Bats

Bats may not be at the top of our guests' "must see" lists, but they are actually fascinating, overlooked (and misunderstood) creatures.

A Mauritian Tomb Bat (endearing name, n'est ce pas?), a species of sheathtailed bat which I saw hanging head down on a tree outside the Xugana dining room. She had a furry pup clinging to her underside which you can see if you look carefully at the photograph.


The second is the rare Ruppell's Pipistrelle Pipistrellus rueppellii, a species of vesper bat weighing a mere 7.1 g (142 to the kilogram) which I found at Camp Okavango. Little is known about this species, and according to my large Skinner & Chimimba mammal reference book, its roosting habits are unknown.

The third bat is the formidible-looking Commerson's Roundleaf Bat Hipposideros commersoni. I found it hanging from the thatched roof of the Camp Moremi dining room. Quite a beast, this, and the largest bat in Botswana, with formidible clawed forearms. Males have a wingspan of just under 600 mm and may weigh over 200 g (28 times heavier than the pipistrelle). Compare this with the 508 mm wingspan and 140 g weight of the only other large bat in the region, the Gambian - formerly Peter's - Epauletted Fruit Bat, Epophomorus gambianus. Commerson's Roundleaf Bat is insectivorous, as are the Mauritian Tomb Bat and Ruppell's Pipistrelle.

Richard Randall