Red List of South African Species

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

Rationale

Roberts' Flat-headed Bat is listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution (extent of occurrence in the assessment region is 634,414 km2), presumed large population, its presence in many protected areas, and because no severe threats have been recorded to affect this species within the assessment region. It occurs in inaccessible habitats unlikely to be transformed. While there are some threats to the species, none are presumed to cause future declines which could severely affect the population. However, climate change may represent an emerging threat to this species as it may be especially vulnerable to dehydration during periods of extreme heat. Future work should focus on estimating population size and trend as well as resolving its taxonomy.

Regional population effects: Although the distribution of this species is somewhat patchy through southern Africa, dispersal is possible considering its high wing-loading (Jacobs & Fenton 2001) and its occurrence in transfrontier parks, such as Ai-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park and the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area.

Distribution

The species is widely but patchily distributed throughout southern Africa ranging along the west coast from southern Angola through Namibia, south into South Africa. In South Africa, its distribution extends southwards into the Western Cape Province, as well as eastwards along the northern border of South Africa, extending marginally into southern Botswana (Cotterill 2013) and into Zimbabwe and western Mozambique (Monadjem et al. 2010). It is inexplicably absent from northwest Zimbabwe where habitat is thought to be suitable (Monadjem et al. 2010). It is abundant in the drier western regions of Namibia and South Africa (Skinner & Chimimba 2005), and is generally found between 100 m and 2,000 m asl. In South Africa its range is discontinuous, with records from Limpopo, Mpumalanga, the Pretoria area of Gauteng, Western Cape (Clanwilliam and Ceres) and the Northern Cape (e.g. Goodhouse and Augrabies Falls) provinces (Monadjem et al. 2010). This species is also present within the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area, as well as the Ai-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park (Skinner & Chimimba 2005; Monadjem et al. 2010). The type specimen is from the former Transvaal, now North West Province, South Africa (Monadjem et al. 2010). The distribution of this species is fragmented owing to the patchy nature of its habitat (Monadjem et al. 2010). The estimated extent of occurrence in the assessment region is 634,414 km2.


 

 

Population trend

Trend

Roberts’ Flat-headed Bat is locally common in some areas, particularly the arid, western regions of southern Africa (Jacobs & Fenton 2001; Monadjem et al. 2010; ACR 2015), or where roosting sites are abundant, such as the Limpopo Valley and the Cederberg, but rare elsewhere (Cotterill 2013). Generally, this species occurs in colonies consisting of tens of individuals rather than hundreds (Rautenbach 1982; ACR 2015).

Threats

There appear to be no current major threats to this species. However, in certain parts of its range, habitat alteration, due to deforestation, has been identified as a potential threat to this species (ACR 2015). Additionally, climate change has been recognised as a potential threat to most bat species (Sherwin et al. 2013), and S. petrophilus specifically, was found to exhibit rapid spikes in Evaporative Water Loss during conditions of high ambient temperature (Toussaint & McKechnie 2012). Thus, this species may be especially vulnerable to fatal dehydration during periods of extreme heat (Toussaint & McKechnie 2012; ACR 2015).

Due to the fact that this species is an open-air forager, fatalities at wind farm sites (especially along the western coast of the Western and Northern Cape) pose a future threat. Such renewable energy sites could potentially become a greater threat to insectivorous bats within the assessment region (Baerwald et al. 2008). When bats fly near to turbine blades, they either collide directly with the blade or they experience barotrauma, which is the internal bleeding caused by rapid changes in air pressure near the blades (Baerwald et al. 2008; MacEwan 2016).

Uses and trade

There is no evidence to suggest that this species is traded or harvested within the assessment region.

Conservation

This species is present in several protected areas in Namibia and Angola. In South Africa, it has been reported from the protected areas;  the Greater Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area, the Ai-Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park, the Algeria forestry station, Blouberg Nature Reserve, Baobab Tree Reserve, Kruger National Park, and Augrabies Falls National Park. As wind farms pose a future threat to the species, monitoring of the impacts on populations will be required.

References 

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,]
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