Aellen's roundleaf bat
Aellen's roundleaf bat (Hipposideros marisae) is a species of bat in the family Hipposideridae. It is found in Ivory Coast, Guinea, and Liberia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, and caves. It is threatened by habitat loss.[1]
| Aellen's roundleaf bat | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Hipposideridae |
| Genus: | Hipposideros |
| Species: | H. marisae |
| Binomial name | |
| Hipposideros marisae Aellen, 1954 | |
 | |
| Aellen's Roundleaf Bat range | |
Taxonomy and etymology
It was described as a new species in 1954 by Villy Aellen. The eponym for the species name "marisae" was Aellen's wife (her name was presumably Marisa). Of the name, Aellen wrote, "Dédiée à ma femme qui m'a accompagné et secondé au cours de ce voyage," which translates to: "Dedicated to my wife who accompanied and assisted me on this trip."[2]
Description
It is a small species of horseshoe bat, with a forearm length of 41 mm (1.6 in). It has long ears. Its fur is uniformly dark gray, while its ears and wing membranes are dark brown. Its nose-leaf is black around the edges, with a light brown sella.[2]
Range and habitat
It is known from several countries in West Africa, including Ivory Coast, Guinea, and Liberia.[1]
Conservation
It is currently evaluated as vulnerable by the IUCN. It meets the criteria for this assessment because its area of occupancy is likely less than 2,000 km2 (770 sq mi); its roosting habitat is likely severely fragmented; its cave roosting sites are threatened by human disturbance; and some populations are likely over-harvested for bushmeat.[1]
References
- Mickleburgh, S.; Hutson, A.M.; Bergmans, W. & Fahr, J. (2008). "Hipposideros marisae". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN. 2008: e.T10149A3175165. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T10149A3175165.en. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- Aellen, V. (1954). "Description d'un nouvel Hipposideros (Chiroptera) de la Côte d'Ivoire". Revue suisse de zoologie. 61: 473–483.