Red List of South African Species

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

Rationale (Changed due to Same category and criteria)

Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution (in the assessment region, extent of occurrence is estimated as 349,369 km²), its presumed large population, ability to utilise modified habitats for roosting, and, although declining in some parts of its range, the overall population within the assessment region is not suspected to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a threatened category. Savannah habitats within the assessment region are generally well protected.

Regional population effects: The range of this species extends to the moist savannah and bushveld regions of Zimbabwe and Mozambique. However, while dispersal rates are unknown, dispersal capacity is assumed to be low due to its low wing-loading (Cotterill & Happold 2013), and thus rescue effects are uncertain.

Distribution

This species has a broad distribution across sub-Saharan Africa. In West Africa, there are records from the Wonegizi Mountains and Mount Nimba (Guinea and Liberia), from central Nigeria and Cameroon, which refer to the subspecies R. s. alticolus (Denys et al. 2013). There are many more records in East Africa, where this species ranges from Ethiopia and southern Sudan, southwards through Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania to Zambia, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, southern Botswana to the eastern regions of South Africa, including Swaziland (ACR 2015). It has possibly been overlooked in southern Mozambique and eastern Botswana (Monadjem et al. 2010). In the assessment region, the Bushveld Horseshoe Bat occurs in the Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, North West and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa as well as Swaziland (Monadjem et al. 2010). The extent of occurrence in the assessment region is 349,369 km².

Population trend

Trend

This species is thought to be common, with 300 specimens examined in Monadjem et al. (2010). Colonies of up to 300 individuals have been recorded in caves and mine adits (Rautenbach 1982), but Bushveld Horseshoe Bats also roost singly or in smaller groups within rocky outcrops, caverns and culverts under the road (Monadjem et al. 2010). There are limited population estimates available for this species, but they are considered locally common in Zimbabwe (Cotterill & Happold 2013).

Threats

Although there are no major threats to this species, it is locally threatened by habitat loss resulting from mining and agriculture. Extensive transformation of natural habitat, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal (Jewitt et al. 2015), is likely to be causing declines where the insect prey base is depleted as a result of loss of native vegetation or the use of pesticides. Additionally, as a cave-roosting species, it may be threatened by human disturbance at roost sites as a result of traditional ceremonies and tourism activities, which frequently take place in caves.

Uses and trade

There is no evidence to suggest that the species is traded or utilised in any form.

Conservation

This species is well protected and present in a number of protected areas, including Kruger National Park, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, Madikwe Nature Reserve, Pilanesberg Game Reserve, Oribi Gorge Nature Reserve and Songimvelo Nature Reserve. No species-specific conservation initiatives are necessary at present. However, this species is likely to benefit from protected area expansion, as well as the protection of key roost sites.

Recommendations for land managers and practitioners:
  • Reduce pesticide use in agricultural landscapes.
Research priorities:
  • Taxonomic revision of the species and tentative subspecies to determine whether R. s. alticolus is a distinct species.
  • Population size and trends.
  • Systematic monitoring to identify key roost sites.
Encouraged citizen actions:
  • Limit disturbance to roost sites.
  • Citizens can assist in the conservation of the species by reporting sightings on virtual museum platforms (for example, iSpot and MammalMAP), and therefore contribute to an understanding of the species distribution. However, this species is easily confused with R. darlingi, and can only be reliably separated by the position and presence of the minute first upper premolar (Monadjem et al. 2010).

References 

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,]
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