Diversity of bats of the Far North Region of Cameroon – with two first records for the country

In order to provide basic data on bat species of the Far North Region of Cameroon – the northernmost constituent province of the Republic of Cameroon – a survey was carried out between the months of January and March 2011. Mist nets set at ground level were used over a 22-night period covering nine sites, from which a total of 413 individuals belonging to 18 species, nine genera and three families were captured. Insectivorous bats presented a wide specific diversity (15 species) and a wide relative abundance, while frugivorous bats were far less (three species). Scotophilus dinganii (n = 227) was the most commonly recorded species at the study site. The sample efficiency was estimated at 77.5% with a species accumulation curve not reaching an asymptote, suggesting that the survey did not record all species present. During this study, two species were recorded for the first time in Cameroon: Mops niveiventer and Chaerephon chapini.