African bat database : curated data of occurrences, distributions and conservation metrics for sub-Saharan bats

dc.contributor.authorMonadjem, Ara
dc.contributor.authorMontauban, Cecilia
dc.contributor.authorWebala, Paul W.
dc.contributor.authorLaverty, Theresa M.
dc.contributor.authorBakwo-Fils, Eric M.
dc.contributor.authorTorrent, Laura
dc.contributor.authorTanshi, Iroro
dc.contributor.authorKane, Adam
dc.contributor.authorRutrough, Abigail L.
dc.contributor.authorWaldien, David L.
dc.contributor.authorTaylor, Peter J.
dc.date.accessioned2025-07-02T11:02:58Z
dc.date.available2025-07-02T11:02:58Z
dc.date.issued2024-12-02
dc.description.abstractAccurate knowledge of species distributions is foundational for effective conservation efforts. Bats are a diverse group of mammals, with important roles in ecosystem functioning. However, our understanding of bats and their ecological importance is hindered by poorly defined ranges, mostly as a result of under-recording. This issue is exacerbated in Africa by the ongoing rapid discovery of new species, both de novo and splits of existing species, and by inaccessibility to museum specimens that are mostly hosted outside of the continent. Here we present the African bat database – a curated set of 17,285 unique locality records of all 266 species of bats from sub-Saharan Africa, vouched for by specimens and/or genetic sequencing, and aligned with current taxonomy. Based on these records, we also present Maxent-based distribution models and calculate the IUCN Red List metrics for Extent of Occurrence and Area of Occupancy. This database and online visualization tool provide an important open-source resource and is expected to significantly advance studies in ecology, and aid in bat conservation.
dc.description.departmentMammal Research Institute
dc.description.departmentZoology and Entomology
dc.description.librarianam2025
dc.description.sdgSDG-15: Life on land
dc.description.urihttps://www.nature.com/sdata/
dc.identifier.citationMonadjem, A., Montauban, C., Webala, P.W. et al. 2024, 'African bat database : curated data of occurrences, distributions and conservation metrics for sub-Saharan bats', Scientific Data, vol. 11, no. 1309, pp. 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-04170-7.
dc.identifier.issn2052-4463
dc.identifier.other10.1038/s41597-024-04170-7
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2263/103114
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherNature Research
dc.rights© The Author(s) 2024. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
dc.subjectBats
dc.subjectEcosystem
dc.subjectRanges
dc.subjectAfrica
dc.titleAfrican bat database : curated data of occurrences, distributions and conservation metrics for sub-Saharan bats
dc.typeArticle

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