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New records of bat species using Gatkop Cave in the maternal season

  • Teresa C. Kearney EMAIL logo , Mark Keith and Ernest C.J. Seamark
Published/Copyright: February 24, 2016

Abstract

Eight bat species were recorded at Gatkop Cave, in the northern part of South Africa in December 2011 (Cloeotis percivali, Hipposideros caffer, Myotis tricolor, Miniopterus natalensis, Nycteris thebaica, Rhinolophus blasii, Rhinolophus smithersi, and Rhinolophus simulator). With the exception of M. natalensis, R. simulator and Myo. tricolor, the other five species were recorded for the first time at Gatkop Cave during this time of the year, when thousands of M. natalensis use the cave as a maternity and nursery roost. Previously it was suggested the large numbers of M. natalensis using Gatkop Cave during the maternal period excluded other bat species. The reason for this recorded change in species roost composition at Gatkop Cave during the maternal period in relation to previous records made from the late 1960s and the mid 1980s is not clear, two possible reasons are the loss of other roosts, or these species were previously present but were not captured as a result of the particular methods used.


Corresponding author: Teresa C. Kearney, AfricanBats, 357 Botha Avenue, Kloofsig, 0157, South Africa; School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050, South Africa; and Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, PO Box 413, Pretoria, 0001, South Africa, e-mail:

Acknowledgments

The Landowner Aquila Steel (S Africa) Pty Ltd and Aquila Resources LTD, represented by Johan van Breda (Project Manager), Johann van Deventer (Explorations Manager) and Tiaan van den Berg (OHS/Field supervisor), gave permission and provided assistance in accessing Gatkop Cave. Prof Mac van der Merwe, Dr Dean Peinke, and Mr. Julio Balona kindly shared their earlier experiences of bats at Gatkop Cave. Carlo Ornelas and Xolisa “Lucky” Soqashe assisted in the field.

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Received: 2015-3-12
Accepted: 2015-12-15
Published Online: 2016-2-24
Published in Print: 2017-1-1

©2017 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston

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