Bats diversity and abundance, record of Taphozous mauritianus E. Geoffroy St.-Hilaire, 1818 for the first time in Burkina Faso

Abstract

Bats were sampled in five localities in Burkina Faso using mist nets from August to November 2018. This study was carried out by carrying out captures and handling in order to know the species present, their number, their sex, their reproductive status, and their age group. In total, 341 bats of eight species were captured representing 15.68% of bats species known to occur in Burkina Faso. Mauritian Tomb Bat, Taphozous mauritianus E. Geoffroy St.-Hilaire, 1818 is reported for the first time in Burkina Faso and represented by two individuals raising the total species for the country to 52. Bats species richness and abundance were highest at Bobo Dioulasso. Future large-scale studies in time and space could make it possible to fully appreciate the evolution of bats biodiversity in Burkina Faso, especially in the context of climate change.