Beatrix’s bat  (Glauconycteris beatrix)

Beatrix's bat is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List (1).

Beatrix’s bat (Glauconycteris beatrix) is a very small, poorly known species belonging to the African genus Galuconycteris, otherwise known as the butterfly bats (1) (2). Unlike most species in the genus, which have a variable pattern of white spots and stripes (2), Beatrix’s bat is uniformly dark brown above and below (3).

The African Beatrix's bat ranges from the Ivory Coast in the west, through Ghana and Nigeria to Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea, with scattered records from Gabon, Central African Republic, Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (1).

Beatrix's bat is generally found in lowland tropical moist forest (1).

There is very little species specific information on Beatrix’s bat, but like other Galuconycteris species, it probably roosts in hollow trees and dense vegetation (1). Galuconycteris species typically feed on small insects, and roost in small groups of two to three individuals, but sometimes considerably more (2).

Although logging activities and the conversion of land for agriculture are resulting in the loss of habitat for Beatrix’s bat, the rate of decline is thought to be relatively slow, while the population remains relatively widespread and abundant (1).

Although there are no specific conservation measures in place for Beatrix’s bat, this species has been recorded within a number of protected areas across its range. With so little known about Beatrix’s bat, one of the immediate priorities for its long-term conservation is to conduct further research into the species’ distribution, natural history, and threats (1).

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Find out more about the conservation of bats:

• Bat Conservation International:
  http://www.batcon.org/