Red List of South African Species

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

Rationale (Changed due to Knowledge of criteria)

This species is widely distributed in the Savannah Biome of the assessment region, occurs in multiple protected areas (including Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park), can roost in man-made structures and there are no major identified threats that could cause widespread population decline. Savannah habitats in the assessment region are well protected. Disturbance to roosting sites may cause local declines but there is no evidence for continuing decline. Thus we list as Least Concern.

Regional population effects: Habitat is connected across transfrontier parks and the species has low to intermediate wing loading (Norberg & Rayner 1987), so dispersal, and thus rescue effects, are presumed to be limited but possible.

Distribution

Distributed in southern Africa from northern KwaZulu-Natal through Swaziland, and northeastern South Africa to Zimbabwe, northern Botswana, the extreme southeast Zambia and southern Malawi (Monadjem et al. 2010). The species has probably been overlooked in central Mozambique (Monadjem et al. 2010). Outside of southern Africa, it has been recorded from Benguela in Angola, Banagi in Tanzania, and possibly from Nigeria suggesting a wider distribution than is currently known (Skinner & Chimimba 2005; Monadjem et al. 2010). In the assessment region the species is known from the Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, North West, and KwaZulu-Natal provinces of South Africa; as well as the lowveld and Lubombo regions of Swaziland. It is unclear if the species is present in Lesotho (Monadjem et al. 2010; ACR 2015). The current estimated extent of occurrence is 346,274 km2.

Population trend

Trend

Locally common in the vicinity of day roosts in South Africa and Zimbabwe (Cotterill & Happold 2013). Darling’s Horseshoe Bat is usually found in small numbers. For example, a group of c. 20 individuals is reported from KwaZulu-Natal (Taylor 1998); and groups of 2–15 were recorded by Rautenbach (1982). However, they can be represented by a maximum of about a hundred bats in a colony (Skinner & Chimimba 2005). Additionally, this species is well represented in museums, with 320 specimens examined in Monadjem et al. (2010). The total mature population is inferred to be a little less than 10,000 individuals in the assessment region.

Threats

There appear to be no major threats to this species as a whole (ACR 2015). Roost disturbance may cause local declines but this remains to be documented. Indirect poisoning resulting from the use of insecticides, pesticides and similar chemicals may occur. In addition, use of such insecticides and pesticides may decrease the natural prey base.

Uses and trade

Not known to be traded or utilised in any form.

Conservation

This species is present in many protected areas, including Kruger National Park. No direct conservation interventions are currently needed for the species. However, it would benefit from holistic land management techniques that reduce the need for pesticides, as well as identification and protection of key roost sites to limit disturbance.

Recommendations for land managers and practitioners:
  • Identify and protect important roost sites for this species.
  • Reduce pesticide use in agricultural landscapes.
Research priorities:
  • Further taxonomic research is required to delimit distribution more accurately, especially for populations recorded outside of southern Africa.
  • Systematic surveys to identify further colonies and assess population size and trend.
Encouraged citizen actions:
  • Minimise disturbance to caves when visiting.
  • As this species occurs in urban and rural areas, citizens can report sightings on virtual museum platforms (for example, iSpot and MammalMAP).

References 

[@book{275,
 address = {Cambridge},
 author = {Skinner, J.D. and Chimimba, C.T.},
 publisher = {Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom},
 title = {The Mammals of the Southern African Subregion},
 year = {2005}
}
,@book{30209,
 address = {Mbabane, Swaziland.},
 author = {Monadjem A},
 publisher = {Conservation Trust of Swaziland and Big Games Parks},
 title = {The mammals of Swaziland},
 year = {1998}
}
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 journal = {Science},
 pages = {41–42},
 title = {Economic importance of bats in agriculture},
 volume = {332},
 year = {2011}
}
,@article{111935780,
 author = {Rautenbach, I. L.},
 journal = {Ecoplan monograph, N.S. Supplemento},
 pages = {111--211},
 title = {Mammals of the Transvaal},
 volume = {1},
 year = {1982}
}
,@techreport{4306,
 address = {Pretoria, South Africa},
 author = {ACR},
 title = {African Chiroptera Report 2015},
 year = {2015}
}
,@techreport{4306,
 address = {Pretoria. Available from http://www.africanbats.org},
 author = {ACR},
 institution = {African Bats},
 title = {African Chiroptera Report 2014},
 year = {2014}
}
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,@article{4317,
 author = {Norberg UM, Rayner JM},
 journal = {Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences},
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 title = {Ecological morphology and flight in bats (Mammalia; Chiroptera): wing adaptations, flight performance, foraging strategy and echolocation},
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 institution = {South African National Biodiversity Institute and Department of Environmental Affairs},
 title = { National Biodiversity Assessment 2011: An Assessment of South Africa’s Biodiversity and Ecosystems. Synthesis Report},
 year = {2012}
}
,@book{11136,
 address = {Johannesburg, South Africa},
 author = {Monadjem, A., Taylor, P.J., Cotterill, F.P.D. and Schoeman, M.C},
 publisher = {University of the Witwatersrand Press},
 title = {Bats of Southern and Central Africa: A Biogeographic and Taxonomic Synthesis},
 year = {2010}
}
,@phdthesis{11137,
 author = {Schoeman MC},
 school = {University of Cape Town},
 title = {The relative influence of competition and coevolution on the community structure of insectivorous bats in southern Africa. Ph.D. Thesis},
 year = {2006}
}
,@article{19531,
 author = {Jacobs DS, Babiker H, Bastian A, Kearney T, van Eeden R, Bishop JM},
 journal = {PloS one },
 pages = {e82614},
 title = {Phenotypic convergence in genetically distinct lineages of a <i>Rhinolophus</i> species complex (Mammalia, Chiroptera)},
 volume = {8},
 year = {2013}
}
,@book{67369483,
 address = {London, UK},
 author = {Cotterill FPD, Happold M},
 publisher = {Bloomsbury Publishing},
 title = {<i>Rhinolophus darlingi</i> Darling’s Horseshoe Bat. Pages 318–320 in Happold M, Happold DCD, editors. Mammals of Africa. Volume IV: Hedgehogs, Shrews and Bats},
 year = {2013}
}
,]
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