Somalian trident bat
The Somalian trident bat (Asellia italosomalica) is a species of bat found in the Horn of Africa.
| Somalian trident bat | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Hipposideridae |
| Genus: | Asellia |
| Species: | A. italosomalica |
| Binomial name | |
| Asellia italosomalica De Beaux, 1931 | |
Taxonomy
The Somalian trident bat was described as a new subspecies of the trident bat (A. tridens) by Oscar de Beaux in 1931. De Beaux gave it the trinomen A. tridens italosomalica. It was maintained as a subspecies until 2011, when Benda et al. published that this population had a genetic distance of more than 12% from other members of its genus. They stated that this difference was enough to justify elevating it from a subspecies to a species.[2]
Biology and ecology
It is a nocturnal species, roosting in sheltered places during the day such as caves. It is colonial, with these cave roosts consisting of up to 1,000 individuals.[1]
Range and habitat
The Somalian trident bat is found in the Horn of Africa in Somalia, as well as the Yemeni island of Socotra. It inhabits arid areas such as savanna, shrubland, grassland, and desert.[1]
Conservation
As of 2017, it is evaluated as a data deficient species by the IUCN. It meets the criteria for this designation because it was only recently recognized as a full species, and as such, information is lacking regarding its ecology and distribution.[1]
References
- Benda, P. (2017). "Asellia italosomalica". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T80221456A95642175. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T80221456A95642175.en.
- Benda, Petr; Vallo, Peter; Reiter, Antonín (2011). "Taxonomic Revision of the Genus Asellia (Chiroptera: Hipposideridae) with a Description of a New Species from Southern Arabia". Acta Chiropterologica. 13 (2): 245–271. doi:10.3161/150811011X624749. ISSN 1508-1109.