habitat_narrative

Terrestrial

Cistugo lesueuri roosts in rock crevices, usually near water (Lynch 1994, Watson 1998). In the Free State, specimens were collected in a rock crevice behind a waterfall. It appears to be associated with broken terrain (koppies and cliffs) in high-altitude montane vegetation (>1,500 m asl) with suitable rock crevices and water in the form of dams, rivers or marshes (Monadjem et al. 2010). It occurs away from human habitations and constructions (ACR 2013). This species is similar to Neoromicia capensis in size, colour and flight patterns (Herselman and Norton 1985, Seamark and Brand 2005) but, while C. lesueuri is quiet and docile when netted, N. capensis is noisy and active (Watson 1998), and both species appear to use different roosting sites (Skinner and Chimimba 2005). It also pulls its head within its shoulders when handled (Seamark and Brand 2005), which has not been observed in N. capensis. It is a clutter-edge forager and feeds predominantly on Diptera and Hemiptera (Schoeman and Jacobs 2003).

This species is named after J.S. le Sueur of L’Ormarins in Paarl, Western Cape Province, who recovered the original specimen from his cat (Skinner and Chimimba 2005).