OPEN ACCESS The Journal of Threatened Taxa fs dedfcated to bufldfng evfdence for conservafon globally by publfshfng peer-revfewed arfcles onlfne every month at a reasonably rapfd rate at www.threatenedtaxa.org . All arfcles publfshed fn JoTT are regfstered under Creafve Commons Atrfbufon 4.0 Internafonal Lfcense unless otherwfse menfoned. JoTT allows unrestrfcted use of arfcles fn any medfum, reproducfon, and dfstrfbufon by provfdfng adequate credft to the authors and the source of publfcafon. Journal of Threatened Taxa Bufldfng evfdence for conservafon globally www.threatenedtaxa.org ISSN 0974-7907 (Onlfne) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Prfnt) Revfew Current status, dfstrfbutfon and conservatfon status of Algerfan bats (Mammalfa: Chfroptera) Mourad Ahmfm 26 January 2017 | Vol. 9| No. 1 | Pp. 9723–9733 10.11609/jot. 2576 .9.1. 9723-9733 For Focus, Scope, Afms, Polfcfes and Gufdelfnes vfsft htp://threatenedtaxa.org/About_JoTT.asp For Arfcle Submfssfon Gufdelfnes vfsft htp://threatenedtaxa.org/Submfssfon_Gufdelfnes.asp For Polfcfes agafnst Scfenffc Mfsconduct vfsft htp://threatenedtaxa.org/JoTT_Polfcy_agafnst_Scfenffc_Mfsconduct.asp For reprfnts contact <[email protected]> Publfsher/Host Partner Threatened Taxa Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 January 2017 | 9(1): 9723–9733 Review Current status, distribution and conservation status of Algerian bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) Mourad Ahmim ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie - Université Abderrahmane Mira, Route de Targa Ouzemmour - 06000, Bejaia, Algeria OPEN ACCESS [email protected] Abstract: Algeria is the largest country in Africa (2,381,741km²), with 85% of the area consisting of the Sahara opening on to the Mediterranean (1,200 km coastline). Initially, 26 species of microbats were reported, and no comprehensive study has been undertaken since 1991. The advent of genetic molecular studies has revealed some species to be the same (Pipistrellus deserti and Pipistrellus kuhlii) while others have had their nomenclature changed (Eptisecus isabellinus instead of Eptisecus serotinus, Plecotus gaisleri instead of Plecotus austriacus, Rhinopoma cystops instead of Rhinopoma hardwickei). Miniopterus schreibersii is now classified in the new family of Miniopteridae. These changes have corrected the number of Algerian bat species to 25, belonging to seven different families. All species are threatened globally and are protected at the national level by Decree 12-135. Keywords: Algeria, Chiroptera, conservation, distribution, historical knowledge, taxonomic notes. French Abstract: L’Algérie est le plus grand pays d’Afrique avec 2 381 741 km² dont 85% de la superficie est occupée par le Sahara, elle s’ouvre sur la Méditerranée sur un littoral de 1 200 km de littoral. A l’origine, 26 espèces de microchiropteres y ont été signalées et aucune étude approfondie n’a été entreprise depuis 1991. L’avènement des études de génétique moléculaire a révélé que certaines espèces étaient les mêmes (Pipistrellus deserti et Pipistrellus kuhlii) tandis que d’autres ont changé de nomenclature (Eptisecus isabellinus au lieu de Eptisecus serotinus, Plecotus gaisleri au lieu de Plecotus austriacus, Rhinopoma cystops au lieu de Rhinopoma hardwickei) , et Miniopterus schreibersii est maintenant classé dans la nouvelle famille des Miniopteridae. Ces changements ont fait passer le nombre d’espèces de chauves-souris algériennes à 25, appartenant à sept familles différentes. Toutes les espèces sont menacées et protégées au niveau national par le décret 12-135. DOI: http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2576.9.1.9723-9733 Editor: Paul Racey, University of Exeter, Devon, UK. Date of publication: 26 January 2017 (online & print) Manuscript details: Ms # 2576 | Received 25 February 2016 | Final received 30 December 2016 | Finally accepted 02 January 2017 Citation: Ahmim, M. (2017). Current status, distribution and conservation status of Algerian bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera). Journal of Threatened Taxa 9(1): 9723–9733; http://doi.org/10.11609/jott.2576.9.1.9723-9733 Copyright: © Ahmim 2017. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use of this article in any medium, reproduction and distribution by providing adequate credit to the authors and the source of publication. Funding: None. Competing interests: The author declares no competing interests. Author Details: Lecturer- Researcher, PhD in biological sciences, affiliated to the Ecology and Environment Research Laboratory of the Faculty of Sciences of Nature and Life - Abderrahmane Mira University - Bejaia - Algeria. He works on mammals and especially bats in the field of ecology, conservation biology and the study of the echolocation of Algerian species. Acknowledgements: We thank all persons have help to do this paper. We gratefully acknowledge the benevols have done the revision of the English, and the reviewers. LOGOs 9723 Status of Algerian bats Ahmim INTRODUCTION offers a wide variety of climates that vary with distance from the sea, becoming increasingly hotter and drier. The Although bats have been studied in some countries rainfall increases from west to east and is concentrated of North Africa such as Morocco (Laurent 1937; Panouse between September and May. It is the largest country in 1951, 1953, 1955; Strinati 1951, 1953; Brosset 1955, Africa and is tenth in the world by area (2,381,741km2), 1960; Hill 1964; Dieuleveut et al. 2010), Tunisia (Deleuil of which 85% is situated in the Sahara. & Labbé 1955; Aellen & Strinati 1969, 1970; Baker et al. 1974), and Libya (Hufnagel 1972; Benda et al. 2004), Geography Algeria is an exception and no comprehensive study was The country is divided into five distinct districts, undertaken until 1991 by Kowalski and Rzebik-Kowalska. along a north-south axis characterized by different Laurent (1944) first banded bats in North Africa in climate (Fig. 1). 1942 in a cave in the vicinity of Algiers, and Anciaux de The littoral zone: A large 80–190 km wide coastal Faveaux (1976) established a major study of Algerian strip, which includes lowlands and the richest diversified bats. He recorded 23 species belonging to five families, ecosystem territories of the country. The climate is some of which are rare and the taxonomic classification Mediterranean. Sometimes the sirocco brings the heat of two remains problematic. This list was supplemented and sand of the Sahara to the coastal cities. The eastern by Gaisler (1983), who worked mainly in the northern part of this zone is formed by the mountains of Kabylia part of the country and first pointed out the presence of and Constantine is the wettest. Myotis nattereri in Algeria, and the reappearance after Chains of the Tell Atlas: This is located between the an absence of nearly a century of Pipistrellus pipistrellus littoral zone and the high plains and extends over nearly and Myotis capaccinii. In their publication “Mammals 7,000km² (highest point: Mount Lala Khadija: 2,308m). of Algeria”, Kowalski & Rzebik-Kowalska (1991) reported This area contains watershed forests of olive trees and the existence of 26 species of bats, and confirmed oaks and is densely populated. Kowalski’s data (Kowalski 1979) and that of Gaisler The High Plains and plateaus: These immense steppe (1983). Furthermore, Kowalski (1984) reported data on plateaus extend from east to west, from 600–1,000 m the caverniculous bats of Algeria. with some depressions called Chott. The climate is semi- In view of the paucity of data on the current arid and allows cereal crops without irrigation. Semi- status of bats of Algeria, we have attempted in this desert in appearance, these areas have long been places paper to highlight the need for a thorough study of of nomadic movement in Saharan Africa. the order Chiroptera and provide actual information The Saharan Atlas Mountains: This southern about Algerian Chiroptera for the scientists and bat succession of mountains marks the boundary of the arid conservation organizations in the world to be aware of climate and limits the north and the Sahara culminating this important heritage. with Mount Chelia in the Aures, at 2,328m. The Sahara and its massive mountains (Hoggar and Tassili): Covering a large part of southern Algeria, the MATERIALS AND METHODS Algerian Sahara, with its two million square kilometers, accounts for a quarter of the entire desert. It is a dry and The data used on this study are extracted from arid desert landscapes with varied ergs (= kind of land in literature and we have reviewed all the publications on the Sahara made up of great sandy areas), dry valleys, Algerian bats. arid plains and sand dunes. It includes the massive volcanic Hoggar Mountains with the highest mountain Study area in Algeria (Tahat reaches 2,918 meters above sea level) Algeria is located in northwestern Africa, and is and the Tassili massif. Average temperatures range from part of the Maghreb. It has an extensive (1,622km) 36°C during the day to 5°C at night. Mediterranean coastline, and is bordered on the north- east by Tunisia (965km) and to the west by Morocco (1,559km). Algeria has also borders with Libya (982km) RESULTS AND DISCUSSION to the east, Niger (956km) to the south-east, Mali (1,376km), western Sahara and Mauritania (463km) to The species of Chiroptera living in Algeria are the south west. recorded in Table 1. Being a large country with contrasting relief, Algeria 9724 Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 January 2017 | 9(1): 9723–9733 Status