CARNIVORA

Full screen Carnivora Id code: amd089

Canidae
Otocyon megalotis

(Desmarest, 1822)

(Eng) Bat-eared fox

(Fre) Otocyon

Taxonomic notes

Two subspecies are generally recognised: O. m. megalotis and O. m. virganus (Ginsberg & Macdonald, 1990).

IUCN threat category

Not listed.

Available information

Bat-eared foxes have been widely studied in various parts of their range of distribution. This species' distribution consists of two isolated areas, and authors commonly refer to a northern population (East Africa) and a southern population (Southern Africa). Literature shows that the ecology of this fox is substantially similar in the two populations.

East Africa: Lamprecht (1979), Malcolm (1984, 1986) and Waser (1980) conducted ecological and behavioural studies on this species in the Masai Mara-Serengeti system. Habitat, diet, spacing patterns and behaviour are discussed in detail by these authors. Some data on the species' presence and ecology in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Eritrea are found in Funaioli (1971) and Yalden et al. (1980, 1996).

Southern Africa: A very sound account of the ecology of the bat-eared fox in this part of the continent is found in Mills & Hes (1997) and in Skinner & Smithers (1990). Research has been conducted in many areas of this subregion. Data on habitat, diet and habits in Botswana are found in Smithers (1971); diet and some behavioural aspects have been analysed in the Kalahari by several authors (Bothma, 1966; Lourens & Nel, 1990; Nel, 1978; Nel & Bester, 1983; Nel et al., 1984). The ecology of the species has been deeply investigated in South Africa (Berry, 1982; Kok & Nel, 1992; Mackie & Nel, 1989). A study similar to the one previously mentioned by Waser (1980) was conducted by Macdonald & Nel (1986) in a coastal area of the Cape Province (South Africa). Data on the species' presence and notes on its ecology are available for most of South Africa (De Graaff & Rautenbach, 1983; Lynch, 1983, 1989; Rautenbach & Nel, 1978; Rowe-Rowe, 1978, 1992), Angola (Crawford-Cabral, 1989; Feiler, 1990), Botswana (Anonymous, 1994) and northern Namibia (Viljoen, 1982).

General information on the species' ecology and distribution are found in Estes (1991), Kingdon (1997), and Stuart & Stuart (1997). Distribution, status and a review of its ecology are found in Ginsberg & Macdonald (1990).

Known extent of occurrence

Two allopatric populations occur over Africa, one from Ethiopia and southern Sudan to Tanzania, while the other from southern Zambia and Angola to South Africa, recently extended as far east as Mozambique, Botswana and Zimbabwe (Ginsberg & Macdonald, 1990). Its distribution range was obtained by overlapping maps by Ginsberg & Macdonald (1990) and Skinner & Smithers (1990), this latter taking into account its marginal presence in southern Angola, where however the species was only confirmed in 1960 (Feiler, 1990; Crawford-Cabral, 1989). The final map (Fig. 3.1.6.a) was obtained after revision by Dr. C. Sillero-Zubiri, who eliminated the Namib coastal desert and reduced the species' occurrence in Mozambique.

Categorical-discrete (CD) distribution model

The species occurs in arid zones, preferring light Acacia woodlands, semi-arid vegetation, scrub and open grasslands; it is apparently absent from dense Miombo woodlands (Skinner & Smithers, 1990; Estes 1991; Ginsberg & Macdonald, 1990).

Based on these environmental preferences, the following scores were assigned (Fig. 3.1.6.b) (3.1.6.a):

Score
1	Grassland, semi-desert vegetation, shrubland and their mosaics; Acacia woodland mosaics.
2	Dense dry woodlands, bushland and thickets and savanna/cropland mosaics.
3	Forests, croplands, dense Miombo woodlands.

suitable		moderately suitable		unsuitable		Total
km²	%	km²	%	km²	%	km²	%
2 477 263	50	1 521 734	31	942 446	19	4 941 443	100

Tab 3.1.6.a: Cumulative size (km²) of areas pertaining to each environmental suitability class within the Extent of Occurrence.

	Number Patches (NP)	Mean Patch Size (MPS) km²	Patch Size SD (PSSD) km²	Largest Patch Index (LPI) %	Mean Shape Index (MSI)	Area-Weighted Mean Shape Index (AWMSI)
suitable	1 225	2 024	49 658	42.4	1.34	11.91
moderately suitable	1 931	787	12 546	11.94	1.33	12.56
Total AO	475	8 420	128 548	57.08	1.28	9.06

Tab 3.1.6.b: Area of Occupancy fragmentation indexes.

Probabilistic-continuous (PC) distribution model

The output of the probabilistic-continuous (PC) distribution model is shown in Fig. 3.1.6.c.

Validation

% of EO in sample areas	Number of valid plots	Index of Accordance (%)
13.10	120	65.83

Tab 3.1.6.c: Categorical-discrete (CD) distribution model validation parameters.

Comments and conservation issues

According to the CD model, which is well supported by the Index of Accordance (65.83%), less than 80% of the known EO is suitable or moderately suitable for the species, and is fragmented into a relatively high number of patches. Patch number and size decrease sharply when the total AO is considered, confirming that AO is formed by a very intricate mosaic of suitable and moderately suitable areas. LPI is affected marginally when the various suitability classes are analysed separately or together, indicating that a large uninterrupted suitable area is available to the species: most likely it is in the southern portion of the EO. Both models’ outputs show large unsuitable areas in Tanzania, a feature that requires further evidence. Conversely, the models’ outputs match the known EO very closely. About 10% of AO is included in the existing protected areas, but the species is not endangered.

SUITABILITY CLASS	inside	outside	Total
suitable	4.04	46.09	50.13
moderately suitable	3.87	26.93	30.80
unsuitable	3.48	15.60	19.07
Total	11.38	88.62	100

Tab 3.1.6.d: Percent of environmental suitability classes within EO (as obtained from the categorical-discrete distribution model) inside and outside the protected areas.

References

Anonymous (1994). Aerial census of animals in Botswana: wet season 1994. Wildlife conservation in northern Botswana.

Berry P.S. (1982). Aspects of the ecology and behaviour of the bat-eared fox Otocyon megalotis (Desmarest, 1822) in the Upper Limpopo River Valley. Occasional Bulletin of the Zoological Society of South Africa: 2, 136.

Bothma J. du P., (1966). Notes on the stomach contents of certain Carnivora (Mammalia) from the Kalahari Gemsbok Park. Koedoe 9:37-39.

Crawford-Cabral J. (1989). Distributional data and notes on Angolan carnivores (Mammalia: Carnivora). I - Small and median-sized species. Garcia de Orta, Série de Zoologica, Lisboa: 14(2), 3-27.

De Graaff G., Rautenbach I.L. (1983). A survey of mammals in the newly proclaimed Karoo National Park, South Africa. Ann Mus Roy Afr Cent: 237, 89-99.

Estes R.D. (1991). The Behaviour Guide to African Mammals. Including Hoofed Mammals, Carnivores, Primates. The University of California Press.

Feiler A. (1990). Distribution of mammals in Angola and notes on biogeography. Vertebrates in the tropics (Peters, G & R Hutter, eds). Museum Alexander Koenig, Bonn.: 221-236.

Funaioli U. (1971). Guida breve dei mammiferi della Somalia. Istituto Agronomico per l'Oltremare. Biblioteca Agraria Tropicale.

Ginsberg J.R., Macdonald D. (1990). Foxes, Wolves, Jackals, and Dogs. An Action Plan for the Conservation of Canids. IUCN/SSC Canid Specialist Group.

Kingdon J. (1997). The Kingdon field guide to African Mammals. Academic Press, London and New York: Natural World.

Kok O.B., Nel J.A.J. (1992). Diet of the bat-eared fox in the Orange Free State and northern Cape Province. S. Afr. J. Wildl. Res.: 22(2), 36-39.

Lamprecht J., (1979). Field observations on the behaviour and social system of the bat-eared fox, Otocyon megalotis Desmarest. Z. Tierpsycol.: 49, 260-284.

Lourens S. & Nel J.A.J., 1990: Winter activity of bat-eared fox Otocyon megalotis on the Cape West Coast. S. Afr. J. Zool.: 25(2), 124-132.

Lynch C.D. (1983). The mammals of the Orange Free State. Mem. van die Nasionale Mus., Bloemfontein: 18, 1-218.

Lynch C.D. (1989). The mammals of the North East Cape Province. Mem. van die Nasionale Mus., Bloemfontein: 25, 1-116.

Macdonald J.T. & Nel J.A.J., (1986). Comparative diets of sympatric small carnivores.S. Afr. J. Wildl. Res.: 16, 115-121.

Mackie A.J., Nel J.A.J. (1989). Habitat selection, home range use and group size of bat-eared foxes in the Orange Free State. S. Afr. J. Wildl. Res.: 19(4), 135-139.

Malcolm J.R. (1984). The bat-eared fox - an insect eater. In: The Encyclopedia of Mammals. Facts on File, New York: 72-73.

Malcolm J.R. (1986). Socio-ecology of bat-eared foxes. Otocyon megalotis. J. Zool., Lond.: (A) 208, 457-468.

Mills G., Hes L. (1997). The complete book of Southern African mammals. Struik Publishers.

Nel J.A.J. (1978). Notes on the food and foraging behaviour of the bat-eared fox Otocyon megalotis. Bull. Car. Mus. Nat. Hist.: 6, 132-137.

Nel J.A.J., Bester M.H. (1983). Communications of the southern bat-eared fox Otocyon m. megalotis (Desmarest, 1822). Z. Sõugetierk.: 48, 277-290.

Nel J.A.J., Mills M.G.L., van Aarde R.J. (1984). Fluctuating group size in bat-eared foxes (Otocyon m. megalotis) in the south-western Kalahari. J. Zool., Lond.: 203, 294-298.

Rautenbach I.L., Nel J.A.J. (1978). Coexistence in Transvaal Carnivora. Bull Car Mus Nat His: 6, 138-145.

Rowe-Rowe D.T. (1978). The small carnivores of Natal. Lammergeyer: 25, 1-48.

Rowe-Rowe D.T. (1992). The carnivores of Natal. Natal Parks, Game & Fish Preservation Board, Pietermaritzburg, Natal, R.S.A.

Skinner J.D., Smithers R.H.N. (1990). The mammals of the Southern African subregion. Univ. of Pretoria, Pretoria.

Smithers R.H.N., (1971): The mammals of Botswana. Mus. Mem. Natl. Mus. Rhodesia: 4, 1-340.

Stuart C., Stuart T. (1997). Field guide to the larger mammals of Africa. Struik Publishers.

Viljoen P.J. (1982). The distribution and population status of the larger mammals in Kaokoland, South West Africa/Namibia. Cimbebasia: A 7, 7-33.

Waser P.M. (1980). Small nocturnal carnivores: ecological studies in the Serengeti. Afr. J. Ecol.: 18, 167-185.

Yalden D.W., Largen M.J., Kock D. (1980). Catalogue of the mammals of Ethiopia 4. Carnivora. Monitore Zoologico Italiano: suppl. XIII, 169-272.

Yalden D.W., Largen M.J., Kock D., Hillman J.C. (1996). Catalogue of the mammals of Ethiopia and Eritrea. 7. Revised checklist, zoogeography and conservation. Tropical Zoology: 9, 73-164.