I

146 MAMMALIA

one that had caught the shrew hesitated and jumped back a couple of times as it attac ­ked its mouse. It was clear that the highly aggressive C.flavescens it had just eaten, had managed to inflict some damage to the mongoose . This would suggest that the general distastefulness and high aggression of a shrew such as C. flavescel1s, could well deter small carnivores from preying on them, especially if alternative prey is available.

Acknowledgements. - The South African Council for Scientific and Industrial Research and the University of Nata l are thanked for their finan cia l support for this study.

Bibliography.

EWER, R.F. , 1973. - The carni l'O/"(:s. Cornell University Press, New York. KING. CM. , 1980. - The weasel Mustcla nil'Olis and its prey in an English woodland. J. Anim.

E(0I,49: 127-159 . KORI'IMAKI , E. and K. NORRDAHL, 1987. - Low proportion of shrews ill. the diet of small muste­

lids in western Finland. Z. Sdugetierk., 52 : 257-260. LY NC H, CD.. 1974. - The distribution of mammals in the Orange Free State. South Africa.

NOI'ors . nas. Mus.. Bloemfontein, 3 : 109-139. NAD ER, LA. and R.L. MARTIN, 1962. - The shrew as prey of the domestic cat. J. Maml'l1 , 43 :

417 . SKINN ER, J.D. and R.H.N. SMITH ERS, 1990. - The mammals of the southern Africon subregion .

University of Pretoria, Pretoria. STUART, CT., 1983. - Food of the large grey mongoose Herpesres ichneumon In the south-west

Cape Province. S. Afr. I Zool, 18 : 197-203. VAUDRY, R., M. RAY MOND and J.F. ROBITAILLE, 1990. - The capture of voles and shrews by

male and female Mustelo erminea in captivity. Holarctic Ecol., 13: 265-268.

First record of Scotophilus leucogaster (Cretzschmar, 1826) (Mammalia: Chiroptera : Verspertilionidae) in Saudi Arabia

by P. GAUCHER

National Wildlife Research Cel1ler. P.O. Box 1086. TOlf. Saudi Arabia

The genus Scotophilus occurs from Africa to Indochina including Pakistan , Malaysia and Indonesia (Nowak and Paradiso 1983). In Africa, the species ScolOphilus felicogasrer is widely distributed from Mauritania and Senegal to Ethiopia, Kenya and South Africa (Hayman and Hill 1971 ; Kingdon 1974). In the Arabian Peninsula, the species was only recorded in Yemen: 3 specimens were collected in Lahej (N 13° 04' ; E 44° 57'), Hodeida (N 14° 49' ; E 42° 57'), and an unknown location (Harrison and Bates 1991 ).

We caught 5 individuals (3 males and 2 females) of the species on the foot of Reydah escarpment, Saudi Arabia , around 500 m altitude (N 18° 24' ; E 42° 24'). The 5

Mammalia, I. 57. 1'10 1. 1993.

individuals were captured with 1965) on 28 September and 7 (

Two males and one fema fe male were released on the ~

me nts of these specimens (Tat (J 991)

TABLE

WeighI (gr) Tota l length Forearm Ear Hindfoot Tail

Greatesl lenglh Condylobasal length Zygomatic width Breadth of tile braincase Poslorbilal conslriclion C-M l C-M3

Mandible

No sign of sexual activity in e shown a stronger yellow belly cribed in the literature.

Acknowledgements. - I woul ging dil'ector of Ihe National Com Abu Zinada the general secretary ( NWRC who has always encouragl reserve and my colleagues X. Eici me on the field.

BiiJliogropi7y.

H,\RRISON, D. L. and P. BATES, 19' cation, 354 pp.

HAYMAN, RW. and J.E. HILL, 197 Ajiica. An ldenriji'calion JI,

Washington. KINGDON, J., 1974. - East Africa

(Insec tivores and Bats). AI NOWAK, M.R. and J.L. PARADISO,

University Press. Baltimor ROSEVEAR, D.R. , 1965 . - The Bars

ack a couple of times as it attac­'.flavescens it had just eaten, had is would suggest that the general s C.jlavescens, could well deter ternative prey is available.

:ientific and Industrial Research and t for thi s study.

NOTES 147

individuals were captured with a mist net set up at night above a water tank (Rosevea r, 1965) on 28 September and 7 October 1989.

Two males and one female have been prepared for collection, one male and one female were released on the site after they were measured and ringed. The measure­ments of these spec imens (Tab. I) matched with the data given by Harrison and Bates (1991).

TABLE 1. - External and cranial measurement>

Males Females

;, New York. ~y in an Engli sh woodland. I Alliin

f shrews in the diet of small muste­

: Orange Free Stale, South Africa.

of the domestic cal. J . Mamm., 43 :

of Ihe sourhel'l1 Airicon suhregion.

pestes ichneumon in the so uth-west

he capture of voles and shrews by ctie Emf., 13 : 265-268.

:::retzschmar, 1826) lae) in Saudi Arabia

'86, Taif, Saudi Arahia

Indochina including Paki stan, 1 Africa, the species Scolophilus Senegal to Ethiopia , Kenya and .). In the Arabian Peninsu la , the 'e collected in Lahe j (N 13 ° 04' ; mknown location (Harrison and

;) of the species on the foot of je (N 18° 24' ; E 42° 24'). The 5

Weight (gr) 18.5 21.1 17.9 19.7 \7.4 Total length 107.5 117.2 11 3.0 102.5 11 8.0 Forearm 51.5 52.3 5 1.1 51.9 52.8 Ear 11.3 12.2 13.6 J2.4 15.2 I-lindfoot 10.0 9.4 11.2 10.0 9.8 Tail 41.0 43 .S 45.0 41.5 490

Greatest length 20.0 21.1 20.0 Cond ylobasal length 17.9 18.1 181 Zygomatic width 13.2 12.7 12.8 Breadth of the braincase 10.2 9.9 8.5 Postorbital constriction 4.6 4.4 4.2 C-M' 5.6 5.2 7.0 CoM , 6.8 6. 7 Mandible 14.2 13.9 14.5

No sign of sexual activity in either sex was apparent at the date of capture. The males shown a stronger yellow belly color than the females, while thi s character was not des­cribed in the literature.

Ackl1ol1'ledgemc/Us. - I wou ld like to thank His Royal Highness Saud al Faycal the mana­ging director of the National Commiss ion for Wildlife Conservation and Deve lopment and Dr A. Abu Zinada the general secretary of the NCWCD for their supports, J. Renaud the director of the NWRC who has always encouraged my research on the bats, A. Khoja, the director of Reydah reserve and Illy colleagues X. Eichaker, P. Pailla!, S. Biqu3nd and P. and Y. Seddon who helped me on the field.

BiiJIiog rophy.

HARRISON , D. L. and P. BATES. J.991. - Mammols of AralJia. Harriso n Zoo logical Museum Publi­cation, 354 pp.

HAYMAN, R.W. and J.E. HILL, 1971. - Ill: Meester, J. and H.W. Setzer 1985. - Thc Mal1lmols of Africa. An lc/cl1rificoriol1 Manual. Pan. 2. Orcle Chil'Optera . 'mithsonian Institution Press . Washington .

KtNGDON, J., 1974. - East African Mammals. An Arias of EI'olwiol'l in Atl'iea, vol. 2, part. A (Insectivores and Bats). Acad. Press, London, New York.

NOW/\K, M.R. and 1.L. PARADISO, 1983 . - Walker's Mammals of th e World. Vol. 1. John Hopkins University Press. Baltimore and London.

ROSEVEA R, D.R.. 1965. - Th l' Bars of Wesr Afi'ica. British Muse um (Natu ral Hi story). London.