About Macronycteris vittatus (Peters, 1852)
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
The striped leaf-nosed bat, with the scientific name Macronycteris vittatus (Peters, 1852) (alternatively cited as Macronycteris vittata), is a bat species native to eastern and southern Africa. It was formerly classified as part of Macronycteris commersoni, a species that is now considered to be restricted only to Madagascar. Previously, both this species and M. commersoni were placed in the genus Hipposideros, but were moved to the resurrected genus Macronycteris in 2017 based on molecular evidence.
Primary Range
The striped leaf-nosed bat occurs primarily in eastern and southern Africa. In eastern Africa, its range extends from Ethiopia and Somalia, through Kenya, down to Zambia and Mozambique. In southern Africa, it can be found in Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia.
Scattered Populations
Smaller scattered populations also exist across west and central Africa, in Angola, the Central African Republic, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, and Nigeria.
Roosting Habits
Locally, this bat roosts in caves, and occasionally roosts in trees and under building eaves.
Habitat and Altitude
It is most commonly found in woodland savannas, but has also been recorded in lowland tropical moist forests, and occurs at altitudes up to 1700 m.
