Mobilizing specimen data on bats and rodents from Zimbabwe

Study Extent

The specimens i.e 98 species and 49 genus', and 16 families were digitized. These were collected from 13 countries in Africa, between 1899-2012.

Sampling

Bat specimens were collected using several methods and these include the bicycle trap or hopper traps (Cotterill and Ferguson, 1993) and standard or macro-mist nets (Cotterill, 1996). Mist nets varied in heights i.e. ranging from 2.5-3m and lengths ranged between 3-18m. On small scale bases bats were collected using hand nets to which extension poles were attached.The specimens were cataloged and preserved in alcohol and then stored in the wet collection. Data was then collected from the wet collection, wherein bottles were opened and accession cards catalogued. The data was then entered onto an excel spreadsheet, where it was cleaned. The data transformed into a CSV file which was then cleaned on open refine and also used to map coordinates on QGIS. The data was then checked on catalogue of life, GBIF name parser, and IUCN for taxonomic corrections. The taxonomic data was then uploaded onto the GBIF checklist excel spread sheet and then published.

Quality Control

We used Catalogue of life, GBIF name parser and IUCN for taxonomic corrections.

Method steps

1. 1.Data was collected from accession cards attached to the specimens preserved in alcohol. This was done between October 2017 and December 2017 during an inventory exercise. 2. The data (e.g. sex, locality, habitat) was cross checked to the registers and mammal forms. 3. Analogue data was then digitised and documented into an excel spreadsheet. 4. During digitisation, localities were georeferenced using Geolocate and the taxonomy cross checked through Catalogue of life, IUCN, and GBIF name parser. 5. After electronic documentation was completed data was cleaned using excel filters and converted to a CSV file which was further cleaned on open refine was also used. 7. Then the species checklist was generated from the specimens that had been electronically documented.

The checklist has 98 species comprised of predominantly bats and rodents and these are found in 10 families. There are only two groups identified up to genus level.

1. Laephotis botswanae Setzer, 1971
2. Neoromicia melckorum (Roberts, 1919)
3. Asellia tridens (É. Geoffroy, 1813)
4. Chaerephon nigeriae Thomas, 1913
5. Cloeotis percivali Thomas, 1901
6. Rousettus aegyptiacus (E. Geoffroy, 1810)
7. Eidolon helvum (Kerr, 1792)
8. Epomophorus crypturus Peters, 1852
9. Epomophorus gambianus (Ogilby, 1835)
10. Epomophorus wahlbergi (Sundevall, 1846)
11. Epomops dobsonii (Bocage, 1899)
12. Glauconycteris variegata (Tomes, 1861)
13. Hipposideros abae J.A. Allen, 1917
14. Hipposideros caffer (Sundevall, 1846)
15. Hipposideros commersoni (É. Geoffroy, 1813)
16. Hipposideros ruber (Noack, 1893)
17. Kerivoula argentata Tomes, 1861
18. Kerivoula harrisoni Thomas, 1901
19. Kerivoula lanosa (A. Smith, 1847)
20. Lissonycteris angolensis Bocage, 1898
21. Mimetillus moloneyi (Thomas, 1891)
22. Miniopterus schreibersii (Kuhl, 1817)
23. Miniopterus inflatus Thomas, 1903
24. Myotis tricolor (Temminck, 1832)
25. Myotis bocagii (Peters, 1870)
26. Nycteris woodi K. Andersen, 1914
27. Nycteris grandis Peters, 1865
28. Nycteris hispida (Schreber, 1775)
29. Nycteris macrotis Dobson, 1876
30. Nycteris thebaica É. Geoffroy, 1818
31. Nycticeinops schlieffeni (Peters, 1859)
32. Pipistrellus anchietae (Seabra, 1900)
33. Neoromicia capensis (A. Smith, 1829)
34. Pipistrellus kuhlii (Kuhl, 1817)
35. Tadarida lobata (Thomas, 1891)
36. Neoromicia nana (Peters, 1852)
37. Mops niveiventer Cabrera & Ruxton, 1926
38. Chaerephon pumilus (Cretzschmar, 1826)
39. Neoromicia rendalli (Thomas, 1889)
40. Pipistrellus rueppellii (Fischer, 1829)
41. Pipistrellus rusticus (Tomes, 1861)
42. Neoromicia somalica (Thomas, 1901)
43. Pipistrellus sp.
44. Neoromicia zuluensis (Roberts, 1924)
45. Rhinolophus damarensis Roberts, 1946
46. Rhinolophus fumigatus Rüppell, 1842
47. Rhinolophus simulator K. Andersen, 1904
48. Sauromys petrophilus (Roberts, 1917)
49. Scotoecus hirundo de Winton, 1899
50. Scotophilus viridis (Peters,1852)
51. Scotophilus borbonicus (É. Geoffroy,1803)
52. Scotophilus dinganii (A.Smith,1833)
53. Mops midas (Sundevall, 1843)
54. Tadarida aegyptiaca (É. Geoffroy,1818)
55. Chaerophon ansorgei (Thomas, 1913)
56. Chaerophon bivittatus (Heuglin, 1861)
57. Chaerophon chapini J.A. Allen, 1917
58. Mops condylurus (A.Smith,1833)
59. Taphozous mauritianus É. Geoffroy, 1818
60. Rhinolophus alcyone Temminck,1852
61. Triaenops persicus Dobson, 1871
62. Taphozous mauritianus É. Geoffroy, 1818
63. Rhinolophus swinnyi Gough, 1908
64. Scotonycteris zenkeri Matschie, 1894
65. Triaenops  afer Peters, 1877
66. Rousettus aegyptiacus (E. Geoffroy, 1810)
67. Rhinolophus blasii Peters, 1867
68. Rhinolophus capensis Lichtenstein, 1823
69. Rhinolophus clivosus Cretzschmar, 1828
70. Cardioderma cor (Peters, 1872)
71. Rhinolophus darlingi K. Andersen, 1905
72. Rhinolophus denti Thomas, 1904
73. Rhinolophus hildebrandtii Peters, 1878
74. Epomophorus labiatus (Temminck, 1837)
75. Rhinolophus landeri Martin, 1838
76. Taphozous mauritianus É. Geoffroy, 1818
77. Rhinolophus swinnyi Gough, 1908
78. Scotonycteris zenkeri Matschie, 1894
79. Nanonycteris veldkampii (Jentink, 1888)
80. Eptesicus hottentotus (A. Smith, 1833)
81. Crocidura mariquensis (A. Smith, 1844)
82. Crocidura silacea Thomas, 1895
83. Lepus saxatilis F. Cuvier, 1823
84. Elephantulus myurus Thomas & Schwann, 1906
85. Aethomys chrysophilus (de Winton, 1897)
86. Graphiurus murinus (Desmarest, 1822)
87. Saccostomus campestris Peters, 1846
88. Scotophilus dinganii (A. Smith, 1833)
89. Cricetomys gambianus Waterhouse, 1840
90. Gerbilliscus leucogaster (Peters, 1852)
91. Dendromus melanotis (Smith, 1834)
92. Micaelamys namaquensis (A. Smith, 1834)
93. Dendromus nyikae Wroughton, 1909
94. Gerbillurus paeba (A. Smith, 1836)
95. Thallomys paedulcus (Sundevall, 1846)
96. Steatomys pratensis Peters, 1846
97. Rattus rattus (Linnaeus, 1758)
98. Acomys spinosissimus Peters, 1852

Species were collected from 13 countries in Africa, Angola, Botswana, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.