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Cited by 25Bat Biology and Ecology StudiesSpecies Distribution and Climate ChangeWildlife Ecology and Conservation

African bat database: curated data of occurrences, distributions and conservation metrics for sub-Saharan bats

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Monadjem, Ara, Montauban, Cecilia, Webala, Paul W., Laverty, Theresa M., Bakwo-Fils, Eric M., Torrent, Laura, Tanshi, Iroro, Kane, Adam +3 more·2024·Scientific Data
DOI 10.1038/s41597-024-04170-7PMC PMC11611906
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Abstract

Accurate knowledge of species distributions is foundational for effective conservation efforts. Bats are a diverse group of mammals, with important roles in ecosystem functioning. However, our understanding of bats and their ecological importance is hindered by poorly defined ranges, mostly as a result of under-recording. This issue is exacerbated in Africa by the ongoing rapid discovery of new species, both de novo and splits of existing species, and by inaccessibility to museum specimens that are mostly hosted outside of the continent. Here we present the African bat database - a curated set of 17,285 unique locality records of all 266 species of bats from sub-Saharan Africa, vouched for by specimens and/or genetic sequencing, and aligned with current taxonomy. Based on these records, we also present Maxent-based distribution models and calculate the IUCN Red List metrics for Extent of Occurrence and Area of Occupancy. This database and online visualization tool provide an important open-source resource and is expected to significantly advance studies in ecology, and aid in bat conservation.

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  • This shortfall is most evident in parts of Africa, Asia, and South America, such as West and Central Africa, the Amazon Basin, Central Asia, most of India, and some Indonesian islands.

    “This is most evident in parts of Africa, Asia, and South America, such as West and Central Africa, the Amazon Basin, Central Asia, most of India, and some Indonesian islands (e.g., Java, Sumatra, Borneo), supporting calls for regional taxonomic work (e.g., Klopper et al. 2002; Chatterjee et al. 2020; Monadjem et al. 2024).”

    From How many mammal species are there now? Updates and trends in taxonomic, nomenclatural, and geographic knowledge (2025) · cites this paper as Monadjem et al. 2024

    The Limitations section identifies under-sampled bat regions in Central and parts of West Africa, supporting the African portion of the sentence. The paper does not address the claimed shortfalls in the Amazon Basin, Central Asia, India, or Indonesian islands; its stated need is for more sampling across Africa. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Authors
Monadjem, A., Montauban, C., Webala, P. W., Laverty, T. M., Bakwo-Fils, E. M., Torrent, L., Tanshi, I., Kane, A., Rutrough, A. L., Waldien, D. L., & Taylor, P. J.
Affiliations
  • University of Eswatini (SZ)
  • Natural History Museum (GB)
  • Maasai Mara University (KE)
  • New Mexico State University (US)
  • Universidade do Porto (PT)
  • University of Washington (US)
  • University College Dublin (IE)
  • Texas Tech University (US)
  • William & Mary (US)
  • University of the Free State (ZA)
Corresponding author
Monadjem, Ara
ORCID
Venue
Scientific Data
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2024-12-02
Volume
11
Issue
1
Pages
1309-1309
ISSN
2052-4463 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41597-024-04170-7
PMC
PMC11611906
OpenAlex
W4404900851
Cited by
25
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 16 · 2025: 9
Type
data paper
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Scientific Data (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
  • Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Bat Biology and Ecology Studies
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecological Modeling › Species Distribution and Climate Change
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
Keywords
bats, sub-Saharan Africa, species distribution, locality records, bat conservation, extent of occurrence, area of occupancy, species delimitation, museum specimens, open-source database
MeSH terms
Animals, Chiroptera, Conservation of Natural Resources, Databases, Factual, Ecosystem, Africa South of the Sahara, Animal Distribution

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