africa were less affected by the harsh conditions of the LGM than elsewhere. The dusky pipistrelle (Pipistrellus hesperidus) was used as a model organism to investigate the gene flow, genetic diversity, and migration of a forest-utilising species across the region with the use of eight microsatellite markers. The effects of urbanisation and agricultural development on gene flow were also examined. Findings of low population structure, low migration rates, and two genetic discontinuities were presented. This species does not depict dependence on forested habitats to maintain genetic connectivity on the landscape. The data also suggest that agricultural development and urbanisation have not yet had an impact on gene flow, thus providing a baseline with which to monitor the effects of future anthropic development on this species. Overall, this study has provided novel insights into the taxonomic, functional, and genetic diversity of forest-utilising bats in relation to biogeographical history and fragmentation within eastern South Africa.

MOIR, M. (I.), RICHARDS, L. R., CHERRY, M. I. and RAMBAU, R. V. 2020. Demographic responses of forest- utilizing bats to past climate change in South Africa. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 130 (4): 850 - 868. doi: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa048. Historical forest contractions may have restricted the distributions of forest-utilizing fauna while providing opportunities for range expansions for open-habitat species. We aimed to test if habitat associations have played an important role in determining population genetic structure and demographic responses of six bats to oscillations in forest extent since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). We hypothesized that forest-associated species would display high levels of population structure and past population contractions as their distribution is dependent on fragmented forests. By contrast, habitat generalists would demonstrate low geographical structuring and historical population stability as suitable habitats are widely available. We used mitochondrial DNA to generate genetic diversity and population structure metrics of three forest-associated species and three habitat generalists in South Africa. Neutrality tests and Bayesian skyline plots were used to investigate demographic histories. A forest habitat association did not inform the population genetics of the study species. Rather, species-specific traits of roosting requirements, philopatry to the natal range and dispersal ability informed the observed structure. All species demonstrated population expansions during the Pleistocene, with no apparent decline during the LGM. It appears that the lower climate change footprint and refuge-status of eastern South Africa prevented population declines of insectivorous bats during the LGM.

MOIR, M. I., RICHARDS, L. R., RAMBAU, R. V. and CHERRY, M. I. 2021a. Bats of Eastern Cape and southern KwaZulu-Natal forests, South Africa: diversity, call library and range extensions. Acta Chiropterologica, 22 (2): 365 - 381 (for 2020). doi: 10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.011. Bats are a highly diverse order with substantial economic and ecological value. Similarly, forests in South Africa form a valuable biome supporting unique biotic diversity, yet forest bat communities have not previously been surveyed. We sampled 17 forests, of seven forest types and three forest groups, in the Eastern Cape and southern KwaZulu-Natal provinces, located within the Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany global biodiversity hotspot. We utilized capture and acoustic survey methods to compile the first bat species inventory for these forests. Species identification was performed with a combined approach of morphology, echolocation, and DNA barcodes. With this we contributed novel DNA barcodes to the Barcode of Life Data System. A total of 25 species was recorded, with range extensions southward into the Eastern Cape for six species, indicating the region to be more diverse than previously thought. Updated modelled distribution maps for these species are presented. We compiled the first reference call library of hand released bats for South African forest habitats, and the southeast region of the country. We compared species richness, diversity, and dissimilarity of the forest types and found that Scarp forests host the highest species richness and diversity. Patterns of species assemblage similarities between forest groups are attributed to forest biogeographical history and historical dispersal routes of forest fauna. A comprehensive survey, such as this, may assist in the compilation and implementation of forest conservation management plans and future monitoring programs.

MOIR, M. (I.), RICHARDS, L. R., RAMBAU, R. V. and CHERRY, M. I. 2021b. Functional diversity and trait filtering of insectivorous bats relate to forest biogeography and fragmentation in South Africa. Journal of Biogeography, 48 (5): 1170 - 1182. doi: 10.1111/jbi.14069. Aim: Forest fragmentation is a major driver of biodiversity loss causing declines in species richness and functional diversity of biotic communities. Bats are essential components of ecosystems and are useful bio-indicators of habitat disturbance, yet the response and vulnerability of bats to fragmentation have been poorly studied in Africa. We aim to assess the effects of forest biogeographical history and fragmentation on functional diversity of bats and their functional traits. Location: Eastern Cape and southern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Taxon: Insectivorous bats. Methods: We surveyed forest-utilizing bats to derive four functional diversity indices. Generalized linear models were used to assess the response of diversity indices to biogeographical history and fragmentation, represented by forest type and five landscape fragmentation metrics. RLQ and fourth-corner analysis were used to investigate the interaction of traits with fragmentation metrics and forest type. Results: Pondoland Scarp forests displayed high functional richness, while Eastern Cape Dune forests exhibited high functional divergence yet low functional richness and dispersion. Two fragmentation metrics affected functional diversity dynamically: edge density had a positive effect on functional evenness; and dispersion was negatively affected by river length through forests. Results showed stronger interactions of functional traits with forest type than fragmentation metrics, with filtering effects on body size and wing morphology. Main conclusions: The large-scale processes related to biogeographical history, and associated forest structure, are important determinants of functional richness, divergence and dispersion of insectivorous bat communities. Scarp forests showed the highest species and functional richness as they experienced less extreme climatic extinction filtering than Mistbelt forests during the Last Glacial Maximum, whereas the low diversity of Eastern Cape Dune forests results from their younger evolutionary history and

Recent Literature African Bat Conservation News ISSN 1812-1268 July 2021 vol. 49 45 homogenous vegetation structure. Little is known of the sensitivity of bats to habitat fragmentation in Africa: here, we show larger- sized insectivorous species; and species exhibiting low wing loading may be more vulnerable to fragmentation.

MOIR, M. (I.), RICHARDS, L. R., RAMBAU, R. V., WANNENBURGH, A. and CHERRY, M. I. 2021c. Fragmentation does not affect gene flow in forest populations of the dusky pipistrelle bat on the eastern seaboard of South Africa. Journal of Mammalogy, 101 (6): 1587 - 1600 (for 2020). doi: 10.1093/jmammal/gyaa125. The Eastern Cape Province harbors almost half of the indigenous forest in South Africa, but these forests are threatened by large- scale agricultural and urban development planned for the coming decade. Additional anthropogenic development is likely to cause further fragmentation and degradation of forests inhabited by the dusky pipistrelle bat (Pipistrellus hesperidus). We used eight microsatellite markers to study the genetic diversity, population structure, and migration, of P. hesperidus (n = 120) across 14 sites in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa. We examined the effect of contemporary land cover types on genetic differentiation to assess whether current levels of urbanization and agricultural development affect gene flow. High gene flow and low population structure were evident across sampled sites, apart from genetic discontinuities at the northern (Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve) and southern (Alexandria Forest) ends of the seaboard. Genetic discontinuity at Oribi Gorge may relate to anthropogenic modification of two rivers surrounding the forest, while the Alexandria-linked barrier is a climatic break known as the Bedford gap. Migration rates generally were low between sites except for one Scarp forest, Manubi State Forest, from which individuals dispersed to other sites. The Amatole Mistbelt forests supported high genetic diversity, and likely served as a refugium for P. hesperidus during the Last Glacial Maximum. The composition of land cover classes between sites was a poor predictor of genetic differentiation, although it seems likely that P. hesperidus uses riparian habitats and wetlands for dispersal. Lastly, urban and agricultural development did not have a significant effect on genetic differentiation, which may reflect the wide niche breadth and intermediate distribution range of the species. This study provides insights into genetic diversity and gene flow ofP. hesperidus across the study region prior to agricultural intensification and large-scale urbanization.

MONADJEM, A. 2020a. Myonycteris leptodon (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T84463728A166525357. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS. T84463728A166525357.en.

MONADJEM, A. 2020b. Rhinolophus willardi, Willard’s Horseshoe Bat. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T82346260A82347169. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T82346260A82347169.en.

MONADJEM, A. 2020c. Rhinolophus kahuzi, Kahuzi Horseshoe Bat. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T82347204A82347492. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T82347204A82347492.en.

MONADJEM, A. and COOPER-BOHANNON, R. 2020. Hipposideros lamottei, Lamotte’s Roundleaf Bat. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T10141A22091938. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS. T10141A22091938.en.

MONADJEM, A., DEMOS, T. C., DALTON, D. L., WEBALA, P. W., MUSILA, S., KERBIS PETERHANS, J. C. and PATTERSON, B. D. 2020a. A revision of pipistrelle-like bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in East Africa with the description of new genera and species. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 191 (4): 1114 - 1146 (for 2021). doi: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa087. Vespertilionidae (class Mammalia) constitutes the largest family of bats, with ~500 described species. Nonetheless, the systematic relationships within this family are poorly known, especially among the pipistrelle-like bats of the tribes Vespertilionini and Pipistrellini. Perhaps as a result of their drab pelage and lack of obvious morphological characters, the genus and species limits of pipistrelle-like bats remain poorly resolved, particularly in Africa, where more than one-fifth of all vesper bat species occur. Further exacerbating the problem is the accelerating description of new species within these groups. In this study, we attempt to resolve the systematic relationships among the pipistrelle-like bats of sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar and provide a more stable framework for future systematic efforts. Our systematic inferences are based on extensive genetic and morphological sampling of > 400 individuals covering all named genera and the majority of described African pipistrelle-like bat species, focusing on previously unstudied samples of East African bats. Our study corroborates previous work by identifying three African genera in Pipistrellini (Pipistrellus, and Vansonia), none of which is endemic to Africa. However, the situation is more complex in Vespertilionini. With broad taxonomic sampling, we confirm that the genus Neoromicia is paraphyletic, a situation that we resolve by assigning the species of Neoromicia to four genera. Neoromicia is here restricted to Neoromicia zuluensis and allied taxa. Some erstwhile Neoromicia species are transferred into an expanded Laephotis, which now includes both long-eared and short-eared forms. We also erect two new genera, one comprising a group of mostly forest-associated species (many of which have white wings) and the other for the genetically and morphologically unique banana bat. All four of these genera, as recognized here, are genetically distinct, have distinctive bacular morphologies and can be grouped by cranial morphometrics. We also demonstrate that the genus Nycticeinops, until now considered monospecific, includes both Afropipistrellus and the recently named Parahypsugo, thus representing the fifth African genus in Vespertilionini. A sixth genus, Hypsugo, is mostly extra-limital to sub-Saharan Africa. Finally, we describe three new species of pipistrelle-like bats from Kenya and Uganda, uncovered during the course of systematic bat surveys in the region. Such surveys are greatly needed across tropical Africa to uncover further bat diversity.

MONADJEM, A., GUYTON, J., NASKRECKI, P., RICHARDS, L. R., KROPFF, A. S. and DALTON, D. I. 2020b. Cryptic diversity in the genus Miniopterus with the description of a new species from southern Africa. Acta Chiropterologica, 22 (1): 1 - 19. doi: 10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.1.001. Species richness in the genus Miniopterus has been greatly under-reported, with a large number of taxa having been discovered and described in the past two decades. Using molecular, standard morphometrics and acoustic data, we present evidence for the existence of a new species in Mozambique and neighbouring Malawi. Based on cytochrome b (cyt b) and cytochrome oxidase I (COI), the new species is sister to M. minor, from which it is readily distinguishable by its larger size (including non-overlapping forearm

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measurements, allowing separation in the field). It is distinguishable from sympatricM. mossambicus, itself a newly described taxon from Mozambique, by forearm measurements and a peach-orange wash to the skin around the eyes. In external appearance, it is most similar to M. fraterculus, from which it is only reliably identifiable by multivariate analysis of craniodental features and by a genetic distance of 6.4 % in the cyt b gene; the two species also occupy widely differing geographic ranges. The type locality of the new species is Mount Gorongosa, and all known records are from large mountains in central and northern Mozambique and southern Malawi. Further research is required to establish its geographic range and understand its basic ecology. Considering its relatively restricted distribution to threatened montane habitats, we suggest that its global conservation status be urgently assessed.

MONADJEM, A., MOLUR, S., HUTSON, A. M., AMR, Z. S. S., KOCK, D., MICKLEBURGH, S. and BERGMANS, W. 2020c. Taphozous perforatus (amended version of 2017 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T21463A166505490. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T21463A166505490.en.

MONADJEM, A., RICHARDS, L. R., DECHER, J., HUTTERER, R., MAMBA, M. L., GUYTON, J., NASKRECKI, P., MARKOTTER, W., WIPFLER, B., KROPFF, A. S. and DALTON, D. L. 2020d. A phylogeny for African Pipistrellus species with the description of a new species from West Africa (Mammalia: Chiroptera). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 191 (2): 548 - 574 (for 2021). doi: 10.1093/zoolinnean/ zlaa068/5901436. Pipistrelloid bats are among the most poorly known bats in Africa, a status no doubt exacerbated by their small size, drab brown fur and general similarity in external morphology. The systematic relationships of these bats have been a matter of debate for decades, and despite some recent molecular studies, much confusion remains. Adding to the confusion has been the recent discovery of numerous new species. Using two mitochondrial genes, we present a phylogeny for this group that supports the existence of three main clades in Africa: Pipistrellus, Neoromicia and the recently described Parahypsugo. However, the basal branches of the tree are poorly supported. Using an integrative taxonomic approach, we describe a new species of Pipistrellus sp. nov. from West Africa, which has been cited as Pipistrellus cf. grandidieri in the literature. We demonstrate that it is not closely related to Pipistrellus grandidieri from East Africa, but instead is sister to Pipistrellus hesperidus. Furthermore, the species Pi. grandidieri appears to be embedded in the newly described genus Parahypsugo, and is therefore better placed in that genus than in Pipistrellus. This has important taxonomic implications, because a new subgenus (Afropipistrellus) described for Pi. grandidieri predates Parahypsugo and should therefore be used for the entire “Parahypsugo” clade. The Upper Guinea rainforest zone, and particularly the upland areas in the south-eastern Guinea-northern Liberia border region may represent a global hotspot for pipistrelloid bats and should receive increased conservation focus as a result.

MONADJEM, A., SHAPIRO, J. T., RICHARDS, L. R., KARABULUT, H., CRAWLEY, W., NIELSEN, I. B., HANSEN, A., BOHMANN, K. and MOURIER, T. 2020e. Systematics of West African Miniopterus with the description of a new species. Acta Chiropterologica, 21 (2): 237 - 256 (for 2019). doi: 10.3161/15081109ACC2019.21 .2.001. The phylogenetic relationships and species limits within the chiropteran family Miniopteridae are poorly known in mainland Africa. Recent systematic studies in Madagascar have shown that this is a species-rich family, yet only eight species are currently recognized or hypothesized for continental Africa. Based on partial cytochrome b sequences and morphometric analysis, we describe a new species of Miniopterus that is endemic to a restricted, montane region of Liberia and Guinea. Furthermore, the taxonomic status of the West African Miniopterus schreibersii villiersi is resolved and shown to be a distinct species, M. villiersi, that is not closely related to M. schreibersii. Finally, the species M. inflatus is revealed to be paraphyletic, with the central African rainforest populations apparently not closely related to the forms in eastern and southern Africa. Based on the results of this study, the number of Miniopterus species in Africa has increased from eight to 11, with more cryptic species likely to be discovered.

MONADJEM, A., SIMELANE, F., SHAPIRO, J. T., GUMBI, B. C., MAMBA, M. L., SIBIYA, M. D., LUKHELE, S. M. and MAHLABA, T. A. M. 2021. Using species distribution models to gauge the completeness of the bat checklist of . European Journal of Wildlife Research, 67: 21. doi: 10.1007/s10344-021-01463-9. National species checklists are important for a variety of reasons, including biodiversity conservation. However, these national checklists are rarely complete, and it is not easy to gauge how many species have been overlooked or what the taxonomic identities of overlooked species would be. This is particularly the case for small, elusive, or nocturnal species such as bats. Despite their diversity and importance as ecosystem service providers, bat distributions are poorly known throughout much of Africa. We present a national checklist of bats for a small African country, Eswatini, by compiling species from museum specimens and literature records. A total of 32 species of bats have been recorded from the country. Since 1995, new species have continued to be recorded in Eswatini, with five additional species added since the last published checklist in 2016, suggesting that some species may still be overlooked. In order to determine what species these may be, we used species distribution models based on the occurrence records of bats from southern Africa to predict what species would occur in Eswatini, which was then compared with what has been collected and deposited in museums. Our models predicted that a total of 47 species are likely to occur in Eswatini compared with 32 species collected to date. Our data suggest that the national checklist of bats of Eswatini is not yet complete and that further species are expected to be recorded for the country. We suggest that species distribution models can be useful for gauging the completeness of national checklists and predicting which species may have been overlooked.

MORENO, K. R., WEINBERG, M., HARTEN, L., SALINAS RAMOS, V. B., HERRERA M., L. G., CZIRJÁK, G. A. and YOVEL, Y. 2021. Sick bats stay home alone: fruit bats practice social distancing when faced with an immunological challenge. Annals of the New York Acadamy of Science. doi: 10.1111/nyas.14600. Along with its many advantages, social roosting imposes a major risk of pathogen transmission. How social animals reduce this risk is poorly documented. We used lipopolysaccharide challenge to imitate bacterial infection in both a captive and a free-living colony of an extremely social, long-lived mammal - the Egyptian fruit bat. We monitored behavioral and physiological responses using an arsenal of methods, including onboard GPS to track foraging, acceleration sensors to monitor movement, infrared video to record social behavior, and blood samples to measure immune markers. Sick-like (immune-challenged) bats exhibited an

Recent Literature African Bat Conservation News ISSN 1812-1268 July 2021 vol. 49 47 increased immune response, as well as classic illness symptoms, including fever, weight loss, anorexia, and lethargy. Notably, the bats also exhibited behaviors that would reduce pathogen transfer. They perched alone and appeared to voluntarily isolate themselves from the group by leaving the social cluster, which is extremely atypical for this species. The sick-like individuals in the open colony ceased foraging outdoors for at least two nights, thus reducing transmission to neighboring colonies. Together, these sickness behaviors demonstrate a strong, integrative immune response that promotes recovery of infected individuals while reducing pathogen transmission inside and outside the roost, including spillover events to other species, such as humans.

MORETTI, P., RAVASIO, G., MAGNONE, W., DI CESARE, F., PALTRINIERI, S., PECILE, A. and GIORDANO, A. 2020. Haematological, serum biochemical and electrophoretic data on healthy captive Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus). Lab Animal, 55 (2): 158 - 169 (for 2021). doi: 10.1177/0023677220948542. Bats play a key role as reservoir hosts of many emerging viral diseases with zoonotic potential. However, little is known about the laboratory reference intervals (RIs) of bats, especially Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus). The aim of this study was to obtain haematological, biochemical and electrophoretic RIs from captive fruit bats. Blood was collected from 21 R. aegyptiacus (11 females and 10 males). Complete blood cell count was performed using an impedance cell counter followed by the morphologic analysis of blood smears. Clinical biochemistry was performed with an automated spectrophotometer and agarose gel electrophoresis was carried out with an automated instrument. Reference intervals were determined using the Reference Value Advisor V2.1, following the American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology guidelines. Possible differences related to sex or sexual maturity were also investigated. The RIs for most of the analytes investigated were similar to those of other types of bats and other mammalian species. Haematology revealed mild polychromasia and slightly lower haematocrit, haemoglobin, leukocyte and lymphocyte counts compared to other bats. Glucose levels varied possibly due to stress, the anaesthetic protocol and fasting time. Creatine kinase was higher, while triglycerides were lower compared with domestic mammals and other bats. No sex- or age-related differences were found. Serum protein electrophoresis showed five fractions (albumin, a-, b1-, b2- and c-globulins). The values recorded in this study could be helpful as a reference biological dataset to monitor the health status of wild and captive R. aegyptiacus and, possibly, of other Chiroptera.

MOTAYO, B. O., OLUWASEMOWO, O. O. and AKINDUTI, P. A. 2020. Evolutionary dynamics and geographic dispersal of beta coronaviruses in African bats. PeerJ, 8: e10434. doi: 10.7717/peerj.10434. Bats have been shown to serve as reservoir host of various viral agents including coronaviruses. They have also been associated with the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. This has made them an all important agent for CoV evolution and transmission. Our objective in this study was to investigate the dispersal, phylogenomics and evolution of (ßCoV) among African bats. We retrieved sequence data from established databases such as GenBank and Virus Pathogen Resource, covering the partial RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRP) gene of bat coronaviruses from eight African, three Asian, five European, two South American countries and Australia. We analyzed for phylogeographic information relating to genetic diversity and evolutionary dynamics. Our study revealed that majority of the African strains fell within Norbecovirus subgenera, with an evolutionary rate of 1.301 x 10-3, HPD (1.064 x 10-3 - 1.434 x 10-3) subs/site/year. The African strains diversified into three main subgenera,Norbecovirus, Hibecovirus and Merbecovirus. The time to most common recent ancestor for Norbecovirus strains was 1973, and 2007, for the African Merbecovirus strains. There was evidence of inter species transmission of Norbecovirus among bats in Cameroun and DRC. Phlylogeography showed that there were inter-continental spread of Bt-CoV from Europe, China and Hong Kong into Central and Southern Africa, highlighting the possibility of long distance transmission. Our study has elucidated the possible evolutionary origins of ßCoV among African bats; we therefore advocate for broader studies of whole genome sequences of BtCoV to further understand the drivers for their emergence and zoonotic spillovers into human population.

MOYO, S. and JACOBS, D. S. 2020. Faecal analyses and alimentary tracers reveal the foraging ecology of two sympatric bats. PLoS ONE, 15 (1): e0227743. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0227743. We used three complementary methods to assess the diet of two insectivorous bat species: one an obligate aerial hunter, Miniopterus natalensis, and the other Myotis tricolor whose morphology and taxonomic affiliation to other trawling bats suggests it may be a trawler (capturing insects from the water surface with its feet and tail). We used visual inspection, stable isotope values and fatty acid profiles of insect fragments in bat faeces sampled across five sites to determine the contribution of aquatic and terrestrial to the diets of the two species. The niche widths of M. tricolor were generally wider than those of Miniopterus natalensis but with much overlap, both taking aquatic and terrestrial insects, albeit in different proportions. The diet of M. tricolor had high proportions of fatty acids (20:5ω3 and 22:6ω3) that are only obtainable from aquatic insects. Furthermore, the diet of M. tricolor had higher proportions of water striders (Gerridae) and whirligig (Gyrinidae), insects obtainable via trawling, than Miniopterus natalensis. These results suggest both species are flexible in their consumption of prey but that M. tricolor may use both aerial hawking and trawling, or at least gleaning, to take insects from water surfaces. The resultant spatial segregation may sufficiently differentiate the niches of the two species, allowing them to co-exist. Furthermore, our results emphasize that using a combination of methods to analyse diets of cryptic animals yields greater insights into animal foraging ecology than any of them on their own.

MUELLER, B. D., COKENDOLPHER, J. C., ENRÍQUEZ C. and T. 2020. Biological type specimens of Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, USA; with a history of these collections at the Museum of Texas Tech University. Special Publication of the Museum of the Texas Tech University, 74: 1 - 83. The biological type collections at Texas Tech University currently contain 202 species and subspecies (of which 18 are fossil taxa), representing 104 genera (15 fossil taxa) in 67 families (12 fossils), 30 orders (five fossils), and in 10 classes of plants and animals. Of the 841 specimens that are types of some kind, 57 are holotypes, three are isotypes, 45 are syntypes (including a few that are frozen DNA, tissue, or blood samples only), and 736 are paratypes. There are four plant types (one of which is for a fossil taxon), 678 invertebrate types, two fossil fish types, one fossil amphibian type, nine fossil reptile types, two fossil bird types, one fossil synapsid type, and 126 mammal types (including one that is a fossil). The 20 recognized symbiotypes (hosts to parasitic mites and viruses) also are listed but are not included in the counts above. The recent plant types are held in the E. L. Reed Herbarium, Department of Biological Sciences, and the single fossil plant type and all animal types are housed in the Paleontology Division and the Natural Science Research Laboratory of the Museum of Texas Tech University. Names of all type specimens have been investigated to determine their currently accepted status, with discussions of changes detailed herein. The type locality for Notoxus peccatus Chandler and Nardin, 2004 (replacement name for Notoxus orientalis Chandler, 1978) is corrected to be in Nuevo León

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and not in Tamaulipas. The type localities of numerous Geomydoecus lice are herein restricted to more precise localities than the original authors (Price and Emerson 1971) listed. These restrictions are based upon hosts’ locality data and museum labels for Geomydoecus alcorni, Geomydoecus costaricensis, Geomydoecus fulvescens, Geomydoecus mexicanus, Geomydoecus jonesi, Geomydoecus mcgregori, Geomydoecus perotensis perotensis, Geomydoecus subgeomydis, Geomydoecus traubi, Geomydoecus umbrine, and Geomydoecus yucatanensis. An overview of the history of the collections at Texas Tech University that hold type specimens is provided.

MUÑOZ-ROMO, M., PAGE, R. A. and KUNZ, T. H. 2021. Redefining the study of sexual dimorphism in bats: following the odour trail. Mammal Review, 51 (2): 155 - 177. doi: 10.1111/mam.12232. 1. Sexual dimorphism is the condition in which males and females of the same species are easily distinguished by specific traits (secondary sex characteristics), often related to body size, colour patterns, weapons, and ornaments. Males of many mammal species tend to be larger or more ornamented than females, and these characteristics tend to be more pronounced in polygynous, diurnal, and open-habitat species. 2. Bats have long been considered a largely non-sexually dimorphic group due to lack of conspicuous differences in body size and other cranial and skeletal characters. However, bats, like many mammals, exhibit a diverse array of soft-tissue integumentary glands and non-glandular odour-producing structures with intense odorous substances that have not been thoroughly investigated, although postulated functions include facilitating mate selection in their generally polygynous associations. 3. To date, there has been no systematic assessment of the occurrence or expression of sexually dimorphic traits in bats, many of which show intriguing sexual dimorphism in soft tissue, and most of which involve intense odours. In this study, we review evidence of integumentary glands and non-glandular odour-producing structures known in bats, as a first step towards identifying future research pathways to study sexual dimorphism in bats. 4. Highly variable glands and non-glandular odour-producing structures have been noticed in ten different regions of the body, but are most frequently found on the head and the ventral region of the neck. They have been described in nearly 9 % of bat species and in 70 % of 21 extant bat families. 5. Our review, based on extremely scattered and unevenly detailed literature, unveils the extraordinary sexual dimorphism that has been observed in Chiroptera to date, identifying not only target body parts where sexually dimorphic traits are likely to be found, but also critical avenues for future investigation and discoveries, and stressing the importance of the timing of secondary sexual trait observations, behavioural studies, and chemical analyses.

MUSILA, S., WEBALA, P. W., SYINGI, R., ZUHURA, A. and RYDELL, J. in press. Kenya´s bat roosts need protection urgently. .

NESI, N., TSAGKOGEORGA, G., TSANG, S. M., NICOLAS, V., LALIS, A., SCANLON, A. T., RIESLE-SBARBARO, S. A., WIANTORO, S., HITCH, A. T., JUSTE, J., PINZARI, C. A., BONACCORSO, F. J., TODD, C. M., LIM, B. K., SIMMONS, N. B., MCGOWEN, M. R. and ROSSITER, S. J. 2021. Interrogating phylogenetic discordance resolves deep splits in the rapid radiation of Old World Fruit Bats (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae). Systematic Biology. doi: 10.1093/sysbio/syab013. The family Pteropodidae (Old World fruit bats) comprises > 200 species distributed across the Old World tropics and subtropics. Most pteropodids feed on fruit, suggesting an early origin of frugivory, although several lineages have shifted to nectar-based diets. Pteropodids are of exceptional conservation concern with > 50% of species considered threatened, yet the systematics of this group has long been debated, with uncertainty surrounding early splits attributed to an ancient rapid diversification. Resolving the relationships among the main pteropodid lineages is essential if we are to fully understand their evolutionary distinctiveness, and the extent to which these bats have transitioned to nectar-feeding. Here we generated orthologous sequences for > 1400 nuclear protein-coding genes (2.8 million base pairs) across 114 species from 43 genera of Old World fruit bats (57 % and 96 % of extant species- and genus-level diversity, respectively), and combined phylogenomic inference with filtering by information content to resolve systematic relationships among the major lineages. Concatenation and coalescent-based methods recovered three distinct backbone topologies that were not able to be reconciled by filtering via phylogenetic information content. Concordance analysis and gene genealogy interrogation show that one topology is consistently the best supported, and that observed phylogenetic conflicts arise from both gene tree error and deep incomplete lineage sorting. In addition to resolving long-standing inconsistencies in the reported relationships among major lineages, we show that Old World fruit bats have likely undergone at least seven independent dietary transitions from frugivory to nectarivory. Finally, we use this phylogeny to identify and describe one new genus.

NEWMAN, E., GOVENDER, K., VAN NIEKERK, S. and JOHNSON, S. D. 2021. The functional ecology of bat pollination in the African sausage tree Kigelia africana (Bignoniaceae). Biotropica, 53 (2): 477 - 486. doi: 10.1111/btp.12891. Plants often interact with a wide range of animal floral visitors that can vary in their pollination effectiveness. Flowers of the African sausage tree Kigelia africana are visited by bats and bush babies during the night and by birds during the day. We studied floral traits (phenophases, scent, color, and nectar chemistry) and the visitation frequency and pollination effectiveness of different flower visitors to determine whether K. africana is functionally specialized for bat pollination. We found that flower opening corresponds with bat activity, flowers emit scent dominated by aliphatic esters and alcohols, and that nectar is produced in copious amounts accessible to bats. Pollen deposition on stigmas was twenty-fold greater per visit by bats than it was per visit by birds, likely a result of the close morphological fit between snouts of bats and the flowers. However, bat visits appear to be rare at some sites and the delayed senescence of flowers that are open throughout the morning provides an opportunity for additional pollination by birds. We conclude that K. africana is primarily adapted for bat pollination, but is also able to exploit other animals for pollination.

NIKAIDO, M., KONDO, S., ZHANG, Z., WU, J., NISHIHARA, H., NIIMURA, Y., SUZUKI, S., TOUHARA, K., SUZUKI, Y., NOGUCHI, H., MINAKUCHI, Y., TOYODA, A., FUJIYAMA, A., SUGANO, S., YONEDA, M. and KAI, C. 2020. Comparative genomic analyses illuminate the distinct evolution of within Chiroptera. DNA Research, 27 (4): 1 - 12. doi: 10.1093/dnares/dsaa021.

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The revision of the sub-order Microchiroptera is one of the most intriguing outcomes in recent mammalian molecular phylogeny. The unexpected sister-taxon relationship between rhinolophoid microbats and megabats, with the exclusion of other microbats, suggests that megabats arose in a relatively short period of time from a microbat-like ancestor. In order to understand the genetic mechanism underlying adaptive evolution in megabats, we determined the whole genome sequences of two rousette megabats, Leschenault’s rousette (Rousettus leschenaultia) and the Egyptian fruit bat (R. aegyptiacus). The sequences were compared with those of 22 other mammals, including nine bats, available in the database. We identified that genomes are distinct in that they have extremely low activity of SINE retrotranspositions, expansion of two chemosensory gene families, including the trace amine receptor (TAAR) and olfactory receptor (OR), and elevation of the dN/dS ratio in genes for immunity and protein catabolism. The adaptive signatures discovered in the genomes of megabats may provide crucial insight into their distinct evolution, including key processes such as virus resistance, loss of echolocation, and frugivorous feeding.

NYSSEN, J., YONAS, M., ANNYS, S., GHEBREYOHANNES, T., SMIDT, W., WELEGERIMA, K., GEBRESELASSIE, S., SEMBRONI, A., DRAMIS, F., EK, C. and CAUSER, D. 2020. The Zeyi Cave geosite in northern Ethiopia. Geoheritage, 12: 6. doi: 10.1007/s12371-020-00446-7. Despite the high geoheritage value of caves and karsts, northern Ethiopia’s largest cave at Zeyi (13.5586°N, 39.1454°E) in the Dogu’a Tembien district has received little attention so far. We have studied its geological, geomorphic, socio-cultural and historical dimensions in a holistic way. The basal member of the Antalo Limestone, in which the Zeyi cave is located, consists of grainstone and wackestone with subordinate marly interlayers. Over a length of 364 m, the oval-shaped gallery displays stalagmites, stalactites, five columns, dissolution holes (“bell-holes”) following joints, stalagmitic floors and other concretions or speleothems. In the absence of any dating of the cave, we contrasted its elevation above the current local base level with known average incision rates of the northern Ethiopian highlands to reconstruct its age, which was calculated as at least 2 to 4 million years. The palaeo-environmental information that is archived in the Zeyi cave sediment would hence cover the Pleistocene. The graves in the sediment at the bottom of the Zeyi cave further indicate that the place could be an ancient burial site, which gives scope for archaeological research. Zeyi boosts a unique combination of abiotic, biotic and cultural components: the nineteenth c. church under the overhanging cliff; the unique cave; the speleothems, cliffs and gorges; and the cave’s bat colony which has been genetically confirmed to be composed of three syntopically roosting species. Accounting for a good balance between cave research, community-based geotourism, geoconservation and biodiversity conservation, the Zeyi cave has strong credentials to become a top geotouristic site in northern Ethiopia. However, major work needs to be done, including granting access for women and organising community-based geotourism.

OBODOECHI, L. O., CARVALHO, I., CHENOUF, N. S., MARTÍNEZ-ÁLVAREZ, S., SAID, M., NWANTA, J. A., CHAH, K. F. and TORRES, C. 2021. Antimicrobial resistance in Escherichia coli isolates from frugivorous (Eidolon helvum) and insectivorous (Nycteris hispida) bats in Southeast Nigeria, with detection of CTX-M-15 producing isolates. Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 75: 101613. doi: 10.1016/j.cimid.2021.101613. Thirty-five Escherichia coli isolates obtained from the liver, spleen and intestines of 180 frugivorous and insectivorous bats were investigated for antimicrobial resistance phenotypes/genotypes, prevalence of Extended-Spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) production, virulence gene detection and molecular typing. Eight (22.9 %) of the isolates were multidrug resistant (MDR). Two isolates were cefotaxime-resistant, ESBL-producers and harbored the blaCTX-M-15 gene; they belonged to ST10184-D and

ST2178-B1 lineages. tet(A) gene was detected in all tetracycline-resistant isolates while int1 (n = 8) and blaTEM (n = 7) genes were also found. Thirty-three of the E. coli isolates were assigned to seven phylogenetic groups, with B1 (45.7 %) being predominant. Three isolates were enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC) pathovars, containing the eae gene (with the variants gamma and iota), and lacking stx1 / stx2 genes. Bats in Nigeria are possible reservoirs of potentially pathogenic MDR E. coli isolates which may be important in the ecology of antimicrobial resistance at the human-livestock-wildlife-environment interfaces. The study reinforces the importance of including wildlife in national antimicrobial resistance monitoring programmes.

OCAMPO-GONZÁLEZ, P., LÓPEZ-WILCHIS, R., ESPINOZA-MEDINILLA, E. E. and RIOJA-PARADELA, T. M. 2021. A review of the breeding biology of Chiroptera. Mammal Review. doi: 10.1111/mam.12236. 1. Since 2000, no reviews or analyses have been carried out on scientific studies regarding bat reproductive biology. Such reviews might contribute towards identifying information gaps and global research focus and trends. 2. The objective of this work was to review and analyse scientific studies on different aspects of bat reproduction published in the last two decades (2000 - 2019), in order to provide perspective for future research. 3. Using 19 key words, we searched for literature on the reproduction of bats published as book chapters and articles in scientific research journals globally. We analysed 36 chapters in 14 books and 276 scientific articles, from 41 countries, identifying publishing trends throughout the years, preferred journals, countries in which studies have been carried out, and most-studied species and topics. 4. The number of studies increased over the last decade, resulting from the consolidation of research lines in countries such as Brazil, India, Mexico, and USA. The studies covered 125 species, of which Scotophilus heathi and Cynopterus sphinx were the most recurrent, each appearing in 23 studies (7.4 %, n = 312). The most common subject was anatomy (61 studies, 20 %, n = 312), and the rarest was assisted reproduction techniques (11 studies, 3.5 %, n = 312). 5. In the last decade, there has been a trend to increase the study of male anatomy. The application of new techniques for the study of reproduction contributed to more complex studies that favour the understanding of the reproductive process. There is an evident lack of reproductive studies for most species, and there is an information gap regarding research in prenatal development and assisted reproduction techniques. These two topics are greatly significant for future research, because of their direct usefulness for species conservation.

OEDIN, M., BRESCIA, F., MURPHY, B. P., PALMAS, P., WOINARSKI, J. C. Z. and VIDAL, E. 2021. Cats Felis catus as a threat to bats worldwide: a review of the evidence. Mammal Review. doi: 10.1111/mam.12240. 1. Cats Felis catus, in all their forms (domestic, free-roaming/stray and feral), have been identified as a major global threat to biodiversity, especially birds and small mammals. However, there has been little previous consideration of the extent and impact

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of predation of bats by cats, or of whether specific characteristics make certain species of bats particularly vulnerable to predation by cats. 2. We reviewed the impact of cats on bats, based on a collation of scientific literature and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List database. Our aim was to produce a synthesis of the extent to which cats prey upon and threaten bats. We also collated available data on cat diet, which provide information on predation rates of bats by cats. 3. Few studies (n = 44) have identified bat species preyed upon or threatened by cats, with a disproportionate number of studies from islands. In these studies, 86 bat species (about 7 % of the global extant tally) are reported as preyed upon or threatened by cats, and about one quarter of these species are listed as Near Threatened or threatened (IUCN categories Critically Endangered, Endangered, or Vulnerable). In IUCN Red List assessments, cats are more frequently mentioned as a threat to threatened or Near Threatened bat species than to non-threatened species (IUCN category Least Concern). 4. In studies reporting on the incidence of bats in cat dietary samples (scats, stomachs and guts), the frequency of occurrence of bats in samples averaged 0.7 ± 2.1 % (mean ± standard deviation; n = 102). Many studies had sample sizes that were too small to be likely to detect bats. 5. All forms of cat are reported to kill bats, and such predation has been reported in all major terrestrial habitats. We conclude that predation by cats is an under-appreciated threat to the world’s bat species.

OLIVAL, K. J., CRYAN, P. M., AMMAN, B. R., BARIC, R. S., BLEHERT, D. S., BROOK, C. E., CALISHER, C. H., CASTLE, K. T., COLEMAN, J. T. H., DASZAK, P., EPSTEIN, J. H., FIELD, H., FRICK, W. F., GILBERT, A. T., HAYMAN, D. T. S., IP, H. S., KARESH, W. B., JOHNSON, C. K., KADING, R. C., KINGSTON, T., LORCH, J. M., MENDENHALL, I. H., PEEL, A. J., PHELPS, K. L., PLOWRIGHT, R. K., REEDER, D. M., REICHARD, J. D., SLEEMAN, J. M., STREICKER, D. G., TOWNER, J. S. and WANG, L.-F. 2020. Possibility for reverse zoonotic transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to free-ranging wildlife: A case study of bats. PloS Pathogens, 16 (9): e1008758. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008758. The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the substantial public health, economic, and societal consequences of virus spillover from a wildlife reservoir. Widespread human transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) also presents a new set of challenges when considering viral spillover from people to naïve wildlife and other animal populations. The establishment of new wildlife reservoirs for SARS-CoV-2 would further complicate public health control measures and could lead to wildlife health and conservation impacts. Given the likely bat origin of SARS-CoV-2 and related beta-coronaviruses (ß-CoVs), free-ranging bats are a key group of concern for spillover from humans back to wildlife. Here, we review the diversity and natural host range of ß-CoVs in bats and examine the risk of humans inadvertently infecting free-ranging bats with SARS-CoV-2. Our review of the global distribution and host range of ß-CoV evolutionary lineages suggests that 40+ species of temperate-zone North American bats could be immunologically naïve and susceptible to infection by SARS-CoV-2. We highlight an urgent need to proactively connect the wellbeing of human and wildlife health during the current pandemic and to implement new tools to continue wildlife research while avoiding potentially severe health and conservation impacts of SARS-CoV-2 “spilling back” into free-ranging bat populations.

O’MALLEY, K. D., KUNIN, W. E., TOWN, M., MGOOLA, W. O. and STONE, E. L. 2020. Roost selection by Mauritian tomb bats (Taphozus mauritianus) in Lilongwe city, Malawi - importance of woodland for sustainable urban planning. PLoS ONE, 15 (11): e0240434. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240434. Increasing urbanisation has led to a greater use of artificial structures by bats as alternative roost sites. Despite the widespread presence of bats, roost availability may restrict their distribution and abundance in urban environments. There is limited quantitative information on the drivers of bat roost selection and roosting preferences, particularly in African bats. We explore the factors influencing roost selection in the (Taphozous mauritianus), within an urban landscape in Lilongwe city, Malawi. Eight building and five landscape features of roosts were compared with both adjacent and random control buildings throughout the city. Bat occupied buildings were situated closer to woodland (mean 709 m) compared to random buildings (mean 1847 m) but did not differ in any other landscape features explored. Roosts were situated on buildings with larger areas and taller walls, suggesting bats select features for predator-avoidance and acoustic perception when leaving the roost. Bats preferred buildings with exposed roof beams which may provide refuge from disturbance. Whilst roosts are situated more often on brick walls, this feature was also associated with landscape features, therefore its importance in roost selection is less clear. These results are indicative that T. mauritianus selects roosts at both the building and landscape level. The selectivity of T. mauritianus in relation to its roost sites implies that preferred roosts are a limited resource, and as such, conservation actions should focus on protecting roost sites and the woodland bats rely on.

ORLOVA, M. V., LAVERTY, T. M., REEVES, W. K., GRATTON, E. M. and DAVIES, M. L. 2020a. The first record of the spinturnicid mite Spinturnix kolenatii Oudemans, 1910 (: Gamasina: Spinturnicidae) from the long-tailed Eptesicus hottentotus A. Smith, 1833 (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in Africa. International Journal of Acarology, 46 (3): 160 - 164. doi: 10.1080/01647954.2020.1731596. Three individuals of a spinturnicid mite resembling, Spinturnix kolenatii, are reported from the long-tailed serotine bat, Eptesicus hottentotus A. Smith, 1833 (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae), caught in the Kunene Region of Namibia (Southern Africa). This is the first report of S. kolenatii in Africa, significantly expanding the geographical distribution range of this ectoparasite.

ORLOVA, M. V., LAVERTY, T. M., REEVES, W. K., GRATTON, E. M. and DAVIES, M. L. 2020b. The first finding of parasitic mite, Parasteatonyssus nyctinomi (Mesostigmata: Gamasina: ), in Namibia. Journal of the South African Veterinary Association, 91 (0): a2002. doi: 10.4102/jsava.v91i0.2002. Sixty-four individuals of a macronyssid mite, Parasteatonyssus nyctinomi (Zumpt, Patterson 1951), were identified from Egyptian free-tailed bats Tadarida aegyptiaca (É. Geoffroy 1818) (Chiroptera: Molossidae) captured in the Kunene region of Namibia (southern Africa). This is the first report on P. nyctinomi in the country.

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ORLOVA, M. V., LAVERTY, T. M., REEVES, W. K., GRATTON, E. M., DAVIES, M. L. and ANISIMOV, N. V. 2020c. New geographical and host record of bat ectoparasite Steatonyssus (Steatonyssus) afer Radovsky and Yunker, 1963 (Mesostigmata: Gamasina: Macronyssidae). Acarologia, 60 (4): 951 - 958. doi: 10.24349/ acarologia/20204411. Steatonyssus afer is recorded for the first time from Namibia and for the first time from Cistugo seabrae (Chiroptera: Cistugidae). Our finding is the southernmost locality for S. afer, expanding the geographical distribution range of this ectoparasite. We give diagnostic illustrations and measurements of the species.

O’TOOLE, B., SIMMONS, N. B. and HEKKALA, E. 2021. Reconstructing the genomic diversity of a widespread Sub- Saharan bat (Pteropodidae: Eidolon helvum) using archival museum collections. Acta Chiropterologica, 22 (2): 227 - 241 (for 2020). doi: 10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.2.001. Modern phylogeographic methods have confirmed that species with broad ranges often exhibit fine-scale patterns of genetic variation that are not reflected in their morphology. Recent genetic analyses of the straw-colored fruit bat (Eidolon helvum) deviate from this trend in identifying this species as broadly panmictic across its range in Sub-Saharan Africa. However, the limitations of sampling, along with potential for modern anthropogenic impacts to distort observed patterns, suggest that additional work is needed to assess true historical patterns of geographic variation in this species. We used Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) methods to assess patterns of variation found in historical samples of E. helvum and its sister species, E. dupreanum (a Malagasy endemic). Patterns of genomic variation observed among specimens collected between 1909 and 1983 were compared with those from more recently collected tissue samples from across much of the range of the genus. Our genetic analyses confirm that E. helvum and E. dupreanum are distinct species as traditionally recognized. Congruent with results from prior analyses of modern samples, no patterns of spatial genomic structuring were identified in E. helvum across continental Africa in either recent times or earlier in the 20th century. These results suggest that the currently observed pattern of panmixia in E. helvum is not a recent phenomenon; significant gene flow is apparently ongoing in this species across an exceptionally large area. This suggests that potentially zoonotic pathogens previously associated with populations of E. helvum may be similarly distributed or episodically transmitted across broad areas by this species. Our study additionally demonstrates that analyses utilizing ‘archival’ DNA from older specimens in museum collections have the potential to illuminate patterns of both past and contemporary biodiversity, and to help assess the impacts of habitat loss and climate change on species at the genomic level.

OUATTARA, S. and ÅRHEM, N. 2021. Fighting Ebola in the shadow of conspiracy theories and sorcery suspicions. Reflections on the West African EVD Outbreak in Guinea-Conakry (2013 - 2016). Cahiers d’études africaines, 61 (1) 241: 9 - 39. doi: 10.4000/etudesafricaines.33151. The Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa claimed more than 11,000 lives between 2013 - 2016. The source is believed to have been a single infection of a small boy, caused by contact with a bat. A huge international effort was mobilized to stem the spread of the disease. However, these efforts were hampered by a strong and sometimes violent resistance against the relief workers. This article focuses on the resistance in Guinea, arguing that the resistance was fueled by conspiracy theories, often originating in urban centers and communicated via social media. The conspiracy theories then merged with local sorcery beliefs, producing narratives in which Ebola relief workers and local politicians were presented as implicated in a sinister occult plot.

PATTERSON, B. D., WEBALA, P. W., LAVERY, T. H., AGWANDA, B. R., GOODMAN, S. M., KERBIS PETERHANS, J. C. and DEMOS, T. C. 2020. Evolutionary relationships and population genetics of the Afrotropical leaf- nosed bats (Chiroptera, Hipposideridae). ZooKeys, 929: 117 - 161. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.929.50240. The Old World leaf-nosed bats (Hipposideridae) are aerial and gleaning insectivores that occur throughout the Paleotropics. Both their taxonomic and phylogenetic histories are confused. Until recently, the family included genera now allocated to the Rhinonycteridae and was recognized as a subfamily of Rhinolophidae. Evidence that Hipposideridae diverged from both Rhinolophidae and Rhinonycteridae in the Eocene confirmed their family rank, but their intrafamilial relationships remain poorly resolved. We examined genetic variation in the Afrotropical hipposiderids Doryrhina, Hipposideros, and Macronycteris using relatively dense taxon-sampling throughout East Africa and neighboring regions. Variation in both mitochondrial (cyt-b) and four nuclear intron sequences (ACOX2, COPS, ROGDI, STAT5) were analysed using both maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods. We used intron sequences and the lineage delimitation method BPP - a multilocus, multi-species coalescent approach - on supported mitochondrial clades to identify those acting as independent evolutionary lineages. The program StarBEAST was used on the intron sequences to produce a species tree of the sampled Afrotropical hipposiderids. All genetic analyses strongly support generic monophyly, with Doryrhina and Macronycteris as Afrotropical sister genera distinct from a Paleotropical Hipposideros; mitochondrial analyses interpose the genera , , and Asellia between these clades. Mitochondrial analyses also suggest at least two separate colonizations of Africa by Asian groups of Hipposideros, but the actual number and direction of faunal interchanges will hinge on placement of the unsampled African-Arabian species H. megalotis. Mitochondrial sequences further identify a large number of geographically structured clades within species of all three genera. However, in sharp contrast to this pattern, the four nuclear introns fail to distinguish many of these groups and their geographic structuring disappears. Various distinctive mitochondrial clades are consolidated in the intron-based gene trees and delimitation analyses, calling into question their evolutionary independence or else indicating their very recent divergence. At the same time, there is now compelling genetic evidence in both mitochondrial and nuclear sequences for several additional unnamed species among the Afrotropical Hipposideros. Conflicting appraisals of differentiation among the Afrotropical hipposiderids based on mitochondrial and nuclear loci must be adjudicated by large-scale integrative analyses of echolocation calls, quantitative morphology, and geometric morphometrics. Integrative analyses will also help to resolve the challenging taxonomic issues posed by the diversification of the many lineages associated withH. caffer and H. ruber.

PAVEY, C. R. 2021. Comparative echolocation and foraging ecology of horseshoe bats (Rhinolophidae) and Old World leaf-nosed bats (Hipposideridae). Australian Journal of Zoology. doi: 10.1071/ZO20047. Horseshoe (Rhinolphidae) and Old World leaf-nosed (Hipposideridae) bats are high duty cycle (HDC) echolocators sharing a suite of adaptations including long duration signals relative to their signal periods, peak energy concentrated in a narrow spectral band dominated by a constant frequency (CF) component, ‘auditory fovea’ (over-representation and sharp tuning of neurons responsible

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for frequencies at or around the CF) and ability to compensate for Doppler shifts in echoes. HDC bats separate signals from returning echoes in the frequency domain. Rhinolophids are more specialised neurobiologically than hipposiderids, producing longer duration signals at higher duty cycles, and have narrowly tuned auditory fovea and almost full Doppler shift compensation. Here, I examine whether these differences have produced ecological divergence between the families by testing predictions of differences in prey perception, prey capture behaviour, foraging habitat and diet. I found no discernible differences in these variables between the two families. Rhinolophids and hipposiderids both forage close to vegetation, capture prey by aerial hawking and gleaning from surfaces, and consume mostly flying insects with spiders and terrestrial, flightless arthropods taken occasionally. The data presented here show that the two families are similar in foraging ecology despite differences in echolocation and audition.

PAVLOVICH, S. S., DARLING, T., HUME, A. J., DAVEY, R. A., FENG, F., MÜHLBERGER, E. and KEPLER, T. B. 2020. Egyptian rousette IFN-ω subtypes elicit distinct antiviral effects and transcriptional responses in conspecific cells. Frontiers in Immunology, 11: 435. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00435. Bats host a number of viruses that cause severe disease in humans without experiencing overt symptoms of disease themselves. While the mechanisms underlying this ability to avoid sickness are not known, deep sequencing studies of bat genomes have uncovered genetic adaptations that may have functional importance in the antiviral response of these animals. Egyptian rousette bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) are the natural reservoir hosts of Marburg virus (MARV). In contrast to humans, these bats do not become sick when infected with MARV. A striking difference to the human genome is that Egyptian rousettes have an expanded repertoire of IFNW genes. To probe the biological implications of this expansion, we synthesized IFN-ω4 and IFN-ω9 proteins and tested their antiviral activity in Egyptian rousette cells. Both IFN-ω4 and IFN-ω9 showed antiviral activity against RNA viruses, including MARV, with IFN-ω9 being more efficient than IFN-ω4. Using RNA-Seq, we examined the transcriptional response induced by each protein. Although the sets of genes induced by the two IFNs were largely overlapping, IFN-ω9 induced a more rapid and intense response than did IFN-ω4. About 13 % of genes induced by IFN-ω treatment are not found in the Interferome or other ISG databases, indicating that they may be uniquely IFN-responsive in this bat.

PAWESKA, J. T., STORM, N., MARKOTTER, W., DI PAOLA, N., WILEY, M. R., PALACIOS, G. and JANSEN VAN VUREN, P. 2020. Shedding of Marburg virus in naturally infected Egyptian rousette bats, South Africa, 2017. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 26 (12): 3051 - 3055. doi: 10.3201/eid2612.202108. We detected Marburg virus RNA in rectal swab samples from Egyptian rousette bats in South Africa in 2017. This finding signifies that fecal contamination of natural bat habitats is a potential source of infection for humans. Identified genetic sequences are closely related to Ravn virus, implying wider distribution of Marburg virus in Africa.

POWER, M. L., POWER, S., BERTELSEN, M. F., JONES, G. and TEELING, E. C. 2020. Wing: A suitable nonlethal tissue type for repeatable and rapid telomere length estimates in bats. Molecular Ecology Resources, 21 (2): 421 - 432 (for 2021). doi: 10.1111/1755-0998.13276. Telomeres are used increasingly in ecology and evolution as biomarkers for ageing and environmental stress, and are typically measured from DNA extracted from nonlethally sampled blood. However, obtaining blood is not always possible in field conditions and only limited amounts can be taken from small mammals, such as bats, which moreover lack nucleated red blood cells and hence yield relatively low amounts of DNA. As telomere length can vary within species according to age and tissue, it is important to determine which tissues serve best as a representation of the organism as a whole. Here, we investigated whether wing tissue biopsies, a rapid and relatively noninvasive tissue collection method, could serve as a proxy for other tissues when measuring relative telomere length (rTL) in the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus). Telomeres were measured from blood, brain, heart, kidney, liver lung, muscle and wing, and multiple wing biopsies were taken from the same individuals to determine intra-individual repeatability of rTL measured by using qPCR. Wing rTL correlated with rTL estimates from most tissues apart from blood. Blood rTL was not significantly correlated with rTL from any other tissue. Blood and muscle rTLs were significantly longer compared with other tissues, while lung displayed the shortest rTLs. Individual repeatability of rTL measures from wing tissue was high (> 70%). Here we show the relationships between tissue telomere dynamics for the first time in a bat, and our results provide support for the use of wing tissue for rTL measurements.

PRAT, Y. and YOVEL, Y. 2020. Decision making in foraging bats. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 60: 169 - 175. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2019.12.006. Foraging is a complex and cognitively demanding behavior. Although it is often regarded as a mundane task, foraging requires the continuous weighting and integration of many sources of information with varying levels of credence. Bats are extremely diverse in their ecology and behavior, and thus demonstrate a wide variety of foraging strategies. In this review, we examine the different factors influencing the decision process of bats during foraging. Technological developments of recent years will soonenable real-time tracking of environmental conditions, of the position and quality of food items, the location of conspecifics, and the bat’s movement history. Monitoring these variables alongside the continuous movement of the bat will facilitate the testing of different decision-making theories such as the use of reinforcement learning in wild free ranging bats and other animals.

PRETORIUS, M., BRODERS, H. and KEITH, M. 2020a. Threat analysis of modelled potential migratory routes for Miniopterus natalensis in South Africa. Austral Ecology, 45 (8): 1110 - 1122. doi: 10.1111/aec.12940. Migrant cave-dwelling insectivores that rely on specific caves for maternity and hibernation, like the Natal long-fingered bats Miniopterus natalensis in South Africa, may be at particular risk of population decline in an urbanising world. As a step towards the conservation of caves and cave-dwelling bats in South Africa, this study aimed to (i) broadly identify the number of caves used by bats (any species) and specifically M. natalensis, throughout South Africa, (ii) investigate the number of maternity and hibernacula roosts currently known for M. natalensis, (iii) assess the number of caves located in formal protected areas, (iv) determine potential migration paths/corridors between hibernacula and maternity sites and (v) evaluate the potential threats (like onshore wind facilities) along potential migratory routes. A meta-analysis of scientific literature and websites was conducted to identify caves throughout South Africa and locations of maternity and hibernacula roosts for M. natalensis. Roosts were assessed to determine whether (i) they were located in protected areas, (ii) they were used for eco-tourism and (iii) the distance to primary roads and onshore wind energy facilities. Next, likely migratory paths were modelled between maternity and hibernacula sites using least-cost path analysis

Recent Literature African Bat Conservation News ISSN 1812-1268 July 2021 vol. 49 53 and the threats along potential routes were investigated. A total of 92 caves were identified, 50 were reported to contain bats. M. natalensis were recorded in 37 caves, and of those, only 9 % are currently located inside protected areas. A total of 12 least-cost paths were modelled, and various paths intersected potential threat risk elements. Our analysis provides the first description of the potential migration corridors for M. natalensis in South Africa, as well as the current conservation status of bat-inhabited caves. For a developing country set to experience increased urbanisation pressures, this study highlights the need for conservation measures for South African caves and the dependent bats.

PRETORIUS, M., BRODERS, H., SEAMARK, E. and KEITH, M. 2020b. Climatic correlates of migrant Natal long- fingered bat (Miniopterus natalensis) phenology in north-eastern South Africa. Wildlife Research, 47 (5): 404 - 414. doi: 1071/WR19165. Context. For migratory animals, particularly those with long generation times, changing weather patterns may cause a mismatch between periods of expected and actual resource availability, termed phenological mismatch. The cave-dwelling Natal long-fingered bat (Miniopterus natalensis) is a regional migrant within South Africa for which the (hitherto unknown) phenology of migration may be affected by climate. Aims. To investigate the migration phenology of the Natal long-fingered bat in relation to climate at a maternity cave in South Africa. Methods. Five years (2014 - 18) of echolocation data from a maternity cave site in Limpopo, South Africa, were studied. Separate stepwise General Linear Models (GLMs) were constructed for each season using photoperiod, minimum temperature, dew point, rainfall, barometric pressure, humidity and maximum wind speed. Arrival and departure dates among years were also compared. Key results. Photoperiod had the greatest effect on the magnitude of Natal long-fingered bat phenological patterns in activity across all seasons. Although spring (September - November) arrival at the maternity site was variable across years, summer departure dates did not differ, resulting in a shorter breeding period in the 2017 - 18 sample year. During the 2016 - 17 sample year, the magnitude of Natal long-fingered bat activity was significantly lower than in other years, which coincided with El Niño-induced drought conditions and likely impacted resources and led to a reduction in activity and population size. Conclusions. Photoperiod is a strong predictive cue of the phenology of migration of the Natal long-fingered bat and likely cues migration for this species. The narrow departure dates of these bats from the maternity site supports these results. Implications. The present study indicates that Natal long-fingered bats use photoperiod as a migration cue and do not appear to shift their spring-summer breeding season, likely making them vulnerable to phenological mismatch and population decline. The research highlights the need for systematic population monitoring for the Natal long-fingered bat.

PRETORIUS, M., MARKOTTER, W., KEARNEY, T., SEAMARK, E., BRODERS, H. and KEITH, M. 2021. No evidence of pre-hibernation or pre-migratory body mass gain in Miniopterus natalensis in north-eastern South Africa. Journal of Vertebrate Biology, 70 (1): 20088. doi: 10.25225/jvb.20088. Migration and hibernation are survival strategies that require physiological preparation using fattening. Bats employ both strategies in times of resource shortages. However, because males and females vary seasonally in their reproductive physiological needs, they may employ different fattening patterns. Whilst fattening, migration and hibernation are common in temperate bats, little is known about subtropical migratory insectivores. This study investigated seasonal variation in body mass of the regionally migrating Natal long-fingered bat Miniopterus natalensis to determine if males and females show fattening in preparation for migration/hibernation. Seasonal change best explained the variation observed in overall body mass, whilst sex and forearm length explained the variation to a lesser extent. Body mass between males and females differed significantly by reproductive category among the four seasons. Forearm length was a significant predictor of the body mass of males. Scrotal males had a higher body mass in summer compared to autumn. This pattern of mass gain was not observed in non-scrotal males. The summer body mass of nonpregnant and post- lactating females was not significantly higher than the autumn body mass of nonpregnant females, which did not support the hypothesis that females would exhibit fattening during summer before migration. Results suggest that males and females employ different mass-gain strategies related to reproductive investment rather than fattening preparation for migration or hibernation.

PRETORIUS, M., VAN CAKENBERGHE, V., BRODERS, H. and KEITH, M. 2020c. Temperature explains variation in seasonal temporal activity of Miniopterus natalensis more than moonlight or humidity. Mammal Research, 65 (4): 755 - 765. doi: 10.1007/s13364-020-00531-w. Animals partition their daily activities based on a variety of internal and external factors. For insectivorous bats, the availability of prey, weather conditions, moonlight and reproductive energy demands are proposed as the major influencers of temporal activity. This study investigated the temporal variation in activity of the subtropical cave-dwelling, migratory Natal long-fingered bat, Miniopterus natalensis, by temperature, humidity, lunar illumination and the time of moonrise per night. Using echolocation survey data collected 2014 - 2018 near a maternity roost in north-eastern South Africa, differences in activity between the summer maternity (1 September - 28 February) and winter non-breeding (1 March - 31 August) seasons were described. In the non-breeding season, M. natalensis exhibited peak activity during the early evening, with decreasing activity throughout the night. In the maternity season, a bimodal activity pattern was observed, probably related to peaks in insect activity and the energy requirements of lactating females. Predictably, temperature had the strongest positive influence on the magnitude of M. natalensis activity across both seasons. Humidity also positively affected activity in both seasons to a lesser extent. The time of moonrise did not affect the activity of M. natalensis during either of the seasons. Lunar illumination did not affect activity during the maternity season, but activity was diminished on nights with bright moonlight in the non-breeding season. Emergence and return times were not affected by lunar illumination in either season. The need of M. natalensis to maximise resource acquisition during the maternity season is likely a strong modulator in the temporal activity of this species and outweighs predation risk in high moonlight conditions. Subsequently, this species exhibits nightly activity behaviours that balance risk factors with intrinsic needs during different seasons.

QIU, Y., KAJIHARA, M., NAKAO, R., MULENGA, E., HARIMA, H., HANG’OMBE, B. M., ETO, Y., CHANGULA, K., MWIZABI, D., SAWA, H., HIGASHI, H., MWEENE, A., TAKADA, A., SIMUUNZA, M. and SUGIMOTO, C. 2020. Isolation of Candidatus Bartonella rousetti and other bat-associated Bartonellae from bats and their flies in Zambia. Pathogens, 9 (6): 469. doi: 10.3390/pathogens9060469. Bat-associated bartonellae, including Bartonella mayotimonensis and Candidatus Bartonella rousetti, were recently identified as

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emerging and potential zoonotic agents, respectively. However, there is no report of bat-associated bartonellae in Zambia. Thus, we aimed to isolate and characterize Bartonella spp. from bats and bat flies captured in Zambia by culturing and PCR. Overall, Bartonella spp. were isolated from six out of 36 bats (16.7 %), while Bartonella DNA was detected in nine out of 19 bat flies (47.3 %). Subsequent characterization using a sequence of five different genes revealed that three isolates obtained from Egyptian fruit bats (Rousettus aegyptiacus) were Ca. B. rousetti. The isolates obtained from insectivorous bats (Macronycteris vittatus) were divided into two previously unclassified bat-associated bartonellae. A phylogenetic analysis of the six genotypes ofBartonella gltA sequences from nine pathogen-positive bat flies revealed that three genotypes belonged to the same clades as bat-associated bartonellae, including Ca. B. rousetti. The other three genotypes represented arthropod-associated bartonellae, which have previously been isolated only from ectoparasites. We demonstrated that Ca. B. rousetti is maintained between bats (R. aegyptiacus) and bat flies in Zambia. Continuous surveillance of Bartonella spp. in bats and serological surveys in humans in Africa are warranted to evaluate the public health importance of bat-associated bartonellae.

RAHMA, A., HANADHITA, D., PRAWIRA, A. Y., RAHMIATI, D. U., GUNANTI, G., MAHESHWARI, H., SATYANINGTIJAS, A. S. and AGUNGPRIYONO, S. 2021. Radiographic anatomy of the heart of fruit bats. Anatomia Histologia Embryologia, 50 (3): 604 - 613. doi: 10.1111/ahe.12667. As the only mammal that can fly, bats have organ systems with a unique morpho-physiology. One of the highlights is the heart and blood circulation system, which must be able to meet the needs of blood and oxygen supply when flying. This study examined the radiography of the normal condition of the heart organ in 3 species of fruit bats, namely Cynopterus titthaecheilus, Cynopterus brachyotis and Rousettus leschenaultii using radiological silhouette analysis and clock analogy. The results showed that the heart positions of the three bat species tend to be tilted to the left with the apex moving away from the midsagittal plane. Analysis of intercostal space (ICS) value and vertebral heart score (VHS), and evaluation of radiographic features showed R. leschenaultii has a relatively larger heart size than the other two species. All three bat species have a higher VHS than mammals in general. Radiographic images obtained, and interpretation results show the position, size and normal heart parts of the three bat species. They will be useful in diagnostic efforts related to heart problems in these three species.

RAMANANTSALAMA, R. V. and GOODMAN, S. M. 2020. Timing of emergence and cave return, and duration of nocturnal activity in an endemic Malagasy fruit bat. Tropical Zoology, 33 (1): 23 - 35. doi: 10.4081/ tz.2020.68. Bats emerge from their day roost after dusk and different factors can affect the timing of departure, return, and duration of nocturnal activities. This study provides information on the time of emergence and return of an endemic Malagasy fruit bat, Rousettus madagascariensis, in a cave located in the Réserve Spéciale d’Ankarana, northern Madagascar. Individuals were captured in a narrow passage between the roost and cave exit and capture time for each individual was noted. Variation according to sex, age, and body condition, as well as the influence of season, and the sunset and sunrise time were analyzed. During the dry season, individuals started to emerge at 1913 hours and returned to the cave generally by 0505 hours; the duration of time outside the cave during the dry season was higher in adult females (0952 hours) followed by subadult males (0937 hours), sub-adult females (0931 hours), and adult males (0910 hours). During the wet season, individuals exited at 1926 hours and returned at 0351 hours; as in the dry season, adult females spent more time outside the cave (0833 hours), than sub-adult females (0800 hours), and adult males (0752 hours). The period of emergence varied according to the age and sex classes, and time of predawn return associated with the previous nocturnal activity. The period of return was influenced by season, and age and sex classes. Such information is useful to quantify shifts in bat ecology, especially for endemic species with limited distribution or those playing an important role in ecosystem services.

RAMESH, V. and JAUNKY, V. C. 2020. Public awareness and perception towards conservation of Mauritian Flying Fox (Pteropus niger): Structural equation modelling. Materials Today: Proceedings, 37 (2): 2269 - 2278 (for 2021). doi: 10.1016/j.matpr.2020.07.703. The Mauritian Flying Fox (Pteropus niger), familiar as Greater Mascarene Flying Fox (Mauritius Fruit Bat), a large bat species common to Mauritius and La Réunion. Mauritian Flying Fox is vulnerable to extinction due to lack of concern in their conservation, particularly when they are perceived as a threat to urban life. Preservative initiatives among the public are subject to awareness and perception. Assessment of public attitude and perception in the case of elusive animals is quite challenging. The paper examines public awareness, experience and threat encountered, perception, willing to preserve Mauritian Flying Fox, along with significant socio-demographic factors. NEP scale is used to test the willingness to accept these mammals. Using a five-point Likert scale questionnaire, a drop-off survey is conducted. The response rate is satisfactory (KMO and Bartlet: significant at 0.5, 0.7, 0.7, and 0.8) and suitable for further analysis. Factor Analysis (FA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) is computed followed by a path diagram. Contingency Valuation Method (CVM) is used to test the respondent’s willingness (Willingness to Accept) in preserving these mammals. Respondents are having decent information about the ecosystem and perceived these mammals positively, while few respondents have an adverse approach towards these mammals and support culling. This may be due to ignorance and lack of awareness in the ecological system. The study indicates that the conservation success of Mauritian Flying Fox mainly depends on good awareness programs among the community. Positive perception and attitude mend the willingness to preserve these mammals. The findings of this study recommend more holistic approaches to wildlife conservation (Mauritian Flying Fox) that integrate simultaneously knowledge, attitude, perception, and willingness to preserve wildlife perfection.

RAMÍREZ-FRÁNCEL, L.A., GARCÍA-HERRERA, L.V., LOSADA-PRADO, S., REINOSO-FLÓREZ, G., SÁNCHEZ- HERNÁNDEZ, A., ESTRADA-VILLEGAS, S., LIM, B.K. and GUEVARA, G. 2021. Bats and their vital ecosystem services: a global review. Integrative Zoology. doi: 10.1111/1749-4877.12552. Bats play crucial ecosystem services as seed dispersers, pollinators, controllers of insects, and nutrient recyclers. However, there has not been a thorough global review evaluating these roles in bats across all biogeographical regions of the world. We reviewed the literature published during the last two decades and identified 283 relevant studies: 78 dealt with the control of potential insect pests by bats, 80 related to the suppression of other arthropods, 60 on the dispersal of native or endemic seeds, 11 dealt with the dispersal of seeds of introduced plants, 29 on the pollination of native or endemic plants, 1 study on pollination of introduced plants, and 24 on the use of guano as fertilizer. Our literature search showed that queries combining the terms “seed dispersal,”

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“insectivorous bats,” “nectarivorous bats,” “use of guano,” and “ecosystem services” returned 577 studies, but half were experimental in nature. We found that the evaluation of ecosystem services by bats has been mostly conducted in the Neotropical and Palearctic regions. To detect differences across relevant studies, and to explain trends in the study of ecosystem services provided by bats, we performed generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) fitted with a Poisson distribution to analyze potential differences among sampling methods. We identified 409 bat species that provide ecosystem services, 752 insect species consumed by bats and 549 plant species either dispersed or pollinated by bats. Our review summarizes the importance of conserving bat populations and the ecological services they provide, which is especially important during the current pandemic.

RAMÍREZ-MARTÍNEZ, M.M., BENNETT, A.J., DUNN, C.D., YUILL, T.M. and GOLDBERG, T.L. 2021. Bat flies of the family Streblidae (Diptera: Hippoboscoidea) host relatives of medically and agriculturally important “bat-associated” viruses. Viruses, 13 (5): 860. doi: 10.3390/v13050860. Bat flies (Hippoboscoidea: Nycteribiidae and Streblidae) are obligate hematophagous ectoparasites of bats. We collected streblid bat flies from the New World (México) and the Old World (Uganda), and used metagenomics to identify their viruses. In México, we found méjal virus (Rhabdoviridae; Vesiculovirus), Amate virus (Reoviridae: ), and two unclassified viruses of . Méjal virus is related to emerging zoonotic encephalitis viruses and to the agriculturally important vesicular stomatitis viruses (VSV). Amate virus and its sister taxon from a bat are most closely related to mosquito- and -borne , suggesting a previously unrecognized orbivirus transmission cycle involving bats and bat flies. In Uganda, we found mamucuso virus (: ) and two unclassified viruses (a rhabdovirus and an invertebrate virus). Mamucuso virus is related to encephalitic viruses of mammals and to viruses from nycteribiid bat flies and louse flies, suggesting a previously unrecognized orthobunyavirus transmission cycle involving hippoboscoid insects. Bat fly virus transmission may be neither strictly vector-borne nor strictly vertical, with opportunistic feeding by bat flies occasionally leading to zoonotic transmission. Many “bat-associated” viruses, which are ecologically and epidemiologically associated with bats but rarely or never found in bats themselves, may actually be viruses of bat flies or other bat ectoparasites.

RASOANORO, M., GOODMAN, S. M., RANDRIANARIVELOJOSIA, M., RAKOTONDRATSIMBA, M., DELLAGI, K., TORTOSA, P. and RAMASINDRAZANA, B. 2021. Diversity, distribution, and drivers of Polychromophilus infection in Malagasy bats. Malaria Journal, 20 (1): 157. doi: 10.1186/s12936-021-03696-0. Background: Numerous studies have been undertaken to advance knowledge of apicomplexan parasites infecting vertebrates, including humans. Of these parasites, the genus Plasmodium has been most extensively studied because of the socio-economic and public health impacts of malaria. In non-human vertebrates, studies on malaria or malaria-like parasite groups have been conducted but information is far from complete. In Madagascar, recent studies on bat blood parasites indicate that three chiropteran families (Miniopteridae, Rhinonycteridae, and Vespertilionidae) are infected by the genus Polychromophilus with pronounced host specificity: Miniopterus spp. (Miniopteridae) harbour Polychromophilus melanipherus and Myotis goudoti (Vespertilionidae) is infected by Polychromophilus murinus. However, most of the individuals analysed in previous studies were sampled on the western and central portions of the island. The aims of this study are (1) to add new information on bat blood parasites in eastern Madagascar, and (2) to highlight biotic and abiotic variables driving prevalence across the island. Methods: Fieldworks were undertaken from 2014 to 2016 in four sites in the eastern portion of Madagascar to capture bats and collect biological samples. Morphological and molecular techniques were used to identify the presence of haemosporidian parasites. Further, a MaxEnt modelling was undertaken using data from Polychromophilus melanipherus to identify variables influencing the presence of this parasite. Results: In total, 222 individual bats belonging to 17 species and seven families were analysed. Polychromophilus infections were identified in two families: Miniopteridae and Vespertilionidae. Molecular data showed thatPolychromophilus spp. parasitizing Malagasy bats form a monophyletic group composed of three distinct clades displaying marked host specificity. In addition to P. melanipherus and P. murinus, hosted by Miniopterus spp. and Myotis goudoti, respectively, a novel Polychromophilus lineage was identified from a single individual ofScotophilus robustus. Based on the present study and the literature, different biotic and abiotic factors are shown to influence Polychromophilus infection in bats, which are correlated based on MaxEnt modelling. Conclusions: The present study improves current knowledge on Polychromophilus blood parasites infecting Malagasy bats and confirms the existence of a novel Polychromophilus lineage in Scotophilus bats. Additional studies are needed to obtain additional material of this novel lineage to resolve its taxonomic relationship with known members of the genus. Further, the transmission mode of Polychromophilus in bats as well as its potential effect on bat populations should be investigated to complement the results provided by MaxEnt modelling and eventually provide a comprehensive picture of the biology of host-parasite interactions.

RAZGOUR, O. 2020. Plecotus austriacus species complex (P. austriacus, P. kolombatovici, P. gaisleri, P. teneriffae). In: Hackländer, K., Zachos, F.E. (Eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of Europe. Springer Nature Switzerland: 1 - 36. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-65038-8_73-1.

RAZGOUR, O., KASSO, M., SANTOS, H. and JUSTE, J. 2020. Up in the air: Threats to biodiversity from climate change and habitat loss revealed by genetic monitoring of the Ethiopian Highlands bat. Evolutionary Applications, 14 (3): 794 - 806 (for 2021). doi: 10.1111/eva.13161. While climate change is recognized as a major future threat to biodiversity, most species are currently threatened by extensive human-induced habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation. Tropical high-altitude alpine and montane forest ecosystems and their biodiversity are particularly sensitive to temperature increases under climate change, but they are also subject to accelerated pressures from land conversion and degradation due to a growing human population. We studied the combined effects of anthropogenic land-use change, past and future climate changes and mountain range isolation on the endemic Ethiopian Highlands long-eared bat, Plecotus balensis, an understudied bat that is restricted to the remnant natural high-altitude Afroalpine and Afromontane habitats. We integrated ecological niche modelling, landscape genetics and model-based inference to assess the genetic, geographic and demographic impacts of past and recent environmental changes. We show that mountain range isolation and historic climates shaped population structure and patterns of genetic variation, but recent anthropogenic land-use change and habitat degradation are associated with a severe population decline and loss of genetic diversity. Models predict that the suitable

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niche of this bat has been progressively shrinking since the last glaciation period. This study highlights threats to Afroalpine and Afromontane biodiversity, squeezed to higher altitudes under climate change while losing genetic diversity and suffering population declines due to anthropogenic land-use change. We conclude that the conservation of tropical montane biodiversity requires a holistic approach, using genetic, ecological and geographic information to understand the effects of environmental changes across temporal scales and simultaneously addressing the impacts of multiple threats.

REEVES, W. K., LAVERTY, T. M., GRATTON, E. M., MUSHABATI, L. M. and EISEB, S. J. 2020a. New national records for Cyclopodia greeffi greeffi (Diptera: Nycteribiidae) from the Kunene Region, Namibia, Africa. Entomological News, 129 (3): 327 - 329. doi: 10.3157/021.129.0311.

REEVES, W. K., MANS, B. J., DURDEN, L. A., MILLER, M. M., GRATTON, E. M. and LAVERTY, T. M. 2020b. Rickettsia hoogstraalii and a Rickettsiella from the bat tick Argas transgariepinus, in Namibia. Journal of parasitology, 106 (5): 663 - 669. doi: 10.1645/20-46. Ectoparasites were collected from Eptesicus hottentotus, the long-tailed serotine bat, caught in Namibia as part of an ecological study. Larvae of Argas transgariepinus, a blood-feeding ectoparasite of bats in Africa, were removed from 3 of 18 bats. We present scanning electron microscope images of unengorged larvae. As with other ectoparasites, this bat tick might transmit pathogens such as Borrelia and Rickettsia to their hosts as has been reported for bat ticks in Europe and North America. We screened 3 pools (25 total) of larvae of A. transgariepinus removed from the long-tailed serotine bat Eptesicus hottentotus caught in Namibia. Two microbes of unknown pathogenicity, including Rickettsia hoogstraalii, a spotted fever group pathogen, and a Rickettsiella sp. were detected by molecular techniques.

REHER, S. and DAUSMANN, K. H. 2021. Tropical bats counter heat by combining torpor with adaptive hyperthermia. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, B 288 (1942): 20202059. doi: 10.1098/ rspb.2020.2059. Many tropical mammals are vulnerable to heat because their water budget limits the use of evaporative cooling for heat compensation. Further increasing temperatures and aridity might consequently exceed their thermoregulatory capacities. Here, we describe two novel modes of torpor, a response usually associated with cold or resource bottlenecks, as efficient mechanisms to counter heat. We conducted a field study on the Malagasy bat Macronycteris commersoni resting in foliage during the hot season, unprotected from environmental extremes. On warm days, the bats alternated between remarkably short micro-torpor bouts and normal resting metabolism within a few minutes. On hot days, the bats extended their torpor bouts over the hottest time of the day while tolerating body temperatures up to 42.9°C. Adaptive hyperthermia combined with lowered metabolic heat production from torpor allows higher heat storage from the environment, negates the need for evaporative cooling and thus increases heat tolerance. However, it is a high-risk response as the torpid bats cannot defend body temperature if ambient temperature increases above a critical/lethal threshold. Torpor coupled with hyperthermia and micro-torpor bouts broaden our understanding of the basic principles of thermal physiology and demonstrate how mammals can perform near their upper thermal limits in an increasingly warmer world.

RICHARDS, L. R., COOPER-BOHANNON, R., KOCK, D., AMR, Z. S. S., MICKLEBURGH, S., HUTSON, A. M., BERGMANS, W. and AULAGNIER, S. 2020. Hipposideros caffer, Cape Leaf-nosed bat. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T80459007A22094271. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS. T80459007A22094271.en.

ROCHA, R., FERNÁNDEZ-LLAMAZARES, Á., LÓPEZ-BAUCELLS, A., ANDRIAMITANDRINA, S. F. M., ANDRIATAFIKA, Z. E., TEMBA, E. M., TORRENT, L., BURGAS, D. and CABEZA, M. 2021a. Human-bat interactions in rural southwestern Madagascar through a biocultural lens. Journal of Ethnobiology, 41 (1): 53 - 69. doi: 10.2993/0278-0771-41.1.53. Human-bat interactions are common in rural areas across the tropics. Over 40 bat species occur in Madagascar, most of which are endemic. Forest loss is changing the distribution of bats throughout the island, with potential increases in both the abundance of synanthropic species and human-bat interactions. We set out to study knowledge of, interactions with, and attitudes towards bats in rural Madagascar, including reports of food and ethnomedicinal uses of bats, their cultural representations in folklore, and the existence of culturally enforced taboos in relation to them. We administered 108 surveys with open- and closed-ended questions with adults from the Tanala and Betsileo ethnic groups living around Ranomafana National Park. Most interviewees mentioned at least two types of bats. Over 10 % of the interviewees had consumed bats and ~20 % used bat guano as a fertilizer. Around one- fifth recognized cultural taboos inhibiting bat hunting and consumption and most considered bats not to be dangerous. However, some informants mentioned that bats could carry diseases and complained about the bad smell and noise associated with bat roosts in houses and public buildings. Nearly 25 % of the respondents could identify cultural representations of bats in local folklore. Malagasy rural communities interact closely with bats, but severely underestimate the diversity of bat species around them. Taken together, our results greatly increase the understanding of social-ecological complexities of human-bat relationships in rural Madagascar, offer possible pathways for biocultural approaches to conservation, and yield insights applicable to other communities coexisting with bats across the humid tropics.

ROCHA, R., LÓPEZ-BAUCELLS, A. and FERNÁNDEZ-LLAMAZARES, Á. 2021b. Ethnobiology of bats: exploring human-bat inter-relationships in a rapidly changing world. Journal of Ethnobiology, 41 (1): 3 - 17. doi: 10.2993/0278-0771-41.1.3. Although elusive due to their mostly nocturnal behavior, bats have fascinated humans for millennia. From their ubiquitous presence in Mayan mythology to being regarded as symbols of good fortune in the Middle-to-Late Qing Dynasty of China, bats have been both feared and celebrated across cultures from all over the world. The research articles included in this collection illustrate the myriad ways in which bats and humans have interacted over time, highlighting how these airborne mammals have been associated with death, witchcraft, vampires, malevolent spirits, and evil in some cultures, while, in other places - particularly across the Asia- Pacific region - they have been largely linked to luck and good fortune and used as spiritual totems. This collection also showcases

Recent Literature African Bat Conservation News ISSN 1812-1268 July 2021 vol. 49 57 how multiple cultural groups, particularly across the tropics, have traditionally hunted bats for human consumption and traditional medicine, and used their guano as a fertilizer. In times of rapid global change and when bats are often associated with zoonotic disease risks, a trend that has been magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic, this special issue constitutes one significant step towards a richer understanding of bat-human inter-relationships. The lives of humans and bats have been closely intertwined over time and our collection celebrates how bat diversity supports the biocultural richness of our planet.

ROSSONI, D. M., DEMOS, T. C., GOODMAN, S. M., YEGO, R. K., MOHLMAN, J. L., WEBALA, P. W. and PATTERSON, B. D. 2020. Genetic, morphological and acoustic differentiation of African trident bats (Rhinonycteridae: Triaenops). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 192 (1): 236 - 257 (for 2021). doi: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaa098. Rhinonycteridae (trident bats) are a small Palaeotropical family of insectivorous bats allied to Hipposideridae. Their taxonomy has been in a state of flux. Here, we use mitochondrial and nuclear sequences to evaluate species relationships, confirming the monophyly of both Triaenops and Paratriaenops. Although most Triaenops afer specimens are recovered as a group, mitochondrial analyses strongly support some Kenyan individuals as members of Triaenops persicus. Analyses of four nuclear introns (ACOX2, COPS7A, RODGI and STAT5A) strongly support the mitochondrial topology. Morphometric analysis of the skull, external morphology and echolocation calls confirm that the Triaenops from the Rift Valley in Kenya (Nakuru, Baringo and Pokot counties) are distinct from typical T. afer in coastal (Kilifi and Kwale counties) or interior (Laikipia and Makueni counties) colonies. We interpret these analyses to indicate that two species of Triaenops occur in East Africa: T. afer in coastal regions along the Indian Ocean and in the highlands of central Kenya and Ethiopia, and T. persicus in the Rift Valley of Kenya. Although they appear widely disjunct from Middle Eastern populations, Kenyan T. persicus might be more widely distributed in the Rift Valley; they are somewhat differentiated from Middle Eastern populations in terms of both cranial morphology and vocalizations.

SANCHEZ, C. L. and A’BEAR, L. 2020. January and February 2020 monthly report. Internal Report for Seychelles Islands Foundation.

SÁNDOR, A.D., MIHALCA, A.D., DOMŞA, C., PÉTER, Á. and HORNOK, S. 2021a. Argasid ticks of palearctic bats: distribution, host selection, and zoonotic importance. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 8: 684737. doi: 10.3389/fvets.2021.684737. The soft ticks (Ixodida: ) are ectoparasites of terrestrial vertebrates with a wide geographic distribution, occurring on all continents. These ticks are obligate blood-feeders, most of them show high degrees of host-specialization and several species in arid and tropical regions are important parasites of livestock and men. Species commonly occurring on domestic animals and man are generally well-known, with many studies focusing on their ecology, distribution or vectorial role. However, wildlife-specialist soft ticks are less studied. Nearly half of all soft tick species are bat specialists, with five species (Carios vespertilionis, Chiropterargas boueti, Chiropterargas confusus, Reticulinasus salahi, and Secretargas transgariepinus) occurring in the Western Palearctic. There is no comprehensive study on the distribution, hosts or pathogens in these soft ticks, although most species were shown to carry several viral, bacterial, or protozoan pathogens and also to occasionally infest humans. Based on a literature survey and 1,120 distinct georeferenced records, we present here the geographical range, host selection and vectorial potential for bat-specialist soft ticks occurring in the Western Palearctic (chiefly Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East). Carios vespertilionis shows the largest distribution range and was found on most host species, being ubiquitous wherever crevice-roosting bats occur. All the other species were located only in areas with Mediterranean climate, with Ch. boueti, Chiropteraragas confusus, and R. salahi are missing entirely from Europe. These three species have a host spectrum of bats roosting primarily in caves, while S. transgariepinus and Ca. vespertilionis is feeding primarily on crevice-roosting bat species. All but one of these soft tick species are known to feed on humans and may be vectors of important disease agents (Rickettsia spp., Borrelia spp., Bartonella spp., Ehrlichia spp., Babesia spp., several nairo-, and flaviviruses). As several crevice-roosting bat species show a continuous adaptation to human-altered areas, with certain species becoming common city-dwellers in the Western Palearctic, the study of bat specialist soft ticks is also important from an epidemiologic point of view.

SÁNDOR, A. D., PÉTER, Á., CORDUNEANU, A., BARTI, L., CSOSZ, I., KALMÁR, Z., HORNOK, S., KONTSCHÁN, J. and MIHALCA, A. D. 2021b. Wide distribution and diversity of malaria-related haemosporidian parasites (Polychromophilus spp.) in bats and their ectoparasites in eastern Europe. Microorganisms, 9 (2): 230. doi: 10.3390/microorganisms9020230. Malaria is responsible for major diseases of humans, while associated haemosporidians are important factors in regulating wildlife populations. Polychromophilus, a haemosporidian parasite of bats, is phylogenetically close to human-pathogenic Plasmodium species, and their study may provide further clues for understanding the evolutionary relationships between vertebrates and malarial parasites. Our aim was to investigate the distribution of Polychromophilus spp. in Eastern Europe and test the importance of host ecology and roost site on haemosporidian parasite infection of bats. We sampled bats and their ectoparasites at eight locations in Romania and Bulgaria. DNA was extracted from blood samples and ectoparasites and tested individually for the presence of DNA of Polychromophilus spp. using a nested PCR targeting a 705 bp fragment of cytB. Two species of Polychromophilus were identified: Po. melanipherus in Miniopterus schreibersii and associated ectoparasites and Po. murinus in rhinolophid and vespertilionid bats (6 species) and their ticks and nycteribiid flies. Only cave-dwelling bat species (and their ectoparasites) showed infections, and we found a strong correlation between infections with Polychromophilus parasites and Nycteribiidae prevalence. We report the high genetic diversity of Polychromophilus spp. in Eastern Europe, suggesting that the simultaneous presence of varied host and vector assemblages enhances bat haemosporidian parasite diversity.

SANGSTER, G. and LUKSENBURG, J. A. 2020. The published complete mitochondrial genome of Eptesicus serotinus is a chimera of sinensis and (Mammalia: Chiroptera). Mitochondrial DNA, B 5 (3): 2661 - 2664. doi: 10.1080/23802359.2020.1785349. The mitogenome of Eptesicus serotinus (Serotine bat) was published in 2013 with GenBank accession number KF111725 and NCBI Reference Sequence number NC_022474. This sequence was placed with Vespertilio sinensis (Asian parti-colored bat) in a COI gene tree but with Hypsugo alashanicus (Alashanian pipistrelle) in a cytochrome b gene tree. Direct comparison of mitogenomes

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showed that 92.4 % of this mitogenome is similar to Vespertilio sinensis, 5.9 % to Hypsugo alaschanicus, and that 1.6 % of the mitogenome could not be attributed to either species, or any other species. This mitogenome has been re-used in at least 17 phylogenies. Our findings suggest that mitogenomes are best verified with multiple gene trees, followed by direct comparison of sequences. We conclude that greater vigilance is warranted to ensure that problematic sequences do not enter the scientific record, and are not re-used in subsequent studies.

SCHUH, A. J., AMMAN, B. R., PATEL, K., SEALY, T. K., SWANEPOEL, R. and TOWNER, J. S. 2020. Human- pathogenic Kasokero virus in field-collected ticks. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 26 (12): 2944 - 2950. doi: 10.3201/eid2612.202411. Kasokero virus (KASV; genus ) was first isolated in 1977 at Uganda Virus Research Institute from serum collected from Rousettus aegyptiacus bats captured at Kasokero Cave, Uganda. During virus characterization studies at the institute, 4 laboratory-associated infections resulted in mild to severe disease. Although orthonairoviruses are typically associated with vertebrate and tick hosts, a tick vector of KASV never has been reported. We tested 786 Ornithodoros (Reticulinasus) faini tick pools (3,930 ticks) for KASV. The ticks were collected from a large R. aegyptiacus bat roosting site in western Uganda. We detected KASV RNA in 43 tick pools and recovered 2 infectious isolates, 1 of which was derived from host blood-depleted ticks. Our findings suggest that KASV is maintained in an enzootic transmission cycle involving O. (R.) faini ticks and R. aegyptiacus bats and has the potential for incidental virus spillover to humans.

ŠEVCÍK, M., KALÚZ, S. and ŠRÁMEK, P. 2020. A new species of Chiroptella Vercammen-Grandjean, 1960 (Acari: Trombiculidae) from diadem leaf-nosed bat Hipposideros diadema (Geoffroy) (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) in Bali Island (Indonesia) with distribution records, hosts, and a key to the species of the genus. Systematic Parasitology, 98 (1): 1 - 15 (for 2021). doi: 10.1007/s11230-020-09955-z. A new chigger mite Chiroptella baliensis n. sp. is described based on material from the diadem leaf-nosed bat Hipposideros diadema (Geoffroy) (Hipposideridae) in Bali Island (Lesser Sunda Islands, East Indonesia). With this newly described species, the genus Chiroptella includes 22 species, 13 in the subgenus Chiroptella Vercammen-Grandjean, 1960 (sensu stricto), and 9 in the subgenus Neosomia Vercammen-Grandjean, 1968. Species of Chiroptella are distributed throughout the Ethiopian region, the Oriental region, and the Australian region (and only marginally throughout the Palaearctic region) and are all associated with several families of bats. The paper also provides a key to all members of the genus and the new combinations for two species originally described as Chiroptella.

SEWALL, B. J. 2020. Rousettus obliviosus (amended version of 2016 assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T19757A166527449. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-1.RLTS.T19757A166527449. en.

SHAPIRO, J. (T.) and COOPER-BOHANNON, R. 2020. Rhinolophus guineensis, Guinean Horseshoe Bat. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T19542A21980043. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS. T19542A21980043.en.

SHAPIRO, J. (T.), COOPER-BOHANNON, R., JACOBS, D., COTTERILL, F. P. D. and TAYLOR, P. J. 2020a. Rhinolophus deckenii, Decken’s Horseshoe Bat. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T19537A21979537. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T19537A21979537.en.

SHAPIRO, J. T., SOVIE, A. R., FALLER, C. R., MONADJEM, A., FLETCHER, R. J. JR. and MCCLEERY, R. A. 2020b. Ebola spillover correlates with bat diversity. European Journal of Wildlife Research, 66: 12. doi: 10.1007/s10344-019-1346-7. Some of the world’s deadliest diseases and greatest public health challenges are zoonoses from wildlife, such as Ebola (Ebolavirus). Due to the increasing number of cases in recent years, it has been widely hypothesized that increasing human population densities and anthropogenic disturbance largely explain outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in humans. While studies indicate that ebolaviruses are likely hosted by bats (Chiroptera), their role in outbreaks of the disease remains unclear. We tested whether bat species richness (total and within families), human population density, and anthropogenic disturbance explained the occurrence of Ebola virus disease spillovers within Africa using both generalized linear models and Maxent models. We demonstrate that spillover occurred in areas with high species richness of nycterid bats and low levels of both anthropogenic disturbance and human population density. Outbreaks of Ebola virus disease have devastating effects on people and communities and our results provide an important step toward understanding how and where Ebola virus disease may spill over to human populations.

SHCHELKANOV, M. YU., DUNAEVA, M. N., MOSKVINA, T. V., VORONOVA, A. N., KONONOVA, Y. V., VOROBYEVA, V. V., GALKINA, I. V., YANOVICH, V. A., GADZHIEV, A. A. and SHESTOPALOV, A. M. 2020a. Catalogue of bat viruses (in Russian with English summary). South of : ecology, development, 15 (3): 6 - 30. doi: 10.18470/1992-1098-2020-3-6-30. Aim. Aim of this the research presented in this article is to analyze the representation of bat (Chiroptera) viruses in various taxa of the Virae kingdom. Discussion. Currently, 260 viruses are associated with bats belonging to 19 orders, 28 families (9 DNA-containing and 19 RNA- containing) and 61 genera (18 DNA-containing and 43 RNA-containing). This number includes viruses annotated by the International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses (excluding synonymous species) for which the taxonomic status has been verified by sequencing subgenomic or full-genomic nucleotide sequences. A large number of unidentified strains from bats are noteworthy - they apparently contain many future prototype viruses for new taxa. Conclusion. The data presented in this article will undoubtedly be expanded in the nearest future. This is due to the need to improve the system for prevention of dangerous epidemic and pandemic situations primarily by increasing priority attention on bat

Recent Literature African Bat Conservation News ISSN 1812-1268 July 2021 vol. 49 59 viruses. Therefore, the catalogue of bat viruses, known as of mid-2020, presented in this paper could be considered as a kind of “starting point” for future research in this area.

SHCHELKANOV, M. YU., POPOVA, A. YU., DEDKOV, V. G., AKIMKIN, V. G. and MALEEV, V. V. 2020b. History of investigation and current classification of coronaviruses (: ) (in Russian with English summary). Russian Journal of Infection and Immunity, 10 (2): 221 - 246. doi: 10.15789/2220- 7619-HOI-1412. An epidemic of COVID-19 (Coronavirus disease 2019) etiologically associated with the SARS-CoV-2 (Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2) that occurred at the turn of 2019 - 2020 firstly in Wuhan (Hubei province of China) and then spread to many countries around the world rose a new wave of interest to coronaviruses. The first coronaviruses - members of the Coronaviridae family belonging to the order Nidovirales - were discovered in the first half of the last century. The first human coronavirus, HCoV-B814, was isolated in 1965 that was not preserved in available virological collections. Over the last time, old- fashioned names and terms have been overlapped. By the beginning of the XXI century coronaviruses posed a serious veterinary problem but it was believed that epidemic coronaviruses were not among highly dangerous viruses. Scientific community had to revise such views first in 2002 when SARS-CoV (Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus) was transferred to human population in the Southeast Asia from bats, and then in 2012 when natural foci of the MERS-CoV (Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus) were found on the territory of the Arabian Peninsula. Due to an increased interest in coronaviruses, a large number of new Coronaviridae members was discovered in the first two decades of the XXI century, which required to revise its taxonomic structure several times. This review is aimed at outlining a history of investigating coronaviruses and their current classification that was shaped in early 2020 in accordance to the last recommendations of the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses.

SIMMONS, N. B. and CIRRANELLO, A. L. 2020. Bat Species of the World: A taxonomic and geographic database. Accessed: 10 May 2020. URL: https://batnames.org/explore.html.

SIMMONS, N. B., FLANDERS, J., BAKWO FILS, E. M., PARKER, G., SUTER, J. D., BAMBA, S., DOUNO, M., KEITA, M. K., MORALES, A. E. and FRICK, W. F. 2021. A new dichromatic species of Myotis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from the Nimba Mountains, Guinea. American Museum Novitates, 3963: 1 - 37. doi: 10.1206/3963.1. The genus Myotis is a diverse group of vespertilionid bats found on nearly every continent. One clade in this group, the subgenus Chrysopteron, is characterized by reddish to yellowish fur and, in some cases, visually striking dichromatic wing pigmentation. Here, we describe a new dichromatic species of Myotis (Chrysopteron) from the Nimba Mountains in Guinea. The new species is superficially similar to Myotis welwitschii, but phylogenetic analyses based on cytochrome b data indicated that it is actually more closely related to M. tricolor. Discovery of this new taxon increases the number of Myotis species known from mainland Africa to 11 species, although patterns of molecular divergence suggest that cryptic species in the Chrysopteron clade remain to be described. This discovery also highlights the critical importance of the Nimba Mountains as a center of bat diversity and endemism in sub- Saharan Africa.

SIMSEK, C., CORMAN, V. M., EVERLING, H. U., LUKASHEV, A. N., RASCHE, A., MAGANGA, G. D., BINGER, T., JANSEN, D., BELLER, L., DEBOUTTE, W., GLOZA-RAUSCH, F., SEEBENS-HOYER, A., YORDANOV, S., SYLVERKEN, A., OPPONG, S., SARKODIE, Y. A., VALLO, P., LEROY, E. M., BOURGAREL, M., YINDA, K. C., VAN RANST, M., DROSTEN, C., DREXLER, J. F. and MATTHIJNSSENS, J. 2021. At least seven distinct genotype constellations in bats with evidence of reassortment and zoonotic transmissions. mBio, 12: e02755-20. doi: 10.1128/mBio.02755-20. Bats host many viruses pathogenic to humans, and increasing evidence suggests that rotavirus A (RVA) also belongs to this list. cause diarrheal disease in many mammals and birds, and their segmented genomes allow them to reassort and increase their genetic diversity. Eighteen out of 2,142 bat fecal samples (0.8 %) collected from Europe, Central America, and Africa were PCR-positive for RVA, and 11 of those were fully characterized using viral metagenomics. Upon contrasting their genomes with publicly available data, at least 7 distinct bat RVA genotype constellations (GCs) were identified, which included evidence of and 6 novel genotypes. Some of these constellations are spread across the world, whereas others appear to be geographically restricted. Our analyses also suggest that several unusual human and equine RVA strains might be of bat RVA origin, based on their phylogenetic clustering, despite various levels of nucleotide sequence identities between them. Although SA11 is one of the most widely used reference strains for RVA research and forms the backbone of a reverse genetics system, its origin remained enigmatic. Remarkably, the majority of the genotypes of SA11-like strains were shared with Gabonese bat RVAs, suggesting a potential common origin. Overall, our findings suggest an underexplored genetic diversity of RVAs in bats, which is likely only the tip of the iceberg. Increasing contact between humans and bat wildlife will further increase the zoonosis risk, which warrants closer attention to these viruses. Importance The increased research on bat coronaviruses after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) allowed the very rapid identification of SARS-CoV-2. This is an excellent example of the importance of knowing viruses harbored by wildlife in general, and bats in particular, for global preparedness against emerging viral pathogens. The current effort to characterize bat rotavirus strains from 3 continents sheds light on the vast genetic diversity of rotaviruses and also hints at a bat origin for several atypical rotaviruses in humans and animals, implying that zoonoses of bat rotaviruses might occur more frequently than currently realized.

SMIRNOV, D. G., VEKHNIK, V. P., DZHAMIRZOYEV, G. S. and TITOV, S. V. 2020. On the taxonomic status of species from the group “Myotis nattereri” (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) in the eastern Caucasus. Nature Conservation Research, 5 (4): 30 - 42. doi: 10.24189/ncr.2020.052. In Russia, Myotis nattereri was considered as a monotypic species, of which its range is divided into two parts. One of them is the northern fragment consisting of Central Russia and the Urals, while the southern part of its range includes the Caucasus and

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Crimea. On the basis of morphological and molecular-genetic data, the taxonomic status of its Caucasian forms is discussed. In the Eastern Caucasus (Republic of Dagestan, Russia), we caught Myotis animals related to the group of “Myotis nattereri” species, similar to specimens of the West Asian Myotis cf. tschuliensis on the basis of skull size measurements. A comparison analysis showed that, outwardly, M. cf. tschuliensis 2 individuals are highly similar to specimens from Central Russia. However, these animals have some differences in the ear structure, os penis, attachment of the posterior edge of the wing membrane to the foot, and in the ratio of cilia lengths to bristles on the free edge of the tail membrane. The more reliable differences betweenM. cf. tschuliensis 2 animals and M. nattereri s.str. specimens were revealed on the basis of craniometric studies, but the complete confirmation of the species’ independence of Caucasian specimens was obtained using the analysis of mtDNA sequences. According to phylogenetic constructions, Dagestan specimens designated by us as M. cf. tschuliensis 2, formed a well separated sister line in relation to the clade of Caucasian forms: M. schaubi and M. cf. tschuliensis 1 (p-distance: 7.4 - 7.0 %). There are no reliable morphological differences betweenM. cf. tschuliensis 2 and M. cf. tschuliensis 1. Prior to genetic studies of M. tschuliensis specimens, we suggest using an open nomenclature for the East Caucasian form. If specimens designated as M. cf. tschuliensis 1, originated from the Near East, are genetically identical to the M. cf. tschuliensis specimens from its type location in Turkmenistan, then Dagestan bats designated as M. cf. tschuliensis 2 should be considered as a new, undescribed species.

SNYDERS, H. 2020. Preventing a silent wilderness, securing the economic bounty - Cape guano and the politics of seabird protection during the 19th and early 20th century. New Contree, 85: 22 - 43. http:// dspace.nwu.ac.za/handle/10394/4969. The Cape Colony, after Peru, was the second-most-important supplier of seabird guano to commercial farmers on a worldwide scale during the nineteenth century. Despite the obvious benefits of selling guano licenses and leases to exploit various offshore islands within the Cape’s colonial waters for the colonial treasury at a time of decreasing imperial funding, successive administrations placed no restrictions over the harvesting of these spaces. Under conditions of administrative indifference and lack of proper oversight, the islands’ topography was disrupted and the birds temporarily driven away. Uncontrolled guano-scraping, egg collection, and wanton killing of the birds further aggravated this situation. Mindful of their investment and to ensure their enterprise’s continued profitability, leaseholders collectively instituted certain control measures, including appointing a peace officer and maintaining an armed contingent to oversee the daily collection, regulate landings, protect the birds, and prevent guano theft. Critically, they introduced an open and closed season for the guano collection. This measure was consistent with developments overseas where a greater sensitivity for nature conservation started to emerge, in turn, overlapping with increased demand from Cape farmers for legislative protection of a wide range of ‘useful animals’. Following years of pressure from commercially orientated farmers and their political representatives to secure access to cheap and subsidised fertiliser, the Cape Government established full governmental control over guano exploitation from Ichaboe on the Namibian coast to Algoa Bay in the southeast of the Colony. Enforcing the English Sea Birds Preservation Act 1869 and its suite of existing game protection laws, the colonial Department of Lands, Mines and Agriculture adopted the former island leaseholders’ proven and regulating regime. Prompted by perennial guano shortages and incessant demand by Cape farmers, the authorities regularly amended existing measures to the benefit of the agricultural sector resulting in animals’ continued protection. The early 1890s’ laws also included bats whose excrement gradually received status as a useful fertiliser. Having ensured the ‘economic bounty’ through its various laws, by the end of the Century, for moral reasons it could afford to extend protection to other game including pigeons and shrikes and “prevent a silent wilderness”.

SOW, A., SEYE, D., FAYE, E., BENOIT, L., GALAN, M., HARAN, J. and BRÉVAULT, T. 2020. Birds and bats contribute to natural regulation of the millet head miner in tree-crop agroforestry systems. Crop Protection, 132: 105127. doi: 10.1016/j.cropro.2020.105127. A better understanding of environmental factors driving natural pest regulation is a major challenge for designing sustainable cropping systems. The objective of the present study was to assess the association between vegetation openness in traditional tree-crop agroforestry systems in Senegal, richness and abundance of vertebrates including insectivorous birds and bats, and their contribution to the natural regulation of crop pests. The millet head miner (MHM), Heliocheilus albipunctella (, Noctuidae), a major constraint to increasing millet crop productivity in sub-Saharan Africa, was selected as a model system. Ten sites separated by at least one km from each other were selected in a 100 km2 study area in the Peanut basin in Senegal. In each site, a pair of millet fields distant from at least 100 m each was selected according to a gradient of vegetation openness within a 100- m radius buffer with sampling plot (5 x 5 m) at the center. Nine insectivorous bird and bat species were recorded in millet fields over the 2017 cropping season and their predator status was confirmed by direct observation or DNA detection in fecal samples. Grain losses were reduced when panicles were accessible to birds and bats, confirming their net contribution to pest regulation. At a local scale, tree diversity and vegetation openness were important predictors of the abundance of insectivorous village weaver birds and grey-headed sparrows, respectively. Some tree species (soapberry trees and neems) indirectly contributed to natural regulation of the MHM likely by providing refuges to insectivorous vertebrates whereas other tree species (baobabs) provided disservices as possible refuges for the MHM moths. Further research is needed to better understand relationships between tree cover, food web interactions and natural pest suppression, so that specific conservation measures such as habitat management can be designed to improve pest control.

SPITZENBERGER, F. 2021. The systematic status of the Libyan bats of the genus Plecotus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae). Lynx (Praha), n.s. 51 (1): 219 - 221 (for 2020). doi: 10.37520/lynx.2020.015. This paper briefly reviews the taxonomic history of the Plecotus kolombatovici complex, the bat populations which occur in isolated ranges surrounding the Mediterranean Basin, including Maghreb, Tripolitania, Cyrenaica, Anatolia, Balkans, and Italy, plus numerous Mediterranean islands. Since this complex exhibts genetic characters close to Plecotus teneriffae from the Canary Islands, the samples of the complex from Cyrenaica (NE ) were described as a subspecies P. teneriffae gaisleri. However, this name was later used for all populations of the complex inhabiting North Africa as P. gaisleri, a full species separated from P. kolombatovici. However, the available results of molecular genetic analyses of the complex support the opinion that these allopatric populations are conspecific and referrable to P. kolombatovici and reopens the question regarding the systematic status of P. teneriffae.

SZENTIVÁNYI, T., MARKOTTER, W., DIETRICH, M., CLÉMENT, L., ANÇAY, L., BRUN, L., GENZONI, E., KEARNEY, T., SEAMARK, E., ESTÓK, P., CHRISTE, P. and GLAIZOT, O. 2020. Host conservation through their

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parasites: molecular surveillance of vector-borne microorganisms in bats using ectoparasitic bat flies. Parasite, 27: 72. doi: 10.1051/parasite/2020069. Most vertebrates host a wide variety of haematophagous parasites, which may play an important role in the transmission of vector- borne microorganisms to hosts. Surveillance is usually performed by collecting blood and/or tissue samples from vertebrate hosts. There are multiple methods to obtain samples, which can be stored for decades if properly kept. However, blood sampling is considered an invasive method and may possibly be harmful to the sampled individual. In this study, we investigated the use of ectoparasites as a tool to acquire molecular information about the presence and diversity of infectious microorganism in host populations. We tested the presence of three distinct vector-borne microorganisms in both bat blood and bat flies: Bartonella bacteria, malaria-like Polychromophilus sp. (Apicomplexa), and Trypanosoma sp. (Kinetoplastea). We detected the presence of these microorganisms both in bats and in their bat flies, with the exception ofTrypanosoma sp. in South African bat flies. Additionally, we found Bartonella sp. in bat flies from one population in , suggesting its presence in the host population even if not detected in bats. Bartonella and Polychromophilus infection showed the highest prevalence in both bat and bat fly populations. Single, co- and triple infections were also frequently present in both. We highlight the use of haematophagous ectoparasites to study the presence of infectious microorganism in host blood and its use as an alternative, less invasive sampling method.

TAKADATE, Y., KONDOH, T., IGARASHI, M., MARUYAMA, J., MANZOOR, R., OGAWA, H., KAJIHARA, M., FURUYAMA, W., SATO, M., MIYAMOTO, H., YOSHIDA, R., HILL, T. E., FREIBERG, A. N., FELDMANN, H., MARZI, A. and TAKADA, A. 2020. Niemann-Pick C1 heterogeneity of bat cells controls filovirus tropism. Cell Reports, 30: 308 - 319. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2019.12.042. Fruit bats are suspected to be natural hosts of filoviruses, including Ebola virus (EBOV) and Marburg virus (MARV). Interestingly, however, previous studies suggest that these viruses have different tropisms depending on the bat species. Here, we show a molecular basis underlying the host-range restriction of filoviruses. We find that bat-derived cell lines FBKT1 and ZFBK13-76E show preferential susceptibility to EBOV and MARV, respectively, whereas the other bat cell lines tested are similarly infected with both viruses. In FBKT1 and ZFBK13-76E, unique amino acid (aa) sequences are found in the Niemann-Pick C1 (NPC1) protein, one of the cellular receptors interacting with the filovirus glycoprotein (GP). These aa residues, as well as a few aa differences between EBOV and MARV GPs, are crucial for the differential susceptibility to filoviruses. Taken together, our findings indicate that the heterogeneity of bat NPC1 orthologs is an important factor controlling filovirus species-specific host tropism.

TANSHI, I. 2020. Hipposideros curtus, Short-tailed Roundleaf Bat. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T10125A22096364. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T10125A22096364.en.

TAYLOR, P. J., NELUFULE, M., PARKER, D. M., TOUSSAINT, D. C. and WEIER, S. M. 2020a. The exerts a powerful but spatially limited effect on bat communities in a semi-arid region of South Africa. Acta Chiropterologica, 22 (1): 75 - 86. doi: 10.3161/15081109ACC2020.22.1.007. Although the Limpopo River is not perennial in its upper stretches in South Africa, the presence of a narrow riparian forest zone is expected to enhance bat diversity by promoting a wider range of foraging types, but the scale at which this effect may operate is not known. A recent, fine-scale model of bat diversity in Africa suggested that rivers may enhance species richness of bats, but that strong gradients in richness would occur next to rivers especially in savanna areas. We tested this idea by conducting acoustic surveys with bat detectors around six water bodies at distances from 0 - 12 km from the Limpopo River in two adjacent protected areas, the Mapungubwe National Park and the Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve. We used a paired design, with each water body having detectors placed at and just away (500 - 750 m) from it. We found enhanced species richness, diversity and activity at MNP sites closer to the Limpopo (0 - 5 km) compared with VNR sites located 9 - 12 km from the Limpopo. Moreover, at VNR but not MNP, the bat community was dominated (32 % of calls) by an arid-adapted generalist species, the (Neoromica capensis). Consistent with the proximity of structurally complex riparian vegetation, slow flying, clutter-feeding horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus spp.) were relatively more abundant (12 % of calls) at MNP compared with VNR (0.7 % of calls). This effect was highly accentuated when correcting for detectability of different species to bat detectors. Proximity to small, natural and artificial water bodies significantly enhanced both species richness and activity, but this effect was much more pronounced at sites > 5 km from the Limpopo compared with sites < 2 km from the Limpopo. We conclude that while major rivers with riparian zones can exert a significant impact on species richness, diversity, activity and community structure of insectivorous bats, this effect may only extend a few kilometres from the river. Protection of riparian zones along rivers in is therefore critical to conserving intact and diverse bat communities.

TAYLOR, P. J., VISE, C., KRISHNAMOORTHY, M. A., KINGSTON, T. and VENTER, S. 2020b. Citizen science confirms the rarity of fruit bat pollination of baobab ( digitata) flowers in southern Africa. Diversity, 12 (3): 106. doi: 10.3390/d12030106. The iconic African baobab tree (Adansonia digitata) has “chiropterophilous” flowers that are adapted for pollination by fruit bats. Although bat pollination of baobabs has been documented in east and west Africa, it has not been confirmed in southern Africa where it has been suggested that hawk moths (Nephele comma) may also be involved in baobab pollination. We used a citizen science approach to monitor baobab tree and flower visitors from dusk till midnight at 23 individual baobab trees over 27 nights during the flowering seasons (November - December) of 2016 and 2017 in northern South Africa and southern (about 1650 visitors). Insect visitors frequently visited baobab flowers, including hawk moths, but, with one exception in southeastern Zimbabwe, no fruit bats visited flowers. Citizen science enabled us to substantiate preliminary conclusions about the relative importance of moth versus bat pollination of baobabs in southern Africa, with important implications for resource management.

THEIR, N. and STEFEN, C. 2020. Morphological and radiographic studies on the skull of the straw-coloured fruit bat Eidolon helvum (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae). Vertebrate Zoology, 70 (4): 601 - 613. doi: 10.26049/ VZ70-4-2020-05. Although 20 % of the extant mammalians are chiropterans, there are only a few studies about their skull morphology. The aim of this work is to broaden the knowledge in this field by investigatingEidolon helvum skulls and describing their anatomical characters with a particular focus on general shape, sutures, foramina and processes. We study the external surface of the bones and make

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a detailed description of 6 rostral bones (nasal, premaxilla, , palatine, lacrimal, jugal), 9 cranial bones (frontal, parietal, interparietal, pterygoid, sphenoid complex, squamosal, petrosal, ectotympanic, occipital complex) and the . We also make a radiographic analysis by taking X-ray images in lateral and dorsoventral direction. Comparisons with other bats like Pteropus lylei and Desmodus rotundus show interspecific variations. So this work helps building a solid basis for further phylogenetic, functional or systematic studies.

THIÉVENT, K., SZENTIVÁNYI, T., AEBY, S., GLAIZOT, O., CHRISTE, P. and GREUB, G. 2020. Presence and diversity of Chlamydiae bacteria in Spinturnix myoti, an ectoparasite of bats. Parasite, 27: 54. doi: 10.1051/parasite/2020052. Chlamydia spp. and Chlamydia-like organisms are able to infect vertebrates such as mammals, reptiles and birds, but also arthropods and protozoans. Since they have been detected in bats and bat feces, we expected Chlamydiae bacteria to also be present in the mite Spinturnix myoti, an ectoparasite of mouse-eared bats (Myotis spp.). The prevalence of Chlamydiales in 88 S. myoti was 57.95 % and significantly depended on bat host species. In addition, the prevalence was significantly different between bat species living in sympatry or in allopatry. While there was uninterpretable sequencing for 16 samples, eight showed best BLAST hit identities lower than 92.5 % and thus corresponded to new family-level lineages according to the established taxonomy cut-off. The four remaining sequences exhibited best BLAST hit identities ranging from 94.2 to 97.4 % and were taxonomically assigned to three different family-level lineages, with two of them belonging to the Parachlamydiaceae, one to the Simkaniaceae, and one to the Chlamydiaceae. These results highlighted for the first time the presence ofChlamydia-like organisms and the possible zoonotic origin of Chlamydia sp. in S. myoti ectoparasites of bats, and therefore suggest that these ectoparasites may play a role in maintaining and/or transmitting members of the Chlamydiae phylum within Myotis spp. bat populations. Our results further highlight that the wide diversity of bacteria belonging to the Chlamydiae phylum is largely underestimated.

THOMPSON, C. W., PHELPS, K. L., ALLARD, M. W., COOK, J. A., DUNNUM, J. L., FERGUSON, A. W., GELANG, M., KHAN, F. A. A., PAUL, D. L., REEDER, D. M., SIMMONS, N. B., VANHOVE, M. P. M., WEBALA, P. W., WEKSLER, M. and KILPATRICK, C. W. 2021. Preserve a voucher specimen! The critical need for integrating natural history collections in infectious disease studies. mBio, 12 (1): e02698-20. doi: 10.1128/mBio.02698-20. Despite being nearly 10 months into the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) pandemic, the definitive animal host for SARS- CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), the causal agent of COVID-19, remains unknown. Unfortunately, similar problems exist for other betacoronaviruses, and no vouchered specimens exist to corroborate host species identification for most of these pathogens. This most basic information is critical to the full understanding and mitigation of emerging zoonotic diseases. To overcome this hurdle, we recommend that host-pathogen researchers adopt vouchering practices and collaborate with natural history collections to permanently archive microbiological samples and host specimens. Vouchered specimens and associated samples provide both repeatability and extension to host-pathogen studies, and using them mobilizes a large workforce (i.e., biodiversity scientists) to assist in pandemic preparedness. We review several well-known examples that successfully integrate host-pathogen research with natural history collections (e.g., , hantaviruses, helminths). However, vouchering remains an underutilized practice in such studies. Using an online survey, we assessed vouchering practices used by microbiologists (e.g., bacteriologists, parasitologists, virologists) in host-pathogen research. A much greater number of respondents permanently archive microbiological samples than archive host specimens, and less than half of respondents voucher host specimens from which microbiological samples were lethally collected. To foster collaborations between microbiologists and natural history collections, we provide recommendations for integrating vouchering techniques and archiving of microbiological samples into host-pathogen studies. This integrative approach exemplifies the premise underlying One Health initiatives, providing critical infrastructure for addressing related issues ranging from public health to global climate change and the biodiversity crisis.

TIJANI, A.A., BABALOBI, O., BABASHANI, M. and AL-MUSTAPHA, A.I. 2021. Risk factors and knowledge of ebola virus disease among hunters in Kwara State, Nigeria. Turkish Journal of Computer and Mathematics Education, 12 (9): 1958 - 1966. doi: 10.17762/turcomat.v12i9.3659. Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a hemorrhagic, severe, often fatal, zoonotic disease transmitted by exposure to body fluids of infected bats and non-human primates. This study assessed the risk factors and knowledge of EVD among hunters in Kwara state. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 427 hunters using a structured questionnaire that was administered between January and April 2016. Most of the hunters (99.3 %, n = 424/427)) were male and the mean age was 39 years. The mean knowledge score was 4.3 ± 0.9. Most of the hunters (96.2 %, n = 411/427) were aware of EVD but only 42.6 % (n = 182/427) of them had good knowledge (GK) of the disease. About one-quarter (22.5 %, n = 96/427) of the hunters hunted bats and monkeys and 17.1 % (n = 73/427) of them have consumed raw or undercooked game animals (bush meat). The knowledge of EVD was significantly influenced by the marital status, form of education, occupation, and religion. Hunters who went through conventional western education (OR: 4.6; 95 % CI: 2.6, 8.1; p < 0.001) and those who were married (OR: 4.4; 95 % CI: 1.4, 11.0; p = 0.051) were more likely to have a GK of EVD respectively than those with no formal education and single hunters. Similarly, hunters who were also professional farmers were more likely (OR = 23.1, 95 % C.I.: 7.3, 55.2; p < 0.01) to have a GK of EVD. Similarly, the education of hunters (OR = 4.6, 95 % CI = 2.6-8.1; p =< 0.001), their ethnicity (OR = 2.4; 95 % CI = 1.4-4.1; p = 0.002), and their religion (OR = 8.7, 95 % CI = 2.0-38.9; p = 0.004) had significant impact on their knowledge of EVD. This study reported high awareness of EVD among hunters in Kwara state. However, mass advocacy on the EVD should be re- instituted with emphasis on the mode of transmission, preventive, and control measures to prevent the re-introduction of EVD into the human population.

TOLEDO, S., SHOHAMI, D., SCHIFFNER, I., LOURIE, E., ORCHAN, Y., BARTAN, Y. and NATHAN, R. 2020. Cognitive map-based navigation in wild bats revealed by a new high-throughput tracking system. Science, 369 (6500): 188 - 193. doi: 10.1126/science.aax6904. Seven decades of research on the “cognitive map,” the allocentric representation of space, have yielded key neurobiological

Recent Literature African Bat Conservation News ISSN 1812-1268 July 2021 vol. 49 63 insights, yet field evidence from free-ranging wild animals is still lacking. Using a system capable of tracking dozens of animals simultaneously at high accuracy and resolution, we assembled a large dataset of 172 foraging Egyptian fruit bats comprising >18 million localizations collected over 3449 bat-nights across 4 years. Detailed track analysis, combined with translocation experiments and exhaustive mapping of fruit trees, revealed that wild bats seldom exhibit random search but instead repeatedly forage in goal-directed, long, and straight flights that include frequent shortcuts. Alternative, non-map-based strategies were ruled out by simulations, time-lag embedding, and other trajectory analyses. Our results are consistent with expectations from cognitive map-like navigation and support previous neurobiological evidence from captive bats.

TORQUETTI, C. G., GUIMARÃES, A. T. B. and SOTO-BLANCO, B. 2020. Exposure to pesticides in bats. Science of the Total Environment, 755: 142509 (for 2021). doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142509. Bats provide a variety of ecological services that are essential to the integrity of ecosystems. Indiscriminate use of pesticides has been a threat to biodiversity, and the exposure of bats to these xenobiotics is a threat to their populations. This study presents a review of articles regarding the exposure of bats to pesticides published in the period from January 1951 to July 2020, addressing the temporal and geographical distribution of research, the studied species, and the most studied classes of pesticides. The research was concentrated in the 1970s and 1980s, mostly in the Northern Hemisphere, mainly in the USA. Of the total species in the world, only 5 % of them have been studied, evaluating predominantly insectivorous species of the Family Vespertilionidae. Insecticides, mainly organochlorines, were the most studied pesticides. Most research was observational, with little information available on the effects of pesticides on natural bat populations. Despite the advances in analytical techniques for detecting contaminants, the number of studies is still insufficient compared to the number of active ingredients used. The effects of pesticides on other guilds and tropical species remain poorly studied. Future research should investigate the effects of pesticides, especially in sublethal doses causing chronic exposure. It is crucial to assess the impact of these substances on other food guilds and investigate how natural populations respond to the exposure to mixtures of pesticides found in the environment.

TORRES, D. A., CASTAÑO, J. H. and CARRANZA-QUICENO, J. A. 2020. Global patterns in seed germination after ingestion by mammals. Mammal Review, 50 (3): 278 - 290. doi: 10.1111/mam.12195. 1. Mammals play an important role in seed germination through the ingestion of fruits and seeds. Since seed germination is a basic step in seedling recruitment, understanding how mammals affect germination improves our understanding of the effect of loss of mammal populations on the dynamics of plant communities. 2. We used meta-analytical methods to describe global patterns in the effect of seed ingestion by mammals on seed germination success and rate. We collected data from 154 studies that included 115 mammal species and 448 plant species. 3. Our results showed a positive cumulative effect of mammals on seed germination. However, this effect differed between mammalian orders; thus, some groups such as elephants, primates, and new world marsupials emerged as important enhancers of seed germination. Also, the effect varied depending on the plant family and the bioregion. Increased seed germination after ingestion was positively related to fast germination. 4. This meta-analysis, the first to synthesise and compare most of the information presently available on how mammals affect seed germination after ingestion, shows a global positive effect of mammals as enhancers of seed germination. However, behind that positive effect lies a diversity of neutral, negative, and positive effects of different magnitudes, which may have multifactorial explanations. We hope that the patterns presented here open up new questions and help guide future research efforts.

VIDOVSZKY, M. Z., TAN, Z., CARR, M. J., BOLDOGH, S., HARRACH, B. and GONZALEZ, G. 2020. Bat-borne polyomaviruses in Europe reveal an evolutionary history of intrahost divergence with horseshoe bats distributed across the African and Eurasian continents. Journal of general , 101 (10): 1 - 12. doi: 10.1099/jgv.0.001467. Polyomaviruses (PyVs) are small, circular dsDNA viruses carried by diverse vertebrates, including bats. Although previous studies have reported several horseshoe bat PyVs collected in Zambia and China, it is still unclear how PyVs evolved in this group of widely dispersed mammals. Horseshoe bats (genus Rhinolophus) are distributed across the Old World and are natural reservoirs of numerous pathogenic viruses. Herein, non-invasive bat samples from European horseshoe bat species were collected in Hungary for PyV identification and novel PyVs with complete genomes were successfully recovered from two different European horseshoe bat species. Genomic and phylogenetic analysis of the Hungarian horseshoe bat PyVs supported their classification into the genera Alphapolyomavirus and Betapolyomavirus. Notably, despite the significant geographical distances between the corresponding sampling locations, Hungarian PyVs exhibited high genetic relatedness with previously described Zambian and Chinese horseshoe bat PyVs, and phylogenetically clustered with these viruses in each PyV genus. Correlation and virus-host relationship analysis suggested that these PyVs co-diverged with their European, African and Asian horseshoe bat hosts distributed on different continents during their evolutionary history. Additionally, assessment of selective pressures over the major capsid protein (VP1) of horseshoe bat PyVs showed sites under positive selection located in motifs exposed to the exterior of the capsid. In summary, our findings revealed a pattern of stable intrahost divergence of horseshoe bat PyVs with their mammalian hosts on the African and Eurasian continents over evolutionary time.

VOGELER, A.-V.B. and TSCHAPKA, M. 2021. Effects of land-use on fruit bat distribution in different habitats along the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. Biotropica, doi: 10.1111/btp.12945. Tropical ecosystems are currently degrading at unprecedented speed, mostly due to rapid human population growth. This affects the associated biodiversity, which frequently results in damage to or loss of ecosystem functions. Due to high species richness and ecological diversity, bats are essential ecosystem elements. Our objective was to determine effects of land-use categories on species abundance, richness and diversity of the guild of fruit bats (Chiroptera: Pteropodidae) on Mt. Kilimanjaro, a biodiversity hotspot in Tanzania. We surveyed five habitat types, including two natural habitats lower montane forest and savanna, and three disturbed habitats, coffee plantations, Chagga homegardens, and maize fields. We captured 629 frugivorous bats and (1) compared diversity and species abundance among the habitat types and (2) assessed factors driving the differences in guild structure along an elevational gradient. Species accumulation curves were asymptotic for all habitats, suggesting an adequate sampling effort. Non- metric multidimensional scaling analysis indicated strong differentiation of fruit bat guilds among habitats. Highest species richness was recorded in lower montane forest and Chagga homegardens, which therefore represent habitats of high value for these bats.

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Nevertheless, even in the intensively used coffee plantations and maize fields we found a high abundance of bats from most species despite a low abundance of food resources. Our results suggest that bats do not perceive moderately sized plantations as a hostile matrix, but rather use them as flyways between fragments and patches of secondary vegetation. Further, we suggest that within plantations, trees like {\i Ficus} spp. increase bat activity.

VOLLETH, M., MÜLLER, S., HELLER, K.-G. and FAHR, J. 2020a. Cytogenetic investigations in Emballonuroidea. II. Chromosome painting in Nycteridae reveals cytogenetic signatures pointing to common ancestry of Nycteris and . Acta Chiropterologica, 21 (2): 271 - 281 (for 2019). doi: 10.3161/15081109AC C2019.21.2.003. Two species of the monogeneric family Nycteridae were studied for the first time with chromosome banding techniques and chromosome painting. The diploid chromosome number of Nycteris macrotis and N. tragata is 40 and 38, respectively. Both karyotypes differ by a translocation, a telomeric fusion and a pericentric inversion. The genus Nycteris shows a highly derived karyotype where the 25 chiropteran evolutionarily conserved units (ECUs) are represented in 37 segments. Chromosome painting with Myotis probes revealed three common features of Nycteris and Emballonura, which are not present in Taphozous. From a cytogenetic point of view, Nycteris is therefore closer related to Emballonura than to Taphozous. Further, an additional synapomorphy for Vespertilioniformes is described, i.e. the synteny of a segment homologous to human chromosome 13 and ECU12a-22a in elements homologous to Myotis chromosome MMY6.

VOLLETH, M., MÜLLER, S., KHAN, F. A. A., YONG, H.-S., HELLER, K.-G., BAKER, R. J., RAY, D. A. and SOTERO- CAIO, C. G. 2020b. Cytogenetic investigations in Emballonuroidea. I. Taphozoinae and Emballonurinae karyotypes evolve at different rates and share no derived chromosomal characters. Acta Chiropterologica, 21 (2): 257 - 269 (for 2019). doi: 10.3161/15081109ACC2019.21.2.002. We present a comparative molecular cytogenetic investigation of six emballonurid species using chromosome banding and cross- species chromosome painting with probes from Myotis myotis, supplemented by selected probes from human, tree shrew, and lemur. The main differences between the 2n = 42Taphozous karyotype and the 2n = 44 chromosomal complement of Saccolaimus can be explained by one Robertsonian fusion, one type-b, and one type-c whole arm reciprocal translocation. The 2n = 24 karyotype of Emballonura is highly derived by splitting of 11 of the 25 chiropteran evolutionarily conserved units resulting in a total number of 36 segments. In contrast to the presence of several autapomorphies in the karyotypes of studied species from both subfamilies, no cytogenetic synapomorphy uniting Taphozoinae and Emballonurinae was found.

VORA, N. M., OSINUBI, M. O. V., DAVIS, L., ABDURRAHMAN, M., ADEDIRE, E. B., AKPAN, H., AMAN-OLONIYO, A. F., AUDU, S. W., BLAU, D., DANKOLI, R. S., EHIMIYEIN, A. M., ELLISON, J. A., GBADEGESIN, Y. H., GREENBERG, L., HABERLING, D., HUTSON, C., IDRIS, J. M., KIA, G. S. N., LAWAL, M., MATTHIAS, S. Y., MSHELBWALA, P. P., NIEZGODA, M., OGUNKOYA, A. B., OGUNNIYI, A. O., OKARA, G. C., OLUGASA, B. O., OSSAI, O. P., OYEMAKINDE, A., PERSON, M. K., RUPPRECHT, C. E., SALIMAN, O. A., SANI, M., SANNI- ADENIYI, O. A., SATHESHKUMAR, P. S., SMITH, T. G., SOLEYE, M. O., WALLACE, R. M., YENNAN, S. K. and RECUENCO, S. 2020. Bat and lyssavirus exposure among humans in area that celebrates bat festival, Nigeria, 2010 and 2013. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 26 (7): 1399 - 1408. doi: 10.3201/eid2607.191016. Using questionnaires and serologic testing, we evaluated bat and lyssavirus exposure among persons in an area of Nigeria that celebrates a bat festival. Bats from festival caves underwent serologic testing for phylogroup II lyssaviruses (Lagos bat virus, Shimoni bat virus, Mokola virus). The enrolled households consisted of 2,112 persons, among whom 213 (10 %) were reported to have ever had bat contact (having touched a bat, having been bitten by a bat, or having been scratched by a bat) and 52 (2 %) to have ever been bitten by a bat. Of 203 participants with bat contact, 3 (1 %) had received rabies vaccination. No participant had neutralizing antibodies to phylogroup II lyssaviruses, but > 50 % of bats had neutralizing antibodies to these lyssaviruses. Even though we found no evidence of phylogroup II lyssavirus exposure among humans, persons interacting with bats in the area could benefit from practicing bat-related health precautions.

WALDIEN, D. L. and BUNBURY, N. 2020. Pteropus aldabrensis, Aldabra Flying-fox. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T18714A22079192. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T18714A22079192. en.

WALDIEN, D. L. and WEBALA, P. 2020. Miniopterus africanus, African Long-fingered Bat. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T44859A22073089. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T44859A22073089. en.

WEBALA, P. (W.), COOPER-BOHANNON, R. and MUSILA, S. 2020. Taphozous hildegardeae, Hildegarde’s Tomb Bat. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2020: e.T21456A22111960. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2. RLTS.T21456A22111960.en.

WEIER, S. M., KEITH, M., NEEF, G. G., PARKER, D. M. and TAYLOR, P. J. 2020. Bat species richness and community composition along a mega-transect in the Okavango River Basin. Diversity, 12: 188. doi: 10.3390/d12050188. The Okavango River Basin is a hotspot of bat diversity that requires urgent and adequate protection. To advise future conservation strategies, we investigated the relative importance of a range of potential environmental drivers of bat species richness and functional community composition in the Okavango River Basin. During annual canoe transects along the major rivers, originating in the central Angolan highlands, we recorded more than 25,000 bat echolocation calls from 2015 to 2018. We corrected for possible biases in sampling design and effort. Firstly, we conducted rarefaction analyses of each survey year and sampling appeared to be complete, apart from 2016. Secondly, we used total activity as a measure of sample effort in mixed models of species richness.

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Species richness was highest in the Angola Miombo Woodlands and at lower elevations, with higher minimum temperatures. In total, we identified 31 individual bat species. We show that even when acoustic surveys are conducted in remote areas and over multiple years, it is possible to correct for biases and obtain representative richness estimates. Changes in habitat heterogeneity will have detrimental effects on the high richness reported here and human land-use change, specifically agriculture, must be mediated in a system such as the Angolan Miombo Woodland.

WELCH, M. J., SMITH, T., HOSIE, C., WORMELL, D., PRICE, E. and STANLEY, C. R. 2020. Social experience of captive Livingstone’s fruit bats (Pteropus livingstonii). Animals, 10 (8): 1321. doi: 10.3390/ani10081321. The maintenance and stability of social experience is an especially important element of the captive welfare of zoo-housed species. The population of critically endangered Livingstone’s fruit bats (Pteropus livingstonii) resident at Jersey Zoo display a complex social structure of affiliative and aggressive interactions. Subgroups defined by individual characteristics contribute in different ways to this structure. Social information, illuminated through the use of social network analysis techniques, could be used in the future to promote social stability and safeguard individual welfare when making evidence-based husbandry decisions. Social network analysis has been highlighted as a powerful tool to enhance the evidence-based management of captive-housed species through its ability to quantify the social experience of individuals. We apply this technique to explore the social structure and social roles of 50 Livingstone’s fruit bats (Pteropus livingstonii) housed at Jersey Zoo, Channel Islands, through the observation of associative, affiliative, and aggressive interactions over two data collection periods. We implement binomial mixture modelling and characteristic-based assortment quantification to describe the complexity and organisation of social networks, as well as a multiple regression quadratic assignment procedural (MRQAP) test to analyse the relationship between network types. We examine the effects of individual characteristics (i.e., sex, age, and dominance rank) on social role by fitting models to explain the magnitude of node metrics. Additionally, we utilize a quadratic assignment procedural (QAP) test to assess the temporal stability of social roles over two seasons. Our results indicate that P. livingstonii display a non-random network structure. Observed social networks are positively assorted by age, as well as dominance rank. The frequency of association between individuals correlates with a higher frequency of behavioural interactions, both affiliative and aggressive. Individual social roles remain consistent over ten months. We recommend that, to improve welfare and captive breeding success, relationships between individuals of similar ages and dominance levels should be allowed to persist in this group where possible, and separating individuals that interact frequently in an affiliative context should be avoided.

Notice Board Conferences THE NORTH AFRICAN CHIROPTERA - State of Knowledge and Perspectives To be held: Online Date: 15-16 September 2021 Abstract close: 5 September 2021 More Information and registration: https://chiroan21.jimdofree.com/ Bats are represented by 1400 species out of the 5000 species of mammals. They belong to the order of Chiroptera with 175 gen- era and 20 families. This order was subdivided into two sub-orders: Microchiroptera and Megachiroptera. Recently on molecular bases the order has been split into two new sub-orders: Yinpterochiropetra and Yangochiroptera. Chiroptera have their own anatomical and physiological peculiarities such as echolocation and flight because they are the only fly- ing mammals, and they play a very important ecological role as they are true indicators of the good health of an ecosystem. They are species that are globally protected. In North Africa, an intermediate region between the Palearctic zone and the Afrotropical zone, there is an important but little known chiropterological heritage. The objective of this seminar is to establish an inventory in terms of chiropterological heritage of North Africa by exchanges of experiences and information, and possibly to come out with perspectives for a better knowledge for a better protection of these mammals, and this at the regional level. During the seminar, plenary lectures will be moderated by world experts. A call for participation through oral communications (15 Minutes) as well as posters (with video presentation of 4 minutes) is open to any author with work to present on chiroptera of North Africa.

1st International Bat Research Online Symposium: Towards solving the wind energy-bat conflict To be held: Online Date: 2 November 2021 Further Information: The preliminary program and further information as well as registration and abstract submissions (deadline: 1 September 2021) can be found on our web page. The online symposium is aimed at scientists, representatives of authorities, experts and representatives of wind energy compa- nies. The event will be conducted in English. Regular registration fee: 60 Euro Reduced registration fee: 40 Euro (participants of non-high-income countries, students, NGO employees) The global expansion of wind energy production represents an, as yet, unsolved green-green dilemma due to habitat degradation caused by the erection of turbines and the risk of colliding with the rotating blades for bats. Effective compensation and mitigation schemes are central for making so-called green energy production by wind turbines ecologically sustainable. We have invited a number of keynote speakers who will report on the wind energy-bat conflict from their country or continent, and present new scien-

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tific evidence on how to protect bats efficiently at wind turbines.e W have also reserved slots for short oral presentations (5-10 min per talk, depending on demand). Talks may be presented either live or as a pre-recorded presentation. In case you would like to present your work at the symposium, please submit your abstract by 1st September 2021. Please note that presentation slots are limited and will be assigned on a competitive basis.

Call for contributions African Bat Conservation News is divided into two main parts: peer reviewed and non peer reviewed articles. The non peer reviewed part is further subdivided into a two sections: Research and Conservation - which aims to promote projects, organizations and individuals working on bat related research, conservation and/or education within Africa and its surrounding islands. Updates on projects and activities are also encouraged. Observations, Discussions and Updates - This section is used to inform and allow readers to comment on various issues of a thematic nature. It is also used to capture information (e.g. Observations) which may not have enough information to make the scientific contribution section (these observations will be moderated by the editorial board). The scientific contribution part of African Bat Conservation News is peer reviewed and publishes brief notes concerning the biol- ogy of bats, new geographical distributions (preferably at least 100 km from the nearest previously published record), sparsely annotated species lists resulting from local surveys, roost counts, and echolocation of bat species occurring on the African continent and adjacent regions, including the Arabian peninsula, Madagascar, and other surrounding islands in the Indian and Atlantic oceans and those islands just off Africa within the Mediterranean and Red Seas. Two additional sections are also included in the newsletter - Recent literature - this includes abstracts from recent conferences and recently published works. If you are involved in a conference or have published a paper and wish to have it included in this section please send a copy of the PDF of the paper to the Editor or Scientific Editor. Notice Board - includes information on future planned conferences, workshops or training opportunities. If you are an organizer of such an event and wish it to be promoted in ABCN then please send the information to the Editor.

African Bat Conservation News Project Cycle Issues will be published Quarterly (January, April, July, October). Deadlines for scientific contributions (1 November, 1 February, 1 May, 1 August). Deadlines for non-scientific contributions (1 December, 1 March, 1 June, 1 September). Non scientific contributions should be sent to the Editor while scientific contributions should be sent to the Scientific Editor. Download notes to authors from www.africanbats.org.

Editorial Team Editor: Ernest C.J. Seamark Scientific Editor:Victor Van Cakenberghe

Editorial Board: Eric Bakwo Fils (University of Maroua, Cameroon); Jakob Fahr (Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Rado- lfzell & Zoological Institute, Germany); Steve Goodman (Chicago Field Museum of Natural History, United States of America); Kim Howell (University of Dar es Salam, Tanzania); Teresa Kearney (Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, formerly Transvaal Museum, South Africa); Robert Kityo (Makerere University, Uganda); Peter Taylor (University of Venda, South Af- rica); Victor Van Cakenberghe (University of Antwerp, Belgium); Paul Webala (Karatina University College, Kenya).

Notice Board