Abstract
In this study, chromosome numbers and karyotypes of 11 bat species were analyzed. The animals were captured alive by using nets and handpicking and then chromosome preparations were made from bone marrow cells with colchicines method. Bats were collected from nine localities in Ethiopia, namely: Arbaminch, Batu/Ziway, Waliso, Fiche, Bishoftu/Debre-Zeit, Sof-Umar, Koka, Merehabete and Adaba. The species name and the chromosome number (2n) with their corresponding autosomal fundamental number (FN) obtained are: Hipposideros caffer (2n = 32, FN = 60/62) and Triaenops persicus (2n = 36, FN = 60) are belong to family Hipposideridae; Chaerephon pumilus (2n = 48 and FN = 54/56) with metacentric, acrocentric and acrocentric chromosomes, Chaerephon leucogaster (2n = 48, FN = 54), and Mops condylura (2n = 48, FN = 54) are members of the family Molossidae; Pipistrellus pipistrellus (2n = 36, FN = 52) with metacentric and acrocentric chromosomes, Neoromicia nanus (2n = 36, FN = 48), Miniopterus africanus (2n = 46, FN = 54) and Scotophilus dingani (S. viridis) 2n = 36, FN = 54) with metacentric and acrocentric chromosomes are members of the family Vespertilionidae; Micropteropus pusillus (2n = 35/36, FN = 68) with all the chromosomes being biarmed belongs to family Pteropidae; Nycteris thebaica (2n = 42, FN = 78/80) with 40 biarmed and two acrocentric chromosomes is member of family Nycteridae. Totally, 15 different types of chromosome number, fundamental number and morphology were identified. C. leucogaster has not been recorded in the Ethiopian bats list before. All of these species are karyologically described for the first time from Ethiopia. Some of the karyotypic findings in the present study are in agreement with previous reports from other countries, except for the lack of report on one species (C. leucogaster). In our study, the encountered problems include: lack of karyotypic literatures on Ethiopian bats and taxonomic identification. It is recommended that more karyotypic study of bat species in the country should be done using additional techniques and due attentions should be given to the conservations of this threatened groups of animals because they are declining in diversity as well as in density.
Highlights
Bats (Class Mammalia, order Chiroptera) are the second largest group of mammals next to rodents [10], and they comprise about 25% of the extant mammalian species [19])
There is no agreement among different workers on the number of families, genera or species of bats [8]; [17]; [19], one reason being the subjectivity of the features used by different bat taxonomists that results in the variation of the number of taxa recognized by different investigators because of splitting or lumping of taxa [8]
The 74 species of bats recorded for Ethiopia and Eritrea belong to nine families and thirty-one genera, from which about one-third of the genera belong to the family Vespertilionidae [15]
Summary
Bats (Class Mammalia, order Chiroptera) are the second largest group of mammals next to rodents [10], and they comprise about 25% of the extant mammalian species [19]). About 200 species of bats have been recorded in Africa, in American Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering 2021; 9(4): 123-130. According to Largen et al [15] 74 species of bats have been recorded in Ethiopia, including Eritrea. Five species (namely: Asselia patrizii, Myotis morrisi, Myotis scotti and Kerivoula eriophora) are endemic to Ethiopia [15]. The 74 species of bats recorded for Ethiopia and Eritrea belong to nine families and thirty-one genera, from which about one-third of the genera belong to the family Vespertilionidae [15]
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