Tadarida aegyptiaca

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	MOLOSSIDAE

Scientific Name:

Tadarida aegyptiaca

Species Authority:

(É. Geoffroy, 1818)

Common Name/s:

English

–

Egyptian Free-tailed 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., Cotterill, F.W., Fahr, J. & Jacobs, D.

Reviewer/s:

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

Contributor/s:

Justification:
Broadly distributed and locally common, hence is listed as Least Concern.

History:

2004

–

Least Concern

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	Found throughout Africa, and in the Arabian peninsula through to India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. In the Mediterranean region there are isolated records from southern Morocco and western Algeria but it is more widely distributed in Egypt along the Nile River valley eastwards to the Red Sea coast and south to the Sudanese border. The species is thought to be more widely distributed than is currently known and may well occur elsewhere in the region. In South Asia, this widely distributed species is presently known from Afghanistan (Kabul Province) (Habibi 2003), Bangladesh (no exact location) (Khan 2001, Srinivasulu and Srinivasulu, 2005), India (Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal), Pakistan (Punjab and Sind) and Sri Lanka (Central and Uva Provinces) (Molur et al. 2002). Elevation: sea level up to 2,100 m asl.
Countries:	Native: Afghanistan; Algeria; Angola (Angola); Bangladesh; Botswana; Congo, The Democratic Republic of the; Egypt; Ethiopia; India; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Kenya; Lesotho; Mauritania; Morocco; Namibia; Nigeria; Oman; Pakistan; Saudi Arabia; South Africa; Sri Lanka; Sudan; Tanzania, United Republic of; Uganda; Yemen; Zambia; Zimbabwe
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	This species is widespread and common in its South Asian range, where its population seems to be stable (Molur et al. 2002).
Population Trend:	Unknown

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	This species is found in varied habitat types from arid areas to humid hills and valleys. It roosts under banner boards, crevices in caves, cliff faces, large boulders and rocks, narrow spaces between pillars, walls, crevices in old buildings, temples, and forts, either in small groups of 2 or 3 individuals to hundreds and thousands of individuals. It is a late and fast flyer, hunts in the air and also gleans the ground for ground dwelling insects. It feeds on beetles, moths, orthoptera, wasps, winged termites, flies, caterpillars, spiders, water beetles, and other large insects. A single young is born (Bates and Harrison 1997).
Systems:	Terrestrial

Habitat and Ecology:

This species is found in varied habitat types from arid areas to humid hills and valleys. It roosts under banner boards, crevices in caves, cliff faces, large boulders and rocks, narrow spaces between pillars, walls, crevices in old buildings, temples, and forts, either in small groups of 2 or 3 individuals to hundreds and thousands of individuals. It is a late and fast flyer, hunts in the air and also gleans the ground for ground dwelling insects. It feeds on beetles, moths, orthoptera, wasps, winged termites, flies, caterpillars, spiders, water beetles, and other large insects. A single young is born (Bates and Harrison 1997).

Systems:

Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	No serious threats other than roost disturbance from human interference is noted for this species (Molur et al. 2002). Pesticides used against locusts are a threat as for all bat species found in the Saharan belt.

Major Threat(s):

No serious threats other than roost disturbance from human interference is noted for this species (Molur et al. 2002). Pesticides used against locusts are a threat as for all bat species found in the Saharan belt.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	The species is protected by national legislation in some of the Mediterranean range states as well as in South Africa. It is likely to be found in protected areas. A survey using bat detectors should be undertaken to help clarify the distribution limits and population size of this species as it is probably more widespread than current records indicate. A study on the impacts of pesticides is required, especially ways in which the impact might be minimised.

Conservation Actions:

The species is protected by national legislation in some of the Mediterranean range states as well as in South Africa. It is likely to be found in protected areas.

A survey using bat detectors should be undertaken to help clarify the distribution limits and population size of this species as it is probably more widespread than current records indicate. A study on the impacts of pesticides is required, especially ways in which the impact might be minimised.

Citation:	Mickleburgh, S., Hutson, A.M., Bergmans, W., Cotterill, F.W., Fahr, J. & Jacobs, D. 2008. Tadarida aegyptiaca. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 20 May 2013.
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