Aellen's roundleaf bat


Aellen's roundleaf bat is a species of bat in the family Hipposideridae. It is found in Ivory Coast, Guinea, and Liberia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forest, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest, subtropical or tropical moist montane forest, and caves. It is threatened by habitat loss.

Taxonomy and etymology

It was described as a new species in 1954 by Villy Aellen.
The eponym for the species name "marisae" was Aellen's wife.
Of the name, Aellen wrote, "Dédiée à ma femme qui m'a accompagné et secondé au cours de ce voyage," which translates to: "Dedicated to my wife who accompanied and assisted me on this trip."

Description

It is a small species of horseshoe bat, with a forearm length of.
It has long ears.
Its fur is uniformly dark gray, while its ears and wing membranes are dark brown.
Its nose-leaf is black around the edges, with a light brown sella.

Range and habitat

It is known from several countries in West Africa, including Ivory Coast, Guinea, and Liberia.

Conservation

It is currently evaluated as vulnerable by the IUCN.
It meets the criteria for this assessment because its area of occupancy is likely less than ; its roosting habitat is likely severely fragmented; its cave roosting sites are threatened by human disturbance; and some populations are likely over-harvested for bushmeat.