{{Short description|Species of bat}} {{Speciesbox | image = Naturalis Biodiversity Center - ZMA.MAM.1960.b dor - Nycticeius schlieffeni - skin.jpeg | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 12 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Monadjem, A. |author2=Cotterill, F.P.D. |author3=Taylor, P.J. |author4=Jacobs, D. |date=2017 |title=''Nycticeinops schlieffeni'' |volume=2017 |article-number=e.T41533A22005999 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T41533A22005999.en |access-date=12 November 2021}}</ref> | genus = Nycticeinops | species = schlieffeni | authority = (Peters, 1859) | synonyms = ''Nycticeius schlieffeni'' <small>(Peters, 1859)</small><br/>''Scoteinus schlieffeni'' <small>(Peters, 1859)</small> }} '''Schlieffen's serotine''' ('''''Nycticeinops schlieffeni'''''), also known as '''Schlieffen's bat''' or '''Schlieffen's twilight bat''', is a species of vesper bat found in Africa. It has been placed in numerous genera since its first description in 1859, but morphological and genetic studies have confirmed it as the only species in the genus '''''Nycticeinops'''''.<ref name=Hill1987>{{cite journal |author1=Hill, J.E. |author2=Harrison, D.L. |name-list-style=amp | year = 1987 | title = The baculum in the Vespertilioninae (Chiroptera: Vespertilioninae) with a systematic review. A synopsis of ''Pipistrellus'' and ''Eptesicus'', and the descriptions of a new genus and subgenus | journal = Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Zoology | volume = 52 | issue = 7 | url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/partpdf/18307 | pages = 225–305|doi=10.5962/p.18307 | doi-access = free }}</ref><ref name=Ruedas1990>{{cite journal | author = Ruedas, L.A.| year = 1990 | title = Chromosomes of five species of vespertilionid bats from Africa | journal = Journal of Mammalogy | volume = 71 | issue = 1 | jstor=1381324 | pages = 94–100 | doi=10.2307/1381324|display-authors=etal}}</ref> It is named for the collector of the original specimen, Wilhelm Graf von Schlieffen.<ref name=Johnston2006/>
==Description== Schlieffen's serotine is an unusually small bat, measuring {{convert|4|to|5|cm}} in head-body length, and weighing only {{convert|3.7|to|5|g}}. Although there is some variation on coat colour across its range, in general, the bat is brown with pale grey or white underparts. It has a broad, flattened skull, with a short, wide, sparsely haired snout. The ears are rounded, with a blunt, convex, tragus. There is a prominent calcar extending about half the way along the uropatagial border, and a proportionately long tail of approximately {{convert|3|cm}}.<ref name=Johnston2006>{{cite journal | author = Johnston, D.S. | year = 2006 | title = ''Nycticeinops schlieffeni'' | journal = Mammalian Species | volume = 798 | pages = Number 798: pp. 1–4 | doi = 10.1644/798.1| doi-access = free }}</ref>
In many respects, Schlieffen's serotines resemble the more familiar evening bats of North America; they can most readily be distinguished by the shorter snout, and by the detailed shape of the baculum.<ref name=Johnston2006/>
==Distribution and subspecies== Schlieffen's serotine is found widely across Africa outside the equatorial rainforest. It inhabits a broad band of territory from Mauritania and Senegal in the west across to Namibia, South Africa, Angola and Mozambique in Southern Africa, to Kenya and Tanzania in the African Great Lakes region, to Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti and Eritrea in the Horn of Africa, to Sudan and Egypt in the Nile Valley. It is also found in the south-western Arabian Peninsula.<ref name=Johnston2006/>
Several subspecies of Schlieffen's serotine have been identified. However, there has been little agreement on their status or range. The most recent analysis, as reported in the 2005 edition of ''Mammal Species of the World'', concluded that there is insufficient evidence for the retention of any of these subspecies, and Schlieffen's bat should therefore be considered monotypic.<ref name=msw>{{MSW3|id=13801922}}</ref>
==Behaviour and biology== Schlieffen's serotines forage over fresh water, such as marshes, rivers, and lakes, and are found in a wide range of riparian forest and savannah environments. Like many bats, they are nocturnal, and they spend the day roosting in crevices in rocks and trees, and may take up residence in man-made buildings or cellars. They appear to be generally solitary, but may roost in small groups of three or so individuals.<ref name=Johnston2006/>
The echolocation calls of Schlieffen's serotines have been reported to be narrow band with steep frequency modulation, and to range from 39 to 47 kHz. They feed primarily on beetles and caddisflies, and a smaller proportion of moths, bugs, and flies.<ref name=Fenton1980>{{cite journal |author1=Fenton, M.B. |author2=Thomas, M.W. |name-list-style=amp | year = 1980 | title = Dry-season overlap in activity patterns, habitat use and prey selection by sympatric African insectivorous bats | journal = Biotropica | volume = 12 | issue = 2 | jstor=2387723 | pages = 81–90 | doi=10.2307/2387723 |bibcode=1980Biotr..12...81F }}</ref> Their predators are known to include bat hawks.<ref name=Fenton1977>{{cite journal | author = Fenton, M.B.| year = 1977 | title = Activity patterns, habitat use, and prey selection by some African insectivorous bats | journal = Biotropica | volume = 9 | issue = 2 | jstor=2387662 | pages = 73–85 | doi=10.2307/2387662|display-authors=etal | bibcode = 1977Biotr...9...73F }}</ref>
Schlieffen's bats mate in June, but carry the sperm in their uterus until August, when ovulation and fertilisation occur.<ref name=Merwe1987>{{cite journal |author1=van der Merwe, M. |author2=Rautenbach, I.L. |name-list-style=amp | year = 1987 | title = Reproduction in Schlieffen's bat, ''Nycticeius schlieffenii'', in the eastern Transvaal lowveld, South Africa | journal = Journal of Reproduction and Fertility | volume = 81 | issue = 1 | pages = 41–50 | doi = 10.1530/jrf.0.0810041|pmid=3668959 | doi-access = free }}</ref> They typically give birth to a litter of three young.<ref name=Merwe1986>{{cite journal |author1=van der Merwe, M. |author2=Rautenbach, I.L. |name-list-style=amp | year = 1986 | title = Multiple births in Schlieffen's bat, ''Nycticeius schlieffenii'' (Peters, 1859) (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from the southern African subregion | journal = 1986 | volume = 21 | issue = 1 | url=http://hdl.handle.net/10499/AJ19416 | pages = 48–50|hdl=10499/AJ19416 }}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20120629225132/http://www.arkive.org/schlieffens-bat/nycticeinops-schlieffeni/ Images at ARKive.org]
{{Vespertilionidae|V.|N.}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q1830048}}
Category:Nycticeinops Category:Bats of Africa Category:Mammals described in 1859 Category:Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot