Damara woolly bat
Damara woolly bat (Kerivoula argentata) is a small, nocturnal bat that eats insects and lives across much of sub-Saharan Africa. It is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN.
Description: It has reddish-brown fur on top and lighter fur on the belly. It weighs about 6–9 g, measures 8.3–10 cm in body length, and has a wingspan around 25 cm. A distinctive fringe of hair along the edge of the interfemoral membrane between its legs helps identify this species. It uses quiet echolocation calls that last about 2 milliseconds and peak around 90–118 kHz, letting it approach prey within about 3 m before detection.
Habitat and behavior: It lives in moist savannas, woodlands, and coastal forests. It often roosts in abandoned nests of weaverbirds and scarlet-chested sunbirds. Most of the time it roosts alone, but small groups up to six can occur.
Range: Found in many sub-Saharan countries, including Angola, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and others.
Scientific classification: Kingdom Animalia; Phylum Chordata; Class Mammalia; Order Chiroptera; Family Vespertilionidae; Genus Kerivoula; Species argentata. Binomial name Kerivoula argentata Tomes, 1861.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 05:03 (CET).