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Bocage's Myotis

Myotis bocagii
LC · Least concern Chiroptera Vespertilionidae
Bocage's Myotis (Myotis bocagii)
Photo: © i_c_riddell, some rights reserved (CC BY)
Activity
Nocturnal.
Sociability
Small groups.

Description

With strikingly reddish fur, very distinct from the dull brown of most African Myotis species, the Bocage's Myotis lives in damp and dry savannas across much of sub-Saharan Africa. It frequently roosts in human structures and tree holes, forming small groups that rarely exceed ten individuals.

How to identify it

A small bat with striking reddish to orange fur on its back and a paler belly. Ears are moderate in size. It differs from other Myotis species in the region by this very characteristic reddish tone, which is unusual for the genus.

Signs and tracks

There are no reliably published data on the echolocation call frequency specific to this species, so no concrete figures are given here. Roosts are the most accessible tracks and signs: it occupies tree holes, rock crevices and buildings in small groups, leaving accumulations of dark guano beneath the perch.

Habitat and range

Damp and dry savanna, from sea level up to mid-altitude zones, across a broad mosaic of sub-Saharan Africa.

Diet

Nocturnal flying insects.

Behaviour

Forms small groups of up to around ten individuals in roosts ranging from tree holes to human structures.

Conservation

The species maintains a large and stable population across most of its range, with no evidence of widespread decline.

Threats

No widespread threats identified.

Other accounts in Vespertilionidae

See all species accounts for bats · Full species index

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