{{Short description|Species of bat}} {{speciesbox | name = Bates's slit-faced bat | image = Naturalis Biodiversity Center - RMNH.MAM.16366.b ven - Nycteris arge - skin.jpeg | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Monadjem, A. |author2=Fahr, J. |author3=Hutson, A.M. |author4=Mickleburgh, S. |author5=Bergmans, W. |date=2017 |title=''Nycteris arge'' |volume=2017 |article-number=e.T14926A22016999 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T14926A22016999.en |access-date=20 November 2021}}</ref> | genus = Nycteris | species = arge | authority = Thomas, 1903 | synonyms = {{species list | Petalia arge | (Thomas, 1903) }} }} '''Bates's slit-faced bat''' ('''''Nycteris arge''''') is a species of slit-faced bat frequently confused with ''Nycteris major''. It is broadly distributed and common, living throughout many parts of Africa in forests and savannas.<ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021" />
It was described as a new species in 1903 by British zoologist Oldfield Thomas. The holotype had been collected from Cameroon by George Latimer Bates.<ref name="Thomas 1903">{{cite journal| last=Thomas| first=O.|year=1903| title=Three new bats from the Cameroons, discovered by Mr. G.L. Bates| journal=Annals and Magazine of Natural History| series=Series 7| volume=12| pages=633–635| doi=10.1080/00222930309487045|url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/29993403}}</ref>
==Description== Bates's slit-faced bat, as the common name suggests, has a "deep median furrow" down its face. Its ears are large and rounded. Its dental formula is {{DentalFormula|upper=2.1.1.3|lower=3.1.2.3}} for a total of 32 teeth.<ref name="Thomas 1994">{{cite journal|last1=Thomas| first1= N. M.| last2= Harrison| first2= D. L.| last3= Bates| first3= P. J. J.| year=1994| title= A study of the baculum in the genus ''Nycteris'' (Mammalia, Chiroptera, Nycteridae) with consideration of its taxonomic importance| journal= Bonner zoologische Beiträge | volume= 45 |issue=1 |pages= 17–31 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/44799453#page/375/mode/1up}}</ref> It has a particularly large brain for an insectivorous bat species.<ref name="Pirlot 1970">{{cite journal|doi=10.1139/z70-075|title=Encephalization in Chiroptera|journal=Canadian Journal of Zoology|volume=48|issue=3|pages=433–444|year=1970|last1=Pirlot|first1=Paul|last2=Stephan|first2=Heinz |bibcode=1970CaJZ...48..433P }}</ref>
==Range and status== It is found throughout Central and West Africa, including Angola, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Republic of the Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, and Uganda. It is found in lowland areas.<ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021" />
In 2017, it was evaluated as a least-concern species by the IUCN.<ref name="iucn status 20 November 2021" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Nycteridae}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q1831239}}
Category:Nycteridae Category:Bats of Africa Category:Mammals described in 1903 Category:Taxa named by Oldfield Thomas