habitat_narrative
Terrestrial
This species has been recorded from a range of habitats throughout Africa, from montane forest to savannah/woodland habitats in eastern Africa, up to altitudes of 2,000 m asl (Skinner & Chimimba 2005). Across their range, they are known to roost within caves, tree hollows or buildings (Fenton et al. 2002). Within the Durban region they will forage in areas of agriculture, such as areas of intensive sugar cane farming, and areas of urban development; and roost in urban and semi-urban areas, often utilising the roof rafters and inner brick surfaces of houses and other buildings (Fenton et al. 2002). Roost sites have not been located yet in Mapungubwe National Park, but it seems plausible that the presence of human buildings and other infrastructure would provide roosting opportunities for colonies (Adams et al. 2015).The Large-eared Giant Mastiff Bat is so named because they have extraordinarily large, rounded ears, which lie flat along the nose (Skinner & Chimimba 2005). This species has large, narrow wings, which allow for long-distance flight (Schoeman & Jacobs 2008), and although there is no direct evidence of migration, in East Africa, seasonal absence of the sister species O. harrisoni at important colony sites, indicates that migration may occur (Mutere 1973). Similarly, Adams et al. (2015) found this species to be more active in Kruger National Park (KNP) during the dry season than in the wet season, which supports the suggestion that foraging distances may be longer during the dry season. They are rapid fliers, but are incapable of taking off from a flat surface, thus need to drop vertically from their roosting sites as they take off (Skinner & Chimimba 2005). Otomops spp. can perform unique flight manoeuvres involving sequences of slide-slips that alternate to the left and right when making steep descents into caves (Norberg & Rayner 1987). From faecal studies in Ethiopia the diet of O. harrisoni, was found to consist predominantly of Lepidoptera, as well as a small percentage of Hemiptera and Orthoptera (Rydell & Yalden 1997). It is assumed the same holds true for O. martiensseni as it has a similar jaw structure to that of O. harrisoni and is designed for specialising in soft-bodied insect prey such as Lepidopterans (Freeman 1981).
In the Durban area, this species occurs in colonies of fewer than 30 individuals, which usually consist of single males or females, maleâfemale pairs or stable harems with a single male and 10 or more females with their young (Richardson & Taylor 1995; Taylor 1998; Taylor et al. 1999). However, in lava tunnels in East Africa, colonies of hundreds of individuals have been recorded (Kingdon 1974), although these are attributable to the sister species O. harrisoni. In males, sexual maturity is reached after approximately one year, when they are evicted from the colony (Richardson & Taylor 1995). Studies have shown that this species may have an extended breeding season, from September to April (Taylor 1998).
Ecosystem and cultural services: As this species is insectivorous, it may contribute to controlling insect populations (Boyles et al. 2011; Kunz et al. 2011). Bats belonging to the family Molossidae often prey on the insect species which destroy crops (Boyles et al. 2011; Kunz et al. 2011). Ensuring a healthy population of insectivorous bats can thus result in a decrease in the use of pesticides.
