An artist’s illustration of Myotis nimbaensis, the new species of bat found in the Nimba Mountains of West Africa
Scientists working in the West African country of Guinea have discovered a new orange-furred species of bat. The rare discovery came while conducting field surveys in the isolated Nimba Mountain range.
The find came in early 2018 as scientists were conducting conservation surveys of bat populations in the exceptionally biodiverse Nimba Mountains, a region of West Africa spanning the borders of Guinea, Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire. The researchers were focusing on a series of old mining caves that have since been colonized by bats.
After comprehensive work the researchers have now described the species in a new study published in the journal American Museum Novitiates. The bat belongs to a genus called Myotis, and its location of discovery led to its species name, Myotis nimbaensis.
The Nimba Mountains in Guinea have peaks rising between 1,600 – 1,750 meters (about 1 mile) above sea level and are surrounded by drastically different lowland habitats
Although the discovery of a new mammal species in itself is not an uncommon occurrence, most new species discoveries occur through complex lab-based genetic investigations. Simmons says finding a new species such as this one while doing field surveys is an unusual event.
The researchers suggest this particular bat species may be found only in this very specific part of the Nimba Mountains. Work is ongoing to understand how rare this bat is and what role it plays in the broader local ecosystem.
https://newatlas.com/biology/new-species-bat-west-africa-nimba-orange/
