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Ten years ago, the genus-level and species-level taxonomy of African pipistrelloid bats was in a state of flux. In spite of advances in the past decade, gaps in collecting from species-rich regions like Angola have hampered efforts to revise this group. We report on new collections of pipistrelle-like bats from the poorly sampled central highlands of Angola (1000–1500 m a.s.l.) as well as comparative material from lower-lying areas of Eswatini and South Africa. Specimens identified as Neoromicia anchietae, collected 400–700 km east of the holotype locality in the western highlands of Angola, were genetically and morphologically distinctive from N. anchietae s.l. from South Africa and Eswatini. We describe herein this latter lineage as a distinct species from low-lying areas of south-eastern Africa, distinct from N. anchietae s.s., which is therefore restricted to the central and western Angolan highlands. We also identified shallow to deep genetic divergence between different African regions in other recognized pipistrelloid species, such as conspecificity between the long-eared species Laephotis angolensis from Angola and Laephotis botswanae from northern Botswana, northern Namibia and south-western Zambia. Our phylogeny supports a recently proposed generic classification of African pipistrelloid bats.

Admission records of rescued birds are an important source of information for tracking the prevalence of human‐related threats to wildlife. In this study, we used admission records from January 2015 to December 2016 to review the causes for raptor admissions to a raptor rehabilitation centre in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, and to determine factors that can be used to predict the outcome of rehabilitation. During the study period, 242 raptors were admitted to the centre, representing 33 species. The major causes of admission were collision‐related injuries (52%), grounded birds (12%) and orphaned chicks (10%). The most common casualties were spotted eagle‐owl Bubo africanus (23%), yellow‐billed kite Milvus migrans aegyptius/parasitus (12%), jackal buzzard Buteo rufofuscus (10%) and western barn owl Tyto alba (10%). The rehabilitation centre had a release rate of 48%. Reason for admission was a significant predictor of the outcome of rehabilitation while other variables were not. Raptors with no severe injuries such as orphaned chicks and grounded birds were more likely to have successful rehabilitation treatment than raptors suffering from collision injuries. Wildlife rehabilitators can use the results of the present study to develop triage guidelines for raptors admitted to rehabilitation centres.

The Upper Guinea rainforest zone in West Africa is considered a biodiversity hotspot and contains important habitats for threatened and endemic mammals, yet this region remains poorly known particularly for small mammals. The aim of this study was to survey small mammals in a Liberian and Guinean cross-border conservation area, the Ziama-Wonegizi-Wologizi landscape. We recorded a total of 52 small mammal species, including 26 bats, 15 rodents, 10 shrews, one otter-shrew, of which one rodent species was new to science (Colomys sp. nov.). We also documented the first country records of the bats Chaerephon aloysiisabaudiae, Pseudoromicia brunnea and Pipistrellus inexspectatus from Guinea, and the shrews Crocidura douceti and Crocidura grandiceps from Liberia. Furthermore, we recorded the recently described bat Nycticeinops happoldorum from Wologizi and Ziama, and we documented the presence of Micropotamogale lamottei at Wologizi, which represents the fourth known locality for this globally threatened species. Finally, the forests of Wologizi and Ziama support numerous threatened species. The results of our survey demonstrate the importance of this region for small mammals and support the creation of a transboundary protected area that will encompass the entire forest landscape.

The semi-aquatic African murine genera Colomys and Nilopegamys are considered monotypic and thought to be closely related to one another. Colomys occurs across forested regions of equatorial Africa, whereas Nilopegamys is known only from the Ethiopian holotype, making it among the rarest mammalian genera in the world – and possibly extinct. Using morphological and genetic data, we reassess the taxonomy of Colomys and Nilopegamys. A multilocus phylogeny with outgroups demonstrates that Nilopegamys is sister to Colomys. In addition, we recognize at least four morphologically diagnosable and genetically distinct species within Colomys: C. eisentrauti (elevated from subspecies and restricted to north-west Cameroon), C. goslingi (with a more restricted range than previously reported) and two new species (one from Liberia and Guinea and one from central and southern Democratic Republic of the Congo and Angola). We also review the status of four other taxa currently recognized within Colomys goslingi (bicolor, denti, goslingi and ruandensis) and demonstrate that these names lack phylogenetic and/or morphological support. Finally, we discuss potential biogeographic barriers that may have played a role in the evolution of Colomys and Nilopegamys, emphasizing the importance of rivers in both facilitating and, possibly, limiting dispersal within these genera.

The Marabou Stork Leptoptilos crumenifer is a large wading bird that occurs extensively throughout sub-Saharan Africa in savanna and wetland habitats. Despite its widespread occurrence in southern Africa, the number of known breeding localities and the numbers of nests are limited. We report on large, dispersed nesting colonies in the greater Gorongosa landscape in central Mozambique. We counted the number of active Marabou nests in Gorongosa National Park and adjoining areas by conducting annual aerial (helicopter) surveys between 2016 and 2019. The Muaredzi colony within Gorongosa National Park has been expanding annually from 82 active nests in 2016 up to 258 nests in 2019. Similarly, the Mussicadzi colony has increased from five nests in 2016 to 81 nests in 2019. A total of 373 active nests were recorded in 2019 in Gorongosa National Park. Since 2017, a small number of additional nests were also observed in the Coutada 11 and Coutada 12 hunting areas, adjacent to Gorongosa. The total count for the greater Gorongosa landscape was 380 active nests in 2019. This represents the first formal record of what appears to be the single largest breeding assembly of Marabou Storks south of the Zambezi and Cunene Rivers. The observation of a significant number of active Marabou nests in the greater Gorongosa landscape has important conservation implications. French Title: Le Marabout d’Afrique Leptoptilos crumenifer se reproduisent dans le grand paysage de Gorongosa, Mozambique Le Marabout d’Afrique Leptoptilos crumenifer est un grand echassier qui se trouve partout en Afrique subsaharienne dans des habitats de savane et de zones humides. Malgre sa presence etendue en Afrique australe, le nombre de localites de reproduction connues et le nombre de nids sont limites. Nous faisons etat de grandes colonies de nidification dispersees dans le grand paysage de Gorongosa, au centre du Mozambique. Nous avons recense le nombre de nids de Marabouts actifs dans le parc national de Gorongosa et les zones adjacentes en effectuant des releves aeriens annuels (par helicoptere) entre 2016 et 2019. La colonie de Muaredzi dans le parc national de Gorongosa s’est developpee chaque annee, passant de 82 nids actifs en 2016 a 258 nids en 2019. De meme, la colonie de Mussicadzi est passee de 5 nids en 2016 a 81 nids en 2019. Un total de 373 nids actifs a ete enregistre en 2019 dans le parc national de Gorongosa. Depuis 2017, un petit nombre de nids supplementaires a egalement ete observe dans les zones de chasse Coutada 11 et Coutada 12, adjacentes a Gorongosa. Le nombre total de nids actifs dans le grand paysage de Gorongosa etait de 380 en 2019. Il s›agit du premier enregistrement officiel de ce qui semble etre le plus grand rassemblement de Cigognes Marabouts nicheuses au sud des rivieres Zambeze et Cunene. L›observation d›un nombre important de nids de Marabouts actifs dans le grand paysage de Gorongosa a des implications importantes pour la conservation de la nature. Keywords: breeding colony, conservation importance. scavenger, Southern Africa

Vespertilionidae (class Mammalia) constitutes the largest family of bats, with ~500 described species. Nonetheless, the systematic relationships within this family are poorly known, especially among the pipistrelle-like bats of the tribes Vespertilionini and Pipistrellini. Perhaps as a result of their drab pelage and lack of obvious morphological characters, the genus and species limits of pipistrelle-like bats remain poorly resolved, particularly in Africa, where more than one-fifth of all vesper bat species occur. Further exacerbating the problem is the accelerating description of new species within these groups. In this study, we attempt to resolve the systematic relationships among the pipistrelle-like bats of sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar and provide a more stable framework for future systematic efforts. Our systematic inferences are based on extensive genetic and morphological sampling of > 400 individuals covering all named genera and the majority of described African pipistrelle-like bat species, focusing on previously unstudied samples of East African bats. Our study corroborates previous work by identifying three African genera in Pipistrellini (Pipistrellus, Scotoecus and Vansonia), none of which is endemic to Africa. However, the situation is more complex in Vespertilionini. With broad taxonomic sampling, we confirm that the genus Neoromicia is paraphyletic, a situation that we resolve by assigning the species of Neoromicia to four genera. Neoromicia is here restricted to Neoromicia zuluensis and allied taxa. Some erstwhile Neoromicia species are transferred into an expanded Laephotis, which now includes both long-eared and short-eared forms. We also erect two new genera, one comprising a group of mostly forest-associated species (many of which have white wings) and the other for the genetically and morphologically unique banana bat. All four of these genera, as recognized here, are genetically distinct, have distinctive bacular morphologies and can be grouped by cranial morphometrics. We also demonstrate that the genus Nycticeinops, until now considered monospecific, includes both Afropipistrellus and the recently named Parahypsugo, thus representing the fifth African genus in Vespertilionini. A sixth genus, Hypsugo, is mostly extra-limital to sub-Saharan Africa. Finally, we describe three new species of pipistrelle-like bats from Kenya and Uganda, uncovered during the course of systematic bat surveys in the region. Such surveys are greatly needed across tropical Africa to uncover further bat diversity.

Following the continual decline of the Cape vulture Gyps coprotheres since the 1960s, captive breeding and rehabilitation programmes have been established to reinforce populations across southern Africa. This study examines the spatial ecology of captive-bred and rehabilitated vultures following release. Our analysis used 253,671 GPS fixes from 20 captive-bred and 13 rehabilitated birds to calculate home range sizes using kernel density estimation. We found that home range size did not differ significantly between captive-bred and rehabilitated birds. The location of home ranges differed: captive-bred birds showed greater site fidelity, remaining close to their release site, whereas rehabilitated birds dispersed more widely across the species' native range. By remaining close to their release site within a protected area, captive-bred birds had a significantly higher per cent of their GPS fixes within protected areas than did rehabilitated birds. Despite fidelity to their release site, captive-bred birds demonstrated innate capabilities for natural foraging behaviours and the same habitat selection strategy as rehabilitated individuals. These findings suggest that captive breeding and reinforcement of populations at declining colonies could provide localized benefits. Future long-term studies should seek to analyse survivorship and identify the breeding behaviour of these captive-bred birds once they reach sexual maturity.

Pipistrelloid bats are among the most poorly known bats in Africa, a status no doubt exacerbated by their small size, drab brown fur and general similarity in external morphology. The systematic relationships of these bats have been a matter of debate for decades, and despite some recent molecular studies, much confusion remains. Adding to the confusion has been the recent discovery of numerous new species. Using two mitochondrial genes, we present a phylogeny for this group that supports the existence of three main clades in Africa: Pipistrellus, Neoromicia and the recently described Parahypsugo. However, the basal branches of the tree are poorly supported. Using an integrative taxonomic approach, we describe a new species of Pipistrellus sp. nov. from West Africa, which has been cited as Pipistrellus cf. grandidieri in the literature. We demonstrate that it is not closely related to Pipistrellus grandidieri from East Africa, but instead is sister to Pipistrellus hesperidus. Furthermore, the species Pi. grandidieri appears to be embedded in the newly described genus Parahypsugo, and is therefore better placed in that genus than in Pipistrellus. This has important taxonomic implications, because a new subgenus (Afropipistrellus) described for Pi. grandidieri predates Parahypsugo and should therefore be used for the entire “Parahypsugo” clade. The Upper Guinea rainforest zone, and particularly the upland areas in the south-eastern Guinea—northern Liberia border region may represent a global hotspot for pipistrelloid bats and should receive increased conservation focus as a result.

Africa hosts a high number of bat species, many of which have been poorly studied. Among African vesper bats (Vespertilionidae), some species are morphologically similar to each other, hampering identification in the field. Consequently, basic information on these species’ population dynamics, distributions, or behaviors is vague and/or incorrectly documented. Among some Vespertilionidae, variation in flaccid penis shape enables species identification. This variation in morphology is thought to have resulted from sexual selection operating on the erect penis. Furthermore, in the context of strong postcopulatory competition, divergence in sperm traits may have evolved among closely related species. These male reproductive characters have hitherto not been investigated in southern African vespertilionid bats. In this study, we present the morphology of flaccid penis, erect penis, and sperm, of six small vesper species, based on the prediction that these characters have evolved sufficiently toward different optima to allow species discrimination. Species identification based solely on the morphological characters of the penis entirely matched species identification based on traditional (craniodental) characters. We illustrate penis morphology of these species to assist with field identifications for future ecological, conservation, or behavioral studies. Sperm morphology was sufficient to discriminate between the different genera, but could not reliably separate Neoromicia nana, Ne. zuluensis, and Ne. capensis. Hence, we demonstrate that these difficult to identify species can be readily distinguished based on traits directly observable in the field and on living animals, which will lead to more focused field studies on these otherwise morphologically cryptic species. Finally, our comparisons of penis morphology support the suggestion that Hypsugo anchietae is better placed within the genus Neoromicia.

The ranging behaviour of raptors in human-altered environments, such as agricultural and suburban landscapes, is becoming increasingly important for conservationists in the context of unprecedented high rates of anthropogenic land use change. We studied the movement ecology of adult Long-crested Eagles Lophaetus occipitalis fitted with geographic positioning system transmitters in an agricultural landscape in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa. Mean home ranges (± SD) of males and females estimated using the autocorrelated kernel density estimator (AKDE) method were 608 ± 552 ha (n = 5) and 664 ± 844 ha (n = 4), respectively. Core areas (KDEhref 50%) were estimated as 80 ± 38 ha and 39 ± 20 ha for males and females, respectively. We also recorded exploratory behaviour (in the form of long excursions) in two of the birds, of up to 49 km from the centre of their home range. The relatively small home ranges reported in this study are suggestive of productive foraging habitats whereby Long-crested Eagles can meet their energy requirements without having to travel long distances to obtain resources. Consistent with predictions, non-breeding male and female Long-crested Eagles showed similar ranging behaviour, which includes occasional exploratory behaviour.

Denys, Christiane, Jacquet, François, Kadjo, Blaise, Missoup, Alain Didier, Aniskine, Vladimir, Goüy de Bellocq, Joelle, Soropogui, Barré, Douno, Mory, Sylla, Morlaye, Nicolas, Violaine, Lalis, Aude, Monadjem, Ara (2021): Shrews (Mammalia, Eulipotyphla) from a biodiversity hotspot, Mount Nimba (West Africa), with a field identification key to species. Zoosystema 43 (30): 729-757, DOI: 10.5252/zoosystema2021v43a30

Determining the scale of genetic variation informs studies of dispersal, connectivity, and population dynamics particularly in heterogeneous landscapes. Mastomys natalensis and Mus minutoides are generalist rodents that utilize multiple habitat types within the agro-ecological landscapes of southern African savannas. To study the comparative spatial genetic structure of these species we developed 9 new microsatellites for Mus and used 14 microsatellite loci previously developed for Mastomys, to genotype rodents sampled across an agro-ecological landscape (˜200 km2). Spatial genetic structure was measured using spatial autocorrelation and Moran’s Eigenvector Maps analysis. In both species, non-random genetic similarity was limited to only the smallest spatial scales (

Disturbance by large herbivores, fires, and humans shapes the structure of savannas, altering the amount of woody vegetation and grass. Due to change in the intensity and frequency of these disturbances, savannas are shifting toward grass-dominated or shrub-dominated systems, likely altering animal communities. Small mammals are critical components of savannas, and their distributions likely are affected by these ecosystem-wide changes in vegetative cover. We assessed the responses of small mammals to a gradient of woody cover in low-lying savannas of southeastern Africa. In Kruger National Park (South Africa) and in three nearby reserves (Eswatini), we livetrapped for over 2 years to build multispecies occupancy models that assessed the responses of the small mammal community to grass and woody cover. Overall, whole-community occupancy increased with grass biomass. More species responded positively to woody cover than to grass biomass, but woody cover was associated with reduced occurrence of one species (Mastomys natalensis). Our results suggest that an increase in grass biomass enhances whole-community occupancy of small mammals, but regional diversity is likely to be higher in areas that contain patches of high grass biomass as well as patches of woody cover.

In savannas across the planet, encroaching woody plants are altering ecosystem functions and reshaping communities. Seed predation by rodents may serve to slow the encroachment of woody plants in grasslands and savannas. Our goals for this study were to determine if rodents in an African savanna selectively removed seeds of an encroaching plant and if foraging activity was influenced by the local vegetation structure or by the landscape context. From trials with two species of seeds (encroacher = Dichrostachys cinerea, non-encroaching overstory tree = Senegalia nigrescens) at 64 seed stations, we recorded 1,065 foraging events by seven species of granivorous rodents. We found a strong positive relationship between rodent activity and the number of seeds removed during trials. Foraging events were dominated by rodent seed predators, with D. cinerea seeds compared to S. nigrescens. Additionally, rodent activity and the number of seeds removed increased at sites with more grass biomass. Our results suggest a potential mechanistic role for rodents in mitigating the spread of woody plants in grass dominated savannas.

National species checklists are important for a variety of reasons, including biodiversity conservation. However, these national checklists are rarely complete, and it is not easy to gauge how many species have been overlooked or what the taxonomic identities of overlooked species would be. This is particularly the case for small, elusive, or nocturnal species such as bats. Despite their diversity and importance as ecosystem service providers, bat distributions are poorly known throughout much of Africa. We present a national checklist of bats for a small African country, Eswatini, by compiling species from museum specimens and literature records. A total of 32 species of bats have been recorded from the country. Since 1995, new species have continued to be recorded in Eswatini, with five additional species added since the last published checklist in 2016, suggesting that some species may still be overlooked. In order to determine what species these may be, we used species distribution models based on the occurrence records of bats from southern Africa to predict what species would occur in Eswatini, which was then compared with what has been collected and deposited in museums. Our models predicted that a total of 47 species are likely to occur in Eswatini compared with 32 species collected to date. Our data suggest that the national checklist of bats of Eswatini is not yet complete and that further species are expected to be recorded for the country. We suggest that species distribution models can be useful for gauging the completeness of national checklists and predicting which species may have been overlooked.

Aim Our understanding of the biological strategies employed by species to cope with challenges posed by aridity is still limited. Despite being sensitive to water loss, bats successfully inhabit a wide range of arid lands. We here investigated how functional traits of bat assemblages vary along the global aridity gradient to identify traits that favour their persistence in arid environments. Location Global. Time period Contemporary. Major taxa studied Bats. Methods We mapped the assemblage-level averages of four key bat traits describing wing morphology, echolocation and body size, based on a grid of 100-km resolution and a pool of 915 bat species, and modelled them against aridity values. To support our results, we conducted analyses also at the species level to control for phylogenetic autocorrelation. Results At the assemblage level, we detected a rise in values of aspect ratio, wing loading and forearm length, and a decrease in echolocation frequency with increasing aridity. These patterns were consistent with trends detected at the species level for all traits. Main conclusions Our findings show that trait variation in bats is associated with the aridity gradient and suggest that greater mobility and larger body size are advantageous features in arid environments. Greater mobility favours bats' ability to track patchy and temporary resources, while the reduced surface-to-volume ratio associated with a larger body size is likely to reduce water stress by limiting cutaneous evaporation. These findings highlight the importance of extending attention from species-specific adaptations to broad scale and multispecies variation in traits when investigating the ability of species to withstand arid conditions.

It has long been of interest to identify the phenotypic traits that mediate reproductive isolation between related species, and more recently, the genes that underpin them. Much work has focused on identifying genes associated with animal colour, with the candidate gene CYP2J19 identified in laboratory studies as the ketolase converting yellow dietary carotenoids to red ketocarotenoids in birds with red pigments. However, evidence that CYP2J19 explains variation between red and yellow feather coloration in wild populations of birds is lacking. Hybrid zones provide the opportunity to identify genes associated with specific traits. Here we investigate genomic regions associated with colour in red-fronted and yellow-fronted tinkerbirds across a hybrid zone in southern Africa. We sampled 85 individuals, measuring spectral reflectance of forecrown feathers and scoring colours from photographs, while testing for carotenoid presence with Raman spectroscopy. We performed a genome-wide association study to identify associations with carotenoid-based coloration, using double-digest RAD sequencing aligned to a short-read whole genome of a Pogoniulus tinkerbird. Admixture mapping using 104,933 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified a region of chromosome 8 that includes CYP2J19 as the only locus with more than two SNPs significantly associated with both crown hue and crown score, while Raman spectra provided evidence of ketocarotenoids in red feathers. Asymmetric backcrossing in the hybrid zone suggests that yellow-fronted females mate more often with red-fronted males than vice versa. Female red-fronted tinkerbirds mating assortatively with red-crowned males is consistent with the hypothesis that converted carotenoids are an honest signal of quality.

Kenya has a rich mammalian fauna. We reviewed recently published books and papers including the six volumes of Mammals of Africa to develop an up-to-date annotated checklist of all mammals recorded from Kenya. A total of 390 species have been identified in the country, including 106 species of rodents, 104 species of bats, 63 species of even-toed ungulates (including whales and dolphins), 36 species of insectivores and carnivores, 19 species of primates, five species of elephant shrews, four species of hyraxes and odd-toed ungulates, three species of afrosoricids, pangolins, and hares, and one species of aardvark, elephant, sirenian and hedgehog. The number of species in this checklist is expected to increase with additional surveys and as the taxonomic status of small mammals (e.g., bats, shrews and rodents) becomes better understood.

International audience; Understanding geographic patterns of interaction between hosts and parasites can provide useful insight into the evolutionary history of the organisms involved. However, poor taxon sampling often hinders meaningful phylogenetic descriptions of groups of parasites. Trypanosome parasites that constitute the Trypanosoma cruzi clade are worldwide distributed infecting several mammalian species, especially bats. Diversity in this clade has been recently expanded by newly discovered species, but the common ancestor and geographical origins of this group of blood parasites are still debated. We present here results based on the molecular characterization of trypanosome isolates obtained from 1493 bats representing 74 species and sampled over 16 countries across four continents.After estimating the appropriate number of hypothetical species in our data set using GMYC models in combination with Poisson Tree Processes (mPTP) and ABGD, the 18S rRNA and gGAPDH genes were used for phylogenetic analyses to infer the major evolutionary relationships in the T. cruzi clade. Then, biogeographical processes influencing the distribution of this cosmopolitan group of parasites was inferred using BioGeoBEARS. Results revealed a large lineages diversity and the presence of trypanosomes in all sampled regions which infected 344 individuals from 31 bat species. We found eight Trypanosoma species, including: five previously known; one subspecies of Trypanosoma livingstonei (Trypanosoma cf. livingstonei); and two undescribed taxa (Trypanosoma sp. 1, Trypanosoma sp. 2), which were found exclusively in bats of the genus Miniopterus from Europe and Africa.The new taxa discovered have both an unexpected position in the global phylogeny of the T. cruzi clade. Trypanosoma sp. 1 is a sister lineage of T. livingstonei which is located at the base of the tree, whereas Trypanosoma sp. 2 is a sister lineage of the Shizotrypanum subclade that contains T. c. cruzi and T. dionisii. Ancestral areas reconstruction provided evidence that trypanosomes of the T. cruzi clade have radiated from Africa through several dispersion events across the world. We discuss the impact of these findings on the biogeography and taxonomy of this important clade of parasites and question the role played by bats, especially those from the genus Miniopterus, on the dispersal of these protozoan parasites between continents.

Protected areas are intended as tools in reducing threats to wildlife and preserving habitat for their long-term population persistence. Studies on ranging behavior provide insight into the utility of protected areas. Vultures are one of the fastest declining groups of birds globally and are popular subjects for telemetry studies, but continent-wide studies are lacking. To address how vultures use space and identify the areas and location of possible vulture safe zones, we assess home range size and their overlap with protected areas by species, age, breeding status, season, and region using a large continent-wide telemetry datasets that includes 163 individuals of three species of threatened Gyps vulture. Immature vultures of all three species had larger home ranges and used a greater area outside of protected areas than breeding and non-breeding adults. Cape vultures had the smallest home range sizes and the lowest level of overlap with protected areas. Rüppell's vultures had larger home range sizes in the wet season, when poisoning may increase due to human-carnivore conflict. Overall, our study suggests challenges for the creation of Vulture Safe Zones to protect African vultures. At a minimum, areas of 24,000 km2 would be needed to protect the entire range of an adult African White-backed vulture and areas of more than 75,000 km2 for wider-ranging Rüppell's vultures. Vulture Safe Zones in Africa would generally need to be larger than existing protected areas, which would require widespread conservation activities outside of protected areas to be successful.

Appendix A. Functional traits, arranged by taxonomic group (bird, small mammal and bat) and category (diet, foraging, morphology, reproduction and nest refugia), used to calculate functional diversity. We add a seasonality category for bird to address their migratory nature. We derived measures derived from Hockey et al., 2005, Monadjem et al., 2010, Wilman et al., 2014 and Monadjem et al., 2015. We used both categorical and quantitative traits and defaulted to categorical traits if information was sparse.

Using various sources, including the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), published literature, recent (2015–2017) collections, as well as bat detector and camera trap surveys with opportunistic sightings and live capture in the upper Okavango catchment in central Angola, we present an updated mammal checklist of 275 species from 15 different orders for Angola (including the Cabinda region). Recent surveys (captures and bat detectors) of small mammals from the upper Okavango catchment yielded 46 species (33 species of bats, ten species of rodents and three species of shrews). One bat (Pipistrellusrusticus, rusty pipistrelle); two rodents (Mussetzeri, Setzer’s mouse and Zelotomyswoosnami, Woosnam’s broad-faced mouse) and one shrew (Suncusvarilla, lesser dwarf shrew) were captured for the first time, in Angola. While our species lists of bats conformed to predicted totals, terrestrial small mammals were under sampled, with only 13 species recorded by our trapping survey compared to a total of 42 shrew and rodent species expected based on GBIF records for the central Angolan highlands. Seven terrestrial small mammal species (one shrew and six rodents) are endemic to the central and western Angolan highlands but none of these were captured in our survey. The bat detector surveys added three further bat species to the country list: Pipistrellushesperidus, Kerivoulaargentata, and Mopsmidas. Camera trap surveys and opportunistic sightings in the upper Okavango catchment in 2016 yielded a total of 35 species of medium-large mammals, from 17 families, although all of these had been reported previously in Angola. GBIF proved to be an excellent source of biodiversity data for Angolan mammals, most importantly for documenting dramatic historical range changes of larger mammals such as the sable (Hippotragusnigerniger), Kirk’s sable (H.nigerkirkii) and the giant sable (H.nigervariani).

Avian scavengers, by feeding on carrion and other organic matter, provide critical ecosystem services. Vultures, the only obligate avian scavengers, have reportedly experienced massive population declines in Africa yet current knowledge regarding their status in most West African countries is unknown. This study set out to ascertain the status of the avian scavenger community in Edo State, southern Nigeria. We made total counts of all scavenging birds at foraging and roosting sites in 13 urban areas. We recorded three species of avian scavenger which were, in order of decreasing relative abundance, Pied Crow Corvus albus, Yellow-billed Kite Milvus migrans and Hooded Vulture Necrosyrtes monachus. There was a positive correlation between relative abundance of avian scavengers and human population size, such that more populous urban centres had larger populations of scavengers. We counted more scavenging birds at roosting sites than at foraging sites. While the Pied Crow and Yellow-billed Kite appear to be thriving in Edo State, the Hooded Vulture appears to have experienced a massive population decline. Our results suggest that without immediate conservation effort such as protection, education and advocacy, the Hooded Vulture will be extirpated from this region in the near future. We suggest that these conservation efforts be focused on the largest urban areas. Furthermore, we recommend that other states in southern Nigeria be urgently surveyed in order for more general conclusions to be drawn about the fate of avian scavengers in this region.

We have a poor understanding of the ecology of many African small mammals due to a lack of basic research. This has important conservation implications, particularly for range-restricted species in tropical regions. In this study, we provide new insight into the distribution and ecology of one such species, the Nimba otter-shrew (Micropotamogale lamottei Heim de Balsac 1954). We apply niche and occupancy modeling to inform on the range and habitat use of this semi-aquatic species. We estimate that its global range [extent of occurrence (EOO)] is 14,725 km2. Using occupancy modeling, we show that mining has a direct impact on the occurrence of this species. We also provide preliminary observations of its movements through radio-tracking. Using maximum entropy (Maxent) modeling, we identify the North Lorma National Forest and the Wonegizi range (northern Liberia) that appear suitable for this species, but where it has not yet been recorded. We suggest that the Nimba otter-shrew has a global distribution centered on the Mount Nimba region, straddling the borders of Liberia, Guinea and Côte d’Ivoire, and that it requires urgent conservation attention to ensure its long-term persistence. Finally, we provide evidence to support an uplisting of its IUCN Red List conservation status to Vulnerable.

In grasslands across the world, woody species are replacing grass cover. This bush encroachment can alter available food, cover, and space resources for most mammalian species; however, the specific responses of mammals to bush encroachment in African savannas remain largely unknown. We examined the fine-scale response of mammals across a gradient of bush encroachment using camera traps and a Bayesian hierarchical multi-species abundance model that estimates local relative abundance and species richness while accounting for imperfect detection. Additionally, we simulated species-specific relative abundances and species richness responses to differing bush encroachment management actions. Contrary to our expectations, the relative abundance of only one species showed a negative relationship to shrub cover and another to tree cover. However, the relative abundance of eight out of twenty-one species showed a positive association with grass cover. Mammal species richness increased with grass cover, decreased with shrub cover, and showed no clear pattern with increasing tree cover. Furthermore, our simulations suggest reducing and increasing shrub and grass cover respectively by 50% would increase species richness and local abundances for the mammal community of the area. Our results indicate grass cover exerts a strong influence on habitat use, relative abundances and species richness in bush encroached areas. Our study shows that mammal's positive response to grass cover is more important than potential negative impacts of increasing shrub cover. Consequently, recovering and maintaining adequate grass cover in savannas subject to bush encroachment is an indispensable condition to maximize mammalian diversity and abundances.

Examination of historical and recent collections of small Rhinolophus bats revealed cryptic taxonomic diversity within southern African populations previously referred to as R. swinnyi Gough, 1908 and R. landeri Martin, 1832. Specimens from Mozambique morphologically referable to R. swinnyi were phylogenetically unrelated to topotypic R. swinnyi from the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa based on cytochrome b sequences and showed distinctive echolocation, baculum and noseleaf characters. Due to their genetic similarity to a previously reported molecular operational taxonomic unit (OTU) from north-eastern South Africa, Zimbabwe and Zambia, we recognize the available synonym (R. rhodesiae Roberts, 1946) to denote this distinct evolutionary species. This new taxon is genetically identical to R. simulator K. Andersen, 1904 based on mtDNA and nuclear DNA sequences but can easily be distinguished on morphological and acoustic grounds. We attribute this genetic similarity to historical introgression, a frequently documented phenomenon in bats. An additional genetically distinct and diminutive taxon in the swinnyi s.l. group (named herein, R. gorongosae sp. nov.) is described from Gorongosa National Park, central Mozambique. Specimens from Mozambique referable based on morphology to R. landeri were distinct from topotypic landeri from West Africa based on mtDNA sequences, and acoustic, noseleaf and baculum characters. This Mozambique population is assigned to the available synonym R. lobatus Peters, 1952.

The Cape Vulture Gyps coprotheres is considered sexually monomorphic in the literature, but visual differences in head shape between the sexes have been observed. Furthermore, head morphometrics of other Gyps species show statistically significant variation between the sexes. We show that head morphometrics can be used to determine the sex of Cape Vultures. Males generally have wider and shorter heads, and larger bill depths than females. Discriminant function analysis with data from 63 individuals identified the three most predictive variables in sex determination to be head width, head length and bill depth. We also provide an equation that can be used in conjunction with head measurements as a method to determine the sex of Cape Vultures in the field with an overall accuracy of 84% (92% accuracy for females and 72% for males).

The MNHN, CNRS, LabEx BCDiv 2012-2013, the Institut Langevin, CNRS, ESPCI, Labex WIFI 2012-2013, and the “PPF Biodiversite actuelle et fossile.”

Mountains provide important habitats for many species and often have high levels of biodiversity and endemism. Habitat associations of terrestrial small mammals were investigated at Wakefield Farm at the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa from July 2015 to January 2016. Sherman live traps were used to capture small mammals on 35 grids in six different habitats. A total of 472 individuals, from 14 species, were recorded, comprising: 10 rodents, three shrews and one golden mole. Species diversity differed across habitats and seasons. The riparian habitat had the highest species richness, diversity and abundance of small mammals. Species composition also differed across habitats with the indigenous forest and rocky outcrops supporting the most distinct assemblages.

Support was provided by All Out Africa Inc., and the University of Florida. Thanks to UF and UNISWA students on the UF in Swaziland study abroad course.

Persistent vulture declines across Africa are a cause for concern as the number of species threatened with extinction increases. The White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus was, until recently, considered abundant but has been declining rapidly in recent years due to various threats including decreasing food availability. We used camera traps to investigate nest attendance and food provision at the nests of White-backed Vultures in north-eastern Swaziland. Chick age influenced brooding behaviour of the parents, with a reduction in brooding time as the chick aged. Mean food provision rate by parents to the nestling was 0.7 bouts d−1, which was mostly delivered between 09:00 and 15:00. Contrary to expectations, provisioning rates did not increase with age of the chick despite both adults delivering food. The growth of chicks showed a curvilinear relationship with age for the first 100 d with the tarsus and bill reaching maximum length after 80 d. We recommend further research into the availability of food for breeding vultures in order to understand the emerging threat of declining food availability in Africa.

Some of the world’s deadliest diseases and greatest public health challenges are zoonoses from wildlife, such as Ebola (Ebolavirus). Due to the increasing number of cases in recent years, it has been widely hypothesized that increasing human population densities and anthropogenic disturbance largely explain outbreaks of Ebola virus disease in humans. While studies indicate that ebolaviruses are likely hosted by bats (Chiroptera), their role in outbreaks of the disease remains unclear. We tested whether bat species richness (total and within families), human population density, and anthropogenic disturbance explained the occurrence of Ebola virus disease spillovers within Africa using both generalized linear models and Maxent models. We demonstrate that spillover occurred in areas with high species richness of nycterid bats and low levels of both anthropogenic disturbance and human population density. Outbreaks of Ebola virus disease have devastating effects on people and communities and our results provide an important step toward understanding how and where Ebola virus disease may spill over to human populations.

Conversion of native habitats into agricultural monocultures is a major cause of biodiversity loss favouring a small number of generalist species. Rodents can cause significant declines in crop yield, hence understanding the factors affecting their population dynamics is of importance to the agricultural sector. Sugarcane plantations in African savannas harbour a low diversity of small mammals, with a single genus (Mastomys spp.) often dominating the community. Our study investigated the factors that shape the composition of the small mammal community and the life-history traits of the dominant species in a savanna-sugarcane landscape mosaic. We surveyed small mammals at eight sites, six in sugarcane and two in neighbouring savannas at five-week intervals over the course of a year. Sugarcane and native savanna sites were categorised into vegetation height classes. We captured a total of 845 individual small mammals belonging to eight species across all sites. Species diversity was higher in the savanna than in sugarcane fields. Although the composition of the community overlapped in the two habitats, it was most similar between tall sugarcane and savanna, than between sites that had recently planted (emerging or short) sugarcane and either tall sugarcane or savanna. Furthermore, population densities of the dominant species (Mastomys natalensis) were significantly higher in sugarcane than in native savanna. Additionally, the interactions between habitat and season influenced survival and body condition of M. natalensis; apparent survival decreased in savanna and body condition improved in sugarcane during the wet season. Furthermore, the survival of M. natalensis was also significantly reduced in sugarcane fields that had been burnt prior to harvesting. However, there was no significant difference in the extent of breeding between the two habitats. This study provides novel insight into the mechanisms that allow for the persistence of high densities of rodent pest species. Keywords: Small mammals, Crop pests, Agriculture, Sugarcane, Population dynamics, Community structure

Bats are considered important bioindicators and deliver key ecosystem services to humans. However, it is not clear how the individual and combined effects of climate change and land-use change will affect their conservation in the future. We used a spatial conservation prioritization framework to determine future shifts in the priority areas for the conservation of 169 bat species under projected climate and land-use change scenarios across Africa. Specifically, we modelled species distribution models under four different climate change scenarios at the 2050 horizon. We used land-use change scenarios within the spatial conservation prioritization framework to assess habitat quality in areas where bats may shift their distributions. Overall, bats’ representation within already existing protected areas in Africa was low (∼5% of their suitable habitat in protected areas which cover ∼7% of Africa). Accounting for future land-use change resulted in the largest shift in spatial priority areas for conservation actions, and species representation within priority areas for conservation actions decreased by ∼9%. A large proportion of spatial conservation priorities will shift from forested areas with little disturbance under present conditions to agricultural areas in the future. Planning land use to reduce impacts on bats in priority areas outside protected areas where bats will be shifting their ranges in the future is crucial to enhance their conservation and maintain the important ecosystem services they provide to humans.

Capsule: Supplementary feeding stations provide a useful conservation benefit for vultures, without disrupting their natural movement ecology.Aims: To understand the effects of providing supplementary food on the movement ecology of vultures.Methods: We used Global Positioning System tracking devices to monitor the movements of 28 Cape Vultures Gyps coprotheres using feeding stations in South Africa. We calculated home range values and then performed a habitat selection analysis.Results: We show that aside from roost sites, vulture feeding stations are the most important environmental variable that explains vulture movements. However, we found that the birds ranged over areas without supplementary food and their mean home range values were comparable to those measured before the inception of feeding stations.Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the use of supplementary feeding sites did not significantly impact on the natural foraging behaviour of the species.

Since its detection in Kenya in 2003, the exotic fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis, has rapidly spread throughout sub-Saharan Africa. This study was conducted to predict the potential distribution of B. dorsalis in the southern African region using suitable environmental variables and some feral host plants. Presence data from surveillance information carried out in Mozambique and Swaziland up to 2013 were used for niche modelling to predict the potential geographical distribution of the pest in the southern African region. Prediction for its national distribution within Swaziland was also carried out using distribution data for eight feral host plants. Although variable between countries, predicted habitat suitability for the pest was potentially greater in the eastern parts of southern Africa, with response curves suggesting higher probability of the pest's occurrence in low altitude areas with moderate diurnal temperature and high precipitation during the wettest month of the year. Of the host plants considered, the pest's distribution was associated mainly with Ficus sycomorus. The model's prediction also suggested that human-associated activities, such as irrigation, could influence the distribution and establishment of the pest even in areas of low host-plant richness. Since the presence of B. dorsalis causes restrictions in international trade of its host plants, it is imperative that countries within the region continue surveillance programmes and coordinated strategies to reduce the impact of the pest.

Vultures provide critical ecosystem services, yet populations of many species have collapsed worldwide. We present the first estimates of a 30-year PanAfrican vulture decline, confirming that declines have occurred on a scale broadly comparable with those seen in Asia, where the ecological, economic, and human costs are already documented. Populations of eight species we assessed had declined by an average of 62%; seven had declined at a rate of 80% or more over three generations. Of these, at least six appear to qualify for uplisting to Critically Endangered. Africa’s vultures are facing a range of specific threats, the most significant of which are poisoning and trade in traditional medicines, which together accounted for 90% of reported deaths. We recommend that national governments urgently enact and enforce legislation to strictly regulate the sale and use of pesticides and poisons, to eliminate the illegal trade in vulture body parts, as food or medicine, and to minimize mortality caused by power lines and wind turbines.

Variation in survival over time and among age and sex classes drives population dynamics for a large majority of long-lived species and is critical to understanding species demography. For highly mobile species that actively move among potential breeding locations, coupling survival information with estimates of locational fidelity provides the basis for our understanding of species population dynamics. We studied the effect of time, age and sex class and climatic variables on survival and roost transition probabilities on a population of Egyptian slit-faced bats in Swaziland from 1450 marked individuals from 16 roosts over a 10-year period. We then used variance components analysis to estimate average annual survival and associated temporal process variance. Annual apparent survival varied with sex and age, being highest in adult males and lowest in juvenile females. We did not find evidence of survival being influenced by climatological factors as commonly observed in temperate bats. Roost switching occurred frequently, with more transitions to roosts harboring larger number of bats. Furthermore, the probability of transitioning to another roost was related to its distance from the original roost. The dispersal patterns revealed in this study were consistent with the fission–fusion dynamics common for colonial bats.

Irene D. Pritzker Foundation associated with the Field Museum of Natural History African Training Fund; John D and Catherine T.MacArthur Foundation; Volkswagen Foundation; and the Centre de Recherche et de Veille sur les maladies emergentes dans l’Ocean Indien (CRVOI) through the Fonds Europeen de Developpement Regional Programme Operationnel de Cooperation Territoriale Reunion, pathogenes associes a la faune sauvage ocean Indien #31189. SYNTHESYS project http://synthesys.info/, which is financed by European Community Research Infrastructure Action under the FP7 Integrating Activities Program.

Tropical savannas are biomes of global importance under severe pressure from anthropogenic change, including land-cover and land-use change. Bats, the second-most diverse group of mammals, are critical to ecosystem functioning, but vulnerable to such anthropogenic stresses. There is little information on how savanna bats respond to land cover and land use, especially in Africa, limiting our ability to develop conservation strategies for bats and maintain the ecosystem functions and services they provide in this biome. Using acoustic monitoring, we measured guild-specific (aerial, edge, and clutter forager) responses of bat activity to both fine-scale vegetation structure and landscape-scale land-cover composition and configuration across the wet and dry seasons in a southern African savanna undergoing rapid land-cover and land-use change. Responses were guild- and season-specific but generally stronger in the dry season. Aerial and clutter bats responded most strongly to landscape metrics in the dry season (positive responses to savanna fragmentation and water cover, respectively) but fine-scale metrics in the wet season (positive responses to water cover and grass cover, respectively). Edge bats responded most strongly (negatively) to the distance to water in the dry season and fine-scale shrub cover in the wet season. Our results show it is possible to maintain high levels of bat activity in savanna mosaics comprised of different land covers and land uses. Bats, and the ecosystem services they provide, can be conserved in these changing landscapes, but strategies to do so must consider foraging guild, spatial scale, and seasonal variation in bat activity.

The whale shark Rhincodon typus is a popular focal species in the marine tourism industry. We analysed 689 encounters with at least 142 individual sharks during 2008–2010 to assess their behaviour in the presence of swimmers at Tofo Beach, Mozambique. Sharks varied in size (estimated 3.0–9.5 m total length) and the majority (74%) were males. The sharks displayed avoidance behaviours during 64.7% of encounters. Encounter duration decreased significantly, from 12 minutes 37 s with undisturbed sharks to 8 minutes 25 s when sharks expressed avoidance behaviours, indicating that interactions with tourists affected the sharks’ short-term behaviour. However, during the 2.5-year study period we found no trend in the mean encounter duration, the overall expression of avoidance behaviour or the likelihood of an individual shark exhibiting avoidance behaviours. Potential effects of tourism may be mitigated by the non-breeding status and transient behaviour of sharks at this aggregation site.

The montane inselbergs of northern Mozambique have been comparatively little-studied, yet recent surveys have shown they have a rich biodiversity with numerous endemic species. Here we present the main findings from a series of scientific expeditions to one of these inselbergs, Mt Mabu, and discuss the conservation implications. Comprehensive species lists of plants, birds, mammals and butterflies are presented. The most significant result was the discovery of a c. 7,880 ha block of undisturbed rainforest, most of it at medium altitude (900–1,400 m), a forest type that is not well represented elsewhere. It is possibly the largest continuous block of this forest type in southern Africa. To date, 10 new species (plants, mammals, reptiles and butterflies) have been confirmed from Mt Mabu, even though sampling effort for most taxonomic groups has been low. The species assemblages indicate a relatively long period of isolation and many species found are at the southern limit of their range. Conservationists are now faced with the challenge of how best to protect Mt Mabu and similar mountains in northern Mozambique, and various ways that this could be done are discussed.