Red List of South African Species

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Least Concern (LC)
Assessors: Ara Monadjem Peter Taylor Lientjie Cohen David Jacobs Kate MacEwan Leigh Richards Corrie Schoeman Theresa Sethusa
Contributors: Lizanne Roxburgh Domitilla Raimondo Claire Relton
Reviewers: Matthew Child

Rationale

The species is widely but sparsely distributed across the northeastern regions of the assessment region and occurs predominantly in protected areas. The estimated extent of occurrence is 106,515 km2. It occurs in hard to reach places and is difficult to sample but the population is suspected to be stable. There are no known major threats to the species, and it is thus listed as Least Concern.

Regional population effects: This species has been commonly recorded in Zimbabwe and extensive genetic exchange between individuals occurring within and outside of the assessment region is suspected.

Distribution

Chaerephon ansorgei occurs across much of sub-Saharan Africa through to the Kruger National Park and northern KwaZulu-Natal (ACR 2015), with the core of its range being Zimbabwe (Monadjem et al. 2010). It has not been recorded from Botswana. A possible geographically-isolated population is restricted to western Angola (Monadjem et al. 2010). A habitat model suggests that suitable conditions occur in southern Mozambique (Monadjem et al. 2010). Within the assessment region it is found in the Limpopo, Mpumalanga, and KwaZulu-Natal provinces, occurring primarily in protected areas.

Population trend

Trend

This species is suspected to be uncommon as it is difficult to capture, and most records appear to be isolated (Skinner and Chimimba 2005). However, colonies outside of the assessment region have been recorded to contain hundreds of individuals (Mickleburgh et al. 2008). This species is well represented in museums from within the core of its range in Zimbabwe, where more than 250 individuals were examined in Monadjem et al. (2010).

Threats

No major threats have been identified for this species within the assessment region, although minor threats such as human disturbance at roost sites and the climatic impacts associated with global climate change have been identified for other bat species, and may similarly impact this species. In parts of West Africa this species may be vulnerable to overexploitation as a food source (Mickleburgh et al. 2008). There are also historic records from northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo of people suffocating bucket-loads of Ansorge’s Free-tailed Bats to death in their roosting sites (Allen et al. 1917).

Uses and trade

There is no evidence to suggest that this species is traded or harvested within the assessment region. However, in some parts of West Africa it is utilised (and possibly even over-utilised) as bushmeat (Mickleburgh et al. 2008).

Conservation

Within the assessment region, this species occurs within protected areas, such as Kruger National Park and Mapungubwe National Park. No specific conservation efforts are necessary at present, although they are likely to benefit from enhanced protection of key roost sites.

Recommendations for land managers and practitioners:
  •  Reduce pesticide use in agricultural landscapes.
Research priorities:
  • Field surveys are needed to identify further subpopulations and delimit its distribution range more accurately.
  • The reproductive and feeding ecology of Ansorge’s Free-tailed Bat requires further investigation.
Encouraged citizen actions:
  • Citizens can assist the conservation of the species by reporting sightings on virtual museum platforms (e.g., iSpot and MammalMAP), and therefore contribute to an understanding of the species distribution. Ansorge’s Free-tailed Bat closely resembles the Egyptian Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida aegyptiaca), but is slightly smaller in size and lacks the unusually flattened skull seen in T. aegyptiaca (Rautenbach 1997).

References 

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