There are 1,400+ species of bats in the world. This is one of them.

Striped Leaf-Nosed Bat

A conservation effort to save one species can help others

By Stefanie Waldek

bat stats

Binomial

Macronycteris vittata

Family

Hipposideridae

Colony size

Generally, a few hundred to tens of thousands of individuals

Weight

Up to 6.3 ounces
(180 grams)

Diet

Insectivorous

Status

Near Threatened

Region

Eastern, Southern, West, and Central Africa

Photo: MGambaRios

ew people have heard of the striped leaf-nosed bat (Macronycteris vittata). This large African bat is found in various populations across the continent, notably in larger colonies in Eastern and Southern Africa and smaller colonies in Western and Central Africa. While the striped leaf-nosed bat is an interesting species for many reasons, it needs to be better studied. Bat Conservation International (BCI) and partners are setting out to change that.

“Species-specific research on African bat species is so incredibly rare,” says Natalie Weber, a conservation scientist who works with BCI as Strategic Advisor for Endangered Species in Africa. “Unfortunately, the only efforts targeting this species were based on trying to find some viruses. But that’s not research on the species.”

Weber has been fortunate to see the striped leaf-nosed bat during her fieldwork in West Africa and Mozambique. She finds the bat fascinating, partly due to its large size and partly due to its intelligence. She recalls observing four or five individuals in a cave in Mozambique who stood out from the other bats roosting there.

“You could see they were kind of observing us as if they were thinking, ‘What are these dudes doing here? Should we be scared?’ They’re super curious,” Weber says. “I think the species should receive more attention because it has the potential to be an emblematic species by its appearance and size. But unfortunately, there’s nothing at the moment.”

The striped leaf-nosed bat is a cave-dwelling bat found at elevations from sea level up to 5,600 feet (1,700 meters). It lives in colonies ranging from tens to thousands of individuals.

What we know about the striped leaf-nosed bat

Weighing up to 6.3 ounces (180 grams), the striped leaf-nosed bat is large compared to other bats across Africa. It’s a cave-dwelling bat found at elevations from sea level up to 5,600 feet (1,700 meters), and it lives in colonies ranging from just tens of individuals to thousands of individuals. When large caves aren’t present, it’s most typically seen roosting in trees or even from the eaves of buildings. In its smaller populations, the striped leaf-nosed bat has been observed co-roosting with other species, such as Sundevall’s roundleaf bat (Hipposideros caffer) and the African trident bat (Triaenops afer).

The bat has two colorations: the paler, striped variation for which it is named and a reddish variation. As for its diet, insects are on the menu—it is Africa’s second-largest insect-eating bat. “They do eat insects, but given their size, I think we can also quite safely assume that they also prey on other small vertebrates,” Weber says. “But not much is known.”

She does note that an interesting aspect of the striped leaf-nosed bat is that it’s visually indistinguishable from the giant roundleaf bat (Macronycteris gigas). “They look the same, but they are distinguishable by the echolocation frequency,” Weber says. And, of course, genetic analysis can also distinguish between the two species.

Striped leaf-nosed bat

Photo: MGambaRios

As for conservation status, the IUCN Red List considers the striped leaf-nosed bats as Near Threatened, with a declining population trend. “I think this bat is facing similar threats as all cave-dwelling bats, like exploitation and disturbances by people,” Weber says. “Its large body size is a particular problem for vittata because compared to the smaller species, there’s a higher interest to hunt it for consumption. Reports indicate that people use the grease of this bat to make candles, and it goes into traditional medicine.”

How conservation work protects the striped leaf-nosed bat

Though there are no conservation projects directly targeting the striped leaf-nosed bat, the species is benefitting from wide-ranging conservation work. In Kenya, the bat can be found in the Kaboga Cave near Watamu and in one of the Three Sisters caves near the southern coast. BCI’s conservation initiatives seek to protect these caves, which are habitats for other threatened bat species, like Hildegarde’s tomb bats (Taphozous hildegardeae).

“Our focus in Kenya is to find community-based solutions for a beneficial coexistence between bats and humans along the coast,” says Isabella Mandl, Ph.D., BCI’s Regional Director of Africa and South Asia. “At all sites, one in the south and two in the north, we are protecting important cave roosts by helping the communities set up community-based organizations and formal protection. We are also working together to formulate management plans for the areas, including habitat restoration and ways for the communities to generate income from green enterprises.”

Weber calls such projects an “umbrella protection” that positively affects all resident bats, whether or not they’re Endangered. And she hopes that when more attention is drawn to these caves, perhaps more interest will develop in the striped leaf-nosed bat.

Back to Issue