Afrikanvillakko

While there is no information available on how K. lanosa communicates with conspecifics, it is known that all members of the subfamily (Microchiroptera) use echolocation to hunt.

Perception Channels: tactile ; acoustic ; ultrasound ; echolocation ; chemical

(No information available).

US Federal List: no special status

CITES: no special status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: least concern

(No information available).

All information in this category is based on other memmbers of the family Vespertilionidae. There is no information on the economic importance of K. lanosa.

The diet of E. fuscus specifically includes insects known to defoliate trees and the roots of grasses and other plants. These insects are pests in both orchards and soybean fields, and cause the spread of many plant diseases. One beetle reduces productivity by 10 to 13 percent, costs $15 to $25 per acre, and costs an estimated 33 billion dollars to American farmers each year. Yet an E. fuscus colony of about 150 animals can devastate 33 million of the beetles’ larvae each year. Because over 35 percent of its diet includes these insects, E. fuscus is considered to be very important for pest control. K. lanosa may perform a similar service by destroying insects.

Another member of the Vespertilionidae family, Antrozous pallidu, is also an important asset to ranchers. Pallid bats, A. pallidus, are known for consumption of grasshoppers and crickets. This species is another example of the importance of bats as insectivores in many ecosystems

Positive Impacts: controls pest population

Bats play a very important ecological role in almost every ecosystem worldwide as pollinators, seed dispersers, and insectivores. While there is no information on the impact that K.lanosa has on its ecosystem, there is significant research available on other members of the family Vespertilionidae. All information in this category is based on research for other species of the family, and not that of K. lanosa. All members of the family are insectivorous and play a very important role in the balance of their respective ecosystems.

One member of the Vespertilionidea family, Myotis lucifugus (little brown bat) can consume over 1200 (mosquito size) insects in one hour and eat 100 percent of its own body mass every night. Roughly 80 percent of M. lucifugus in the northern US and Canada eat mosquitoes. These bats are known to be very important in pest control in the region. A single 150 member colony of the species Eptesicus fuscus (big brown bat) is capable of consuming over 123,000 pest insects each summer. It is reasonable to assume that K. lanosa is like other members of its family with regard to its impact on local insect populations.

Ecosystem Impact: keystone species

All members of the suborder (Microchiroptera) use high frequency sounds to locate their prey. K. lanosa is insectivorous.

Animal Foods: insects

Primary Diet: carnivore (Insectivore )

Kerivoula lanosa was originally thought to be restricted to the southeastern region of sub-saharan Africa. The species was recorded in southeastern Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Africa) and Zambia and south into Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Botswana. In 1988, these bats were discovered in Nigeria and western central Africa, including the counries of Liberia, Ghana, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Gabon, and along the Ivory Coast. In general, K. lanosa is a rare, but widely spread species.

Biogeographic Regions: ethiopian (Native )

Kerivoula lanosa tend to be associated with aquatic environments, although some specimens have been collected in forested regions. They are usually found near rivers both in dry environments as well as well watered areas. It is believed that K. lanosa uses abandoned bird nests for shelter during the day, especially those of weavers.

Habitat Regions: temperate ; tropical

Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland ; forest ; rainforest

Aquatic Biomes: rivers and streams; coastal

No information is available on K. lanosa for this category.

Members of this genus are all characterized by their grizzled, woolly, hair and buffy coloration. The hair of K. lanosa is curled, darker at the base than the tip, and extends onto the forearm and the fringes of the wings. The ventral surface, including the throat, is a much lighter shade of buff or white. Hairs on the interfemoral membrane tend to curve inward and have a hooked appearance. As in other members of Kerivoula, K. lanosa possess a high braincase that tends to rise very steeply from the rostrum. K. lanosa also has broad, pointed ears that have a funnel shape. A calcaneum supports the outer regions of the interfemoral membrane, which extends beyond the feet.

These animals have a mass ranging from 6 to 8 g. They are about 8 cm long.

Range mass: 6 to 8 g.

Average length: 8 cm.

Other Physical Features: endothermic ; homoiothermic; bilateral symmetry

(No information available).

No information is available on the reproductive habits of K. lanosa.

Reproduction has apparently not been well studied in this species, and the only information available is on the reproductive behavior of members of the family (Vespertilionidae). Membes of this family may produce one or two offspring after a gestation of 40 to 100 days.

Breeding interval: The breeding interval of these animals has not been reported.

Breeding season: The breeding season of these animals has not been reported.

Range number of offspring: 1 to 2.

Range gestation period: 40 to 100 days.

Key Reproductive Features: iteroparous ; seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; fertilization ; viviparous

No information is available for K. lanosa. However, as in all mammals, we may assume that the mother provides the bulk of the parental care. Females nurse their offspring, as well as provide them with protection and grooming. Males of the genus Kerivoula may be associated with females and their young, although there is no direct evidence of male parental care.

Parental Investment: no parental involvement; female parental care ; pre-fertilization (Protecting: Female); pre-hatching/birth (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-weaning/fledging (Provisioning: Female, Protecting: Female); pre-independence (Protecting: Female)