**2. Presentation of Algeria and its Chiroptera**

thanks to the tourism. Hence the deduction that it is now well-proved that people and bats

It is determined that 450 products used by humans depend directly and indirectly on bats. This impressive list includes, among others, 110 foods or beverages, 72 medicines and 66 tree species used in cabinet making. Some pollinated fruits represent an important economic value for developing countries. This is the case of Durian fruit, *Durio zibhetinus* and Petai, *Parkia speciosa* and *P. javanica*, which are increasingly used as food for some Asian populations. In Africa, the Roussettes are the only species to disperse the seeds of Iroko, a rare species. In the Sonoran Desert, in the southwestern United States and in the arid areas of Mexico, the longnosed bat plays a major role in the pollination of agaves and large cacti. An entire economy is directly dependent on them, because from these cacti are drawn Tequila and Mescal, two

Even the excrement of bats is important, like that of birds. The guano of bats represents a significant source of income for low-income countries. Natural and of very good quality, this fertilizer can, moreover, be exploited on the spot at very low costs [22]. As long as the bats remain present and the environment allows them to feed, this commodity will also be renewable. The guano harvest offers economic benefits to developing countries as it prevents them from importing phosphate fertilizers, often bought in hard currency, which increases their external debt. But bat droppings also have other interests. Millions of unknown bacteria live in the guano and contribute to its degradation. Discovered in the enormous piles of excrement in the southern caves of the United States, bacteria have been isolated and subjected to research programs [22]. The use of these new organisms could make it possible to optimize landfill waste disposal, to partially abandon certain fossil fuels and to produce even more efficient detergents. Only a small part of the microorganisms contained in bat guano has been studied so far and new applications may be discovered in the coming years. The destruction of a colony of bats may eliminate these mil-

Pure guano is a good fertilizer for plants, it has a composition of 10-3-1 in NPK and it is also a soil conditioner because it improves its texture and richness. In addition, it contributes to the detoxification of the soil because it is a bio-corrector favoring the proliferation of microorganisms that eliminate toxic residues and it plays at the same time the role of fungicide by eliminating phytopathogenic fungi and nematocide by promoting the development of decomposing micro-organisms that contribute to the control of nematodes, and it is also an activator

Bats are also given special attention due to some of their characteristics, which are either unique or important. One can quote their surprising morphology, with their aptitude to flight, as well as their echolocation system. The ecological value of the bats justifies that all their species be considered as "species of fauna strictly protected" by the Bern Convention, 1979, relative to the Conservation of the Wild Life and the Natural Environment. Bats are also listed in Appendix II of the Bonn Convention, 1979, on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wildlife. Bats are studied and monitored by many international and national organizations, including BCI (Bat Conservation International), Batcon (Bats conservation) and Eurobats (European bats), and in 2013, Africa saw its organization created after the Naivasha summit

of compost: decomposer micro-organisms accelerate the composting process [24, 25].

alcohols which represent important currency flows for the local economy [22].

lions of organisms at the same time even before they have been studied [22].

can share even our cities to great mutual benefit.

24 Bats

Algeria is the largest country bordering the Mediterranean (2,381,741 km2 ) and the largest country in Africa, and it offers a wide variety of biotopes that make the existence of a great diversity of species of bats possible. There are Mediterranean and desert regions, mountainous regions, highland areas and ancient volcanic regions. Each of these areas can host a particular bat fauna. Chiroptera are represented by 26 species in 7 families; most of these are considered vulnerable in many countries of the world and are listed on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (International Union for the Conservation of Nature).

Although much work has been done on mammal fauna, very little work has been done on the bats of Algeria, despite their major ecological role in the maintenance of ecosystems [34]. Indeed, the valuable ecological services provided by bats are still ignored by the majority of the population and even by the authorities in charge of the management of fauna and flora [35]. The main consequence of this state of affairs is that bats are not taken into account in the conservation and management projects of the fauna and flora of ecosystems in many countries where they are threatened or in decline [35].

This lack of basic data on the chiropterofauna of Algeria is a barrier to knowledge and understanding of their role in maintaining the stability of natural ecosystems [34, 36]. Bats do indeed present systematic interests [37] including ecological [34, 38–40], veterinarian [41, 42], medical [43], economic and pharmacological [39, 44] (**Table 1**).


The High Plains and Highlands Domain: These immense steppe plateaus stretch from East to West, from 1000 to 600 m. The climate is semi-arid, allowing a cereal crop without irrigation thanks to certain depressions (called chott). Of semi-desert aspect, for a long time, these zones

The Saharan Atlas: The south of this succession of mountains marks the limit of the arid climate and limits of the Northern region with the Sahara. Mount Chelia in the Aurès rises to 2328 m. The Sahara and its massifs (Hoggar and Tassili): covering a large part of southern Algeria, the

It is a dry and arid desert with varied landscapes: great ergs, dry valleys, arid plains and sand dunes. There are volcanic mountain massifs including the massif of Hoggar, which culminates in the highest mountain of Algeria, the Tahat, at 2918 m above sea level, and the Tassili massif. Temperatures range from an average of 36°C during the day to 5°C at night. Riches are found beneath the soil: not only oil and natural gas but also precious metals found during the recent survey of the Hoggar massif. This territory represents 97% of the country's exports (**Figure 1**).

The first work done on bats in Algeria is represented by that of Dobson who received some bat specimens collected by Lataste [16]; they were individuals of eight species which are *Otonycteris hemprichii*, *Vesperugo* (Vesperus) *serotinus* sub-species *isabellinus*, *Vesperugo pipistrellus*, *Vesperugo kuhli*, *Vespertilio murinus*, *Vespertilio capaccinii*, *Miniopterus schreibersi* and *Rhinolophus euryale*.

, a quarter of the entire desert.

The Bat: A Benefactor Animal Poorly Understood in Algeria

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.75547

27

constituted places of Saharan transhumance.

**Figure 1.** Geographical map sets of Algeria.

vastness of the Algerian Sahara includes, with its 2 million km2

**3. History and data on the knowledge of Algerian bats**

**Table 1.** Algerian bat species.

To get a general idea about the distribution of bats in Algeria, Kowalski and Rzebick Kowalska established a division of the territory according to large biogeographic sets [45].

The country is divided into five distinct areas, on a North-South axis, characterized by their climate:

The Tell: Large area from 80 to 190 km the Tell includes the plains and the richest territories of the country. The climate is Mediterranean. Sometimes the sirocco brings the heat and sand of the Sahara to the cities of the coast. The eastern part formed by the mountains of Kabylie and Constantine has the most water.

The chains of the Tellian Atlas are located between the sea and the high plains and extend over almost 7000 km (highest point: Mount Lala Khadija: 2308 m). They have forests of olive trees and oaks on their slopes. These regions are very populated.

**Figure 1.** Geographical map sets of Algeria.

To get a general idea about the distribution of bats in Algeria, Kowalski and Rzebick Kowalska

The country is divided into five distinct areas, on a North-South axis, characterized by their

The Tell: Large area from 80 to 190 km the Tell includes the plains and the richest territories of the country. The climate is Mediterranean. Sometimes the sirocco brings the heat and sand of the Sahara to the cities of the coast. The eastern part formed by the mountains of Kabylie

The chains of the Tellian Atlas are located between the sea and the high plains and extend over almost 7000 km (highest point: Mount Lala Khadija: 2308 m). They have forests of olive trees

established a division of the territory according to large biogeographic sets [45].

Molossidae 02 *Tadarida aegyptiaca* (É. Geoffroy, 1818)

Miniopteridae 01 *Miniopterus schreibersii* (Kuhl, 1817) Hipposideridae 01 *Asellia tridens* (É. Geoffroy, 1813)

climate:

**Table 1.** Algerian bat species.

and Constantine has the most water.

**Family Number of species Species**

26 Bats

Rhinopomatidae 01 *Rhinopoma cystops* Thomas,1903

Rhinolophidae 06 *Rhinolophus blasii* Peters, 1866

Vespertilionidae 13 *Eptesicus isabellinus*

Emballonuridae 01 *Taphozous nudiventris* Cretzschmar, 1830

*Rhinolophus clivosus* Cretzschmar, 1828 *Rhinolophus euryale* Blasius, 1853

*Rhinolophus ferrumequinum* Schreber, 1774 *Rhinolophus hipposideros* (Bechstein, 1800) *Rhinolophus mehelyi* (Matschie, 1901)

*Myotis capaccinii* (Bonaparte, 1837) *Myotis emarginatus* (É. Geoffroy, 1806)

*Pipistrellus pipistrellus* (Schreber, 1774) *Pipistrellus rueppellii* (Fischer, 1829) *Hypsugo savii* (Bonaparte, 1837)

*Tadarida teniotis* (Rafinesque, 1814)

*Plecotus gaisleri* (Benda, Kiefer, Hanak et Veith, 2004)

*Myotis nattereri* (Kuhl, 1817) *Nyctalus leisleri* (Kuhl, 1817) *Nyctalus noctula* (Schreber, 1774) *Otonycteris hemprichii (*Peters, 1859) *Pipistrellus kuhlii* (Kuhl, 1817)

*Myotis punicus* (Felten, Spitzenberger and Storch, 1977)

and oaks on their slopes. These regions are very populated.

The High Plains and Highlands Domain: These immense steppe plateaus stretch from East to West, from 1000 to 600 m. The climate is semi-arid, allowing a cereal crop without irrigation thanks to certain depressions (called chott). Of semi-desert aspect, for a long time, these zones constituted places of Saharan transhumance.

The Saharan Atlas: The south of this succession of mountains marks the limit of the arid climate and limits of the Northern region with the Sahara. Mount Chelia in the Aurès rises to 2328 m.

The Sahara and its massifs (Hoggar and Tassili): covering a large part of southern Algeria, the vastness of the Algerian Sahara includes, with its 2 million km2 , a quarter of the entire desert. It is a dry and arid desert with varied landscapes: great ergs, dry valleys, arid plains and sand dunes. There are volcanic mountain massifs including the massif of Hoggar, which culminates in the highest mountain of Algeria, the Tahat, at 2918 m above sea level, and the Tassili massif. Temperatures range from an average of 36°C during the day to 5°C at night. Riches are found beneath the soil: not only oil and natural gas but also precious metals found during the recent survey of the Hoggar massif. This territory represents 97% of the country's exports (**Figure 1**).
