Hypsignathus monstrosus

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
ANIMALIA	CHORDATA	MAMMALIA	CHIROPTERA	PTEROPODIDAE

Scientific Name:

Hypsignathus monstrosus

Species Authority:

H. Allen, 1861

Common Name/s:

English

–

Hammer-headed Fruit Bat

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:

Least Concern ver 3.1

Year Published:

2008

Assessor/s:

Mickleburgh, S., Hutson, A.M., Bergmans, W. & Fahr, J.

Reviewer/s:

Hutson, A.M., Racey, P.A. (Chiroptera Red List Authority) & Cox, N. (Global Mammal Assessment Team)

Justification:
Listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, presumed large population, and because it is unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a more threatened category.

History:

2004	–	Least Concern
1996	–	Lower Risk/least concern (Baillie and Groombridge 1996)

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	This species is widespread in West and Central Africa. It ranges from Guinea-Bissau in the west, to northwestern Angola in the south, and as far east as western Ethiopia and western Kenya (near Lake Victoria). It has been recorded to at least 1,800 m asl.
Countries:	Native: Angola; Benin; Burkina Faso; Cameroon; Central African Republic; Congo; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Côte d'Ivoire; Equatorial Guinea; Ethiopia; Gabon; Ghana; Guinea; Guinea-Bissau; Kenya; Liberia; Nigeria; Sierra Leone; Sudan; Togo; Uganda
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	It is a locally common species. Roosts can contain as many as 25 bats, but the average roost size is fewer than five animals.
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species is found in a wide range of habitats, including lowland tropical moist forest, riverine forest, swamp forest, mangroves, palm forest, and less commonly in moist savanna. This bat has a lek mating system at many locations, but not at all known sites (e.g.. at Tai National Park, Côte d'Ivoire). The males gather into groups (leks) of a few hundred animals and attempt to attract females. The species roosts 20 to 30 metres up in the forest canopy (Bradbury 1977), usually on exposed branches beneath a cover of dense vegetation. It feeds The diet is primarily figs and other fruit, including cultivated crops.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

This species is found in a wide range of habitats, including lowland tropical moist forest, riverine forest, swamp forest, mangroves, palm forest, and less commonly in moist savanna. This bat has a lek mating system at many locations, but not at all known sites (e.g.. at Tai National Park, Côte d'Ivoire). The males gather into groups (leks) of a few hundred animals and attempt to attract females. The species roosts 20 to 30 metres up in the forest canopy (Bradbury 1977), usually on exposed branches beneath a cover of dense vegetation. It feeds The diet is primarily figs and other fruit, including cultivated crops.

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	This species is locally threatened by habitat destruction, particularly the loss of riverine forests. In parts of its range it is hunted for subsistence food.

Major Threat(s):

This species is locally threatened by habitat destruction, particularly the loss of riverine forests. In parts of its range it is hunted for subsistence food.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	There appear to be no direct conservation measures in place. It has been recorded from Tai National Park (Côte d'Ivoire) and in view of its wide range, is presumably present in some other protected areas. Further studies are needed into the distribution of this species.

Conservation Actions:

There appear to be no direct conservation measures in place. It has been recorded from Tai National Park (Côte d'Ivoire) and in view of its wide range, is presumably present in some other protected areas. Further studies are needed into the distribution of this species.

Citation:	Mickleburgh, S., Hutson, A.M., Bergmans, W. & Fahr, J. 2008. Hypsignathus monstrosus. In: IUCN 2011. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2011.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 22 May 2012.
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