Taxonomy and Zoogeography of thefruits bats of the People’s Republic of Congo, with notes on their reproductive bilogy (Mammalia, Megachiroptera) by W. Bergmans Institute of Taxonomic Zoology, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands Abstract clarify the zoogeographic and taxonomic ties of the populations inhabiting this country. From the This study deals with 272 Megachiroptera from the People’s 24th of October till the 29th of December 1972 Republic of Congo, belonging to 13 taxa: Eidolon helvum visit and I a to the Republic to collect helvum (Kerr), Rousettus aegyptiacus unicolor (Gray), Lis- paid study fruit the time sonycteris angolensis angolensis (Bocage), Myonycteris tor- bats. Most of was spent at Pointe quata (Dobson), Hypsignathus monstrosus Allen, Epomops Noire, some small trips were made from there, franqueti franqueti (Tomes), Epomophorus cf. labiatus (Tem- and the last week I in Brazzaville. minck), Epomophorus wahlbergi haldemani (Halowell), stayed The first fruit Micropteropus grandis Sanborn, Micropteropus pusillus author who mentioned bats from (Peters), Scotonycteris zenkeri zenkeri Matschie, Scotonycteris the Republic is probably Dybowski (1893), who ophiodon Pohle, and Megaloglossus woermanni Pagenstecher. observed monstrosus Allen, 1861, Of these, Epomophorus cf. labiatus and Micropteropus Hypsignathus Notes his in grandis are recorded from this country for the first time. near Liranga. on report are included known of cf. labiatus and The ranges Epomophorus Micro- of this in the my account species taxonomic sec- In pteropus grandis are greatly extended towards the west. in his studies the mammals tion. De Pousargues on morphology and zoogeography ten species correspond with of French populations to the north and, with the possible exception of Congo (1896; 1897) listed specimens both Scotonycteris species, to the south; towards the east the of Hypsignathus monstrosus,Micropteropus pusil- distribution of Rousettus aegyptiacus and both Scotonycteris lus (Peters, 1867) and Eidolon helvum (Kerr, species is possibly discontinuous. The two Epomophorus linked de species and Micropteropus grandis are with populations 1792), collected in 1885 by J. Brazza, probably towards the south and east only. in what is now the Republic but without exact Seasonal biannual reproduction is assumed for Epomops data. From De Poursargues' introductory notes, franqueti, Epomophorus wahlbergi and Micropteropus pusil- which hold information the various lus. Data on reproduction in other species are scarce or important on lacking. French zoological expeditions in this part of it be that Africa, can inferred these specimens probably originate from along the river Alima and INTRODUCTION from the right bank of the river Congo between the mouth of the Alima and Brazzaville. I studied Bats of the People's Republic of Congo have been several of his specimens (if not all) in the col- the subject of three recent studies (Brosset, 1966a; lections of the Museum National d'Histoire Na- Aellen & Brosset, 1968; Adam & Le Pont, 1974). turelle in Paris, but have not included them in the these contain considerable Although papers a because of their uncertain present report prov- amount of information they also demonstrate that enance. Malbrant & Maclatchy (1949), who in the study of bats from this country has only just their introduction also provide useful historical begun. This is particularly true with regard to the mammal information on collecting in the Republic, zoogeography and taxonomy of the Megachirop- observed and in some cases collected Eidolon hel- tera. vum,Epomops franqueti franqueti (Tomes, 1860), with The present paper deals exclusively Mega- Hypsignathus monstrosus, Epomophorus wahl- chiroptera from the Republic and attempts to bergi haldemani (Halowell, 1846), and Micro- Downloaded from Brill.com10/05/2021 10:32:50AM via free access 162 W. BERGMANS - CONGOLESE FRUIT BATS I pteropus pusillus. have traced only a few speci- Villiers; all specimens with ZMA numbers have mens from their collections, mainly in the American been collected by the author. UBRA registration York. numbers include the Museum of Natural History, New Brosset sex of the specimen involved; in had (1966a) could add Rousettus aegyptiacus occiden- unfortunately, a number of cases the sex talis of R. been data Eisentraut, 1959 a junior synonym wrongly determined, initially. Where ae. unicolor tor- are not are (Gray, 1870) —, Myonycteris mentioned, they lacking. and skull quata (Dobson, 1878), and Myonycteris wrough- Body measurements have been taken toni 1908 in with and are in Teeth measurements Andersen, my opinion a synonym callipers mm. M. of torquata (see Bergmans, 1976) to the were obtained with the help of a stereoscopic faunal list of the Republic. Aellen & Brosset microscope and a micrometer disc, and are also in extended it further with As the last few it has (1968) Lissonycteris mm. during years appeared As first that angolensis angolensis (Bocage, 1898). a to me certain measurements are not always visit in I in result of my 1972 reported on the oc- obtained the same way by different authors, it be useful define currence in theRepublic of Scotonycteris ophiodon may to those used in this paper. Pohle, 1943 and Scotonycteris zenkeri Matschie, Head and 1894 (Bergmans, 1973). Adam & Le Pont (1974) body length: The projection of the distance between the tip of the nose and the most caudal extended the list with Megaloglossus woermanni of part the body, except the tail. It is impossible to stretch 1885. In the Pagenstecher, Epomo- a fruit bat in the same for present paper, way as, instance, a rodent, so that there phorus cf. labiatus (Temminck, 1837) and Mi- is always an angle between head and body. For this reason this measurement should be indication first regarded as an cropteropus grandis Sanborn, 1950, are re- rather than an exact measurement. (A better way would be the corded from to distance Republic. measure this on the unstretched animal, with the help of a cord which, to start from the nose tip, precisely follows the dorsal surface of head and body in the median plane.) MATERIALSAND METHODS External tail length: The length of the tail from the skin where it to the emerges tip. Often the tail can only Three unreported collections of be Megachiroptera, felt; in such cases its external length is stated to be 0 mm. consisting of 215 specimens altogether, form the from Ear length: The distance the distal tip of the ear main basis of the work: the material col- present to the most proximal point of its outer margin, which is the in point of insertion of this margin. lected by myself in 1972 and now the Zoolo- gisch Museum, Amsterdam (ZMA), the collection Forearm length: The length of the forearm in situ, including the joints with the arm and in order to of the Laboratoire de Zoologie of the University upper hand; standardize results and to minimize the contributions of the of Brazzaville and the modest collection (UBRA), the elbow and wrist bent that both joints, are so upperarm the the of Laboratoire Emile Roubaud of Office and metacarpals are lying against the forearm (as far as possible, without forcing them). de la Recherche Scientifique et Technique Outre- Mer (O.R.S.T.O.M.) in Brazzaville (LER). Apart Metacarpal length: The length of the metacarpal in situ, from its external proximal end to halfway the with from these I examined most of the material de- joint the first phalanx. scribed earlier by Brosset (1966a) and Aellen & Tibia length: The length of the tibia in situ. As the Brosset in the MuseumNational d'Histoire (1968), be bent joints here cannot much more than 90°, it is better Naturelle, Paris. Some odd were en- samples to stretch them and to measure the tibia as exactly as its bony ends be located. This measurement should countered in other collections and are mentioned can be regarded as an indication rather than an exact measurement. in the taxonomic section. The total number of Foot length (cum unguis): The length of the foot when examined specimens is 272. They belong to 13 stretched, from the back side of the heel to the tip of the species. longest claw. In the enumerations of material in the taxonomic Greatest skull length: The distance between section, A. = alcoholic A./S. = al- specimen, prosthion and opisthocranion. The opisthocranion or most coholic with F. = caudal of skull can be situated specimen extracted skull, for- point the either on the occipital of the or in the median the line = region braincase, plane on malin specimen, S./S. dry skin and skull; D. & connecting the most caudal points of the condyli occipitales, V. stands for collectors A. and A. Descarpentries or on the sagittal/occipital crest. Downloaded from Brill.com10/05/2021 10:32:50AM via free access BIJDRAGEN TOT DE DIERKUNDE, 48 (2) - 1979 163 The distance ABBREVIATIONS OF COLLECTIONS Condylobasal length: between pros- thion and the intersection of the median plane and the line the most caudal points of the condyli York. connecting occipitales. AMNH American Museum of Natural History, New BMNH British Museum (Natural History), London. Rostrum length: The distance between prosthion and FMNH Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago. the most anterior point of the orbit margin. This way of IRSN Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, measuring the rostrum length seems more correct than Brussels. measuring between the most distal point of the nasal bones LER Laboratoire Emile Roubaud (O.R.S.T.O.M.), Braz- and anterior orbit margin, which is often done. zaville. Palatal length: The distance between prosthion and MAKB Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn. of middle of the caudal MNHN Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris. the intersection of the tangent the margin of the palatum and the median plane. MRAC Musee Royal de lAfrique Centrale, Tervuren. RMNH Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden. Cranium width: The width of the actual braincase ROM Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto.