This very small fruit bat is distinguished by having pale-coloured lips and three white patches on the head, one on the forehead and one behind each eye. The fur is soft, dense and fluffy; the dorsal pelage is medium-brown to rusty brown, the flanks are medium to greyish-brown and the chest and belly are whitish to pale grey, with scantier, stiffer hairs. The wing membranes are brown or greenish-brown and there is no discernable tail.[2]
Suitable habitat for this bat includes both primary and secondary lowland rainforest, mangrove forests, forest fringes, clearings and gardens. It sometimes occurs in forest-savanna mosaic zones but avoids large clear-felled areas. It is mostly found at altitudes below 800 m (2,600 ft) but also occurs up to 1,100 m (3,600 ft) on the Western High Plateau of Cameroon. In the Congo Basin, it is often found in degraded secondary growth forest where the understorey is dominated by Haumania liebrechtsiana.[2]
Ecologyedit
This species is locally rare or very rare. When catching bats with mist nets in Taï National Park in Ivory Coast, only about 3.6% of the bats caught were this species, putting it sixth among the eight species caught. It seems to have two peaks of activity, between 21.00 and 23.00 hours, and again between 02.00 and 04.30 hours, whereas Pohle's fruit bat is active in the intervening period. The diet is not precisely known. It seems to forage in both the canopy and the understorey zone. Near Mount Richard-Molard, on the Guinea / Ivory Coast border, it is known to consume the fruits of Solanum torvum and Solanum erianthum during July to September.[2]
Referencesedit
^Obitte, B. (2021). "Scotonycteris zenkeri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T84464403A192236400. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-1.RLTS.T84464403A192236400.en. Retrieved 18 November 2021.
^ abcdKingdon, Jonathan; Happold, David; Butynski, Thomas; Hoffmann, Michael; Happold, Meredith; Kalina, Jan (2013). Mammals of Africa. A&C Black. pp. 297–298. ISBN978-1-4081-8996-2.
March 13, 2024
zenker, fruit, tear, drop, scotonycteris, zenkeri, species, megabat, family, pteropodidae, natural, habitats, tropical, subtropical, moist, broadleaf, forests, swamps, conservation, statusnear, threatened, iucn, scientific, classificationdomain, eukaryotakingd. Zenker s fruit bat or Tear drop bat Scotonycteris zenkeri is a species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae Its natural habitats are tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests and swamps Zenker s fruit batConservation statusNear Threatened IUCN 3 1 1 Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass MammaliaOrder ChiropteraFamily PteropodidaeGenus ScotonycterisMatschie 1894Species S zenkeriBinomial nameScotonycteris zenkeriMatschie 1894Zenker s fruit bat range Contents 1 Description 2 Distribution and habitat 3 Ecology 4 ReferencesDescription editThis very small fruit bat is distinguished by having pale coloured lips and three white patches on the head one on the forehead and one behind each eye The fur is soft dense and fluffy the dorsal pelage is medium brown to rusty brown the flanks are medium to greyish brown and the chest and belly are whitish to pale grey with scantier stiffer hairs The wing membranes are brown or greenish brown and there is no discernable tail 2 Distribution and habitat editThis fruit bat is endemic to tropical West and Central Africa Its range includes Guinea Liberia Ivory Coast Ghana Nigeria Cameroon Bioko Island Equatorial Guinea the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo However its range is not continuous throughout these countries as it is only known from certain widely separated locations especially in the Congo Basin In general it is known from all the locations where Pohle s fruit bat Casinycteris ophiodon occurs and some additional ones 2 Suitable habitat for this bat includes both primary and secondary lowland rainforest mangrove forests forest fringes clearings and gardens It sometimes occurs in forest savanna mosaic zones but avoids large clear felled areas It is mostly found at altitudes below 800 m 2 600 ft but also occurs up to 1 100 m 3 600 ft on the Western High Plateau of Cameroon In the Congo Basin it is often found in degraded secondary growth forest where the understorey is dominated by Haumania liebrechtsiana 2 Ecology editThis species is locally rare or very rare When catching bats with mist nets in Tai National Park in Ivory Coast only about 3 6 of the bats caught were this species putting it sixth among the eight species caught It seems to have two peaks of activity between 21 00 and 23 00 hours and again between 02 00 and 04 30 hours whereas Pohle s fruit bat is active in the intervening period The diet is not precisely known It seems to forage in both the canopy and the understorey zone Near Mount Richard Molard on the Guinea Ivory Coast border it is known to consume the fruits of Solanum torvum and Solanum erianthum during July to September 2 References edit Obitte B 2021 Scotonycteris zenkeri IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2021 e T84464403A192236400 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2021 1 RLTS T84464403A192236400 en Retrieved 18 November 2021 a b c d Kingdon Jonathan Happold David Butynski Thomas Hoffmann Michael Happold Meredith Kalina Jan 2013 Mammals of Africa A amp C Black pp 297 298 ISBN 978 1 4081 8996 2 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Zenker 27s fruit bat amp oldid 1137834603, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
