**4. Zoogeography of Algerian bats**

In 1912, Weber undertook chiropterological exploration in different parts of the Algiers region and found individuals of *Rhinolophus euryale* and *Myotis murinus* (*M. punicus*) and in 1911 *Miniopterus schreibersii* in Birkhadem [46]. It was not until nearly 20 years later that Laurent cited a Saharan form of the genus *Plecotus*, a rare species of which only one individual was reported by Loche in 1867 in Blida [47]; he studied an individual collected in El Golea by Doctor Foley of the Pasteur Institute of Algiers and he came to the conclusion that there are two *Plecotus* species in the sub-Saharan regions of North Africa *Plecotus austriacus* and a new species *Plecotus auritus saharae*. He was followed by Heim de Balsac in 1936 who questioned the statement of Laurent concerning the genus *Plecotus* [47, 48] he stipulated that the Algerian species is none other than *Plecotus auritus christiei* of which there was another capture at Oumeche near of Biskra by Rotschild and Hartert [49]. In 1944, Laurent first banded bats in

In 1976, Anciaux de Favaux established the first complete study of Algerian bats [51]. He cites the presence of 23 species belonging to 5 families, many of which are rare and 2 remain problematic. Javrujan (1980) investigated Algerian bats, as well as border areas with Tunisia and Morocco, found 20 species and 660 individuals. In 1984, Hanak and Gaisler reported for the first time the presence of *Nyctalus leisleri* as a new species for the African continent, from Yakourene region to Tizi Ouzou [52], and they captured an individual of *Myotis nattereri* reported for the second time for Algeria [52]. In 1983 Gaisler completed this list [53], he worked with his collaborators mainly in the northeastern part of the country with the town of Setif as the central point, and it was he who for the first time signaled the presence of *Myotis nattereri* for Algeria, as well as the reappearance after a century-long absence of *Pipistrellus pipistrellus* and *Myotis capaccinii* [54]. They also report the presence of *Hypsugosavii* in three regions of the country at altitudes ranging between 1050 and 2004 m; they gave very important details about its ecology and he studied the distribution of 10 species namely *Rhinolophus ferrumequinum*, *R. hipposideros*, *R. euryale*, *R. mehelyi*, *R. blasii*, *Myotis blythii*, *M. emarginatus*, *Pipistrellus kuhlii*, *Plecotus austriacus* and *Miniopterus schreibersii*. Other work was done by

Kowalski et al. and Gaisler and Kowalski studied the dynamics of bat populations in the caves of northern Algeria between 1978 and 1983 and worked on the annual cycle of cavedwelling species in 26 localities of the country [54, 55], including the Ain Nouissy Cave near Mostaganem (35° 48'N, 0° 2'E), the Yebdar Cave located near Ain Fezza in the Tlemcen Mountains (34° 53'N, 1° 18'W), Cave of Mersa Agla in Honaine (35° 10'N, 1° 39'W), Sig (35° 32'N, 0° 12'W, the mountains of BeniChougrane, the hills of Mourdjadjo at 6 km S from the village of Misserghin near Oran (35° 38'N, 0° 43'W), At the seaside at Madagh (35° 40'N, 1° 0'W), the cave of Aokas (36°) 38'N, 5° 14′E), the cave of Tichy, the valley of Chabet lakhra (36° 39'N, 5° 17′E) there are several artificial galleries of 50–800 m of length carved in the rocks, cave at the foot of Mount Chelia in the Aurès (35° 19'N, 6° 40′E), Hot Cave near Tiddis (36 22'N, 6° 39′E), in the Saharan Atlas considered as the southern limit of the Mediterranean species, in the cave El Rhar in Ain Ouarka (32° 44'N, 0° 10'W) located in semi-desert and rocky, consisting of a single gallery about 800 m long [56], Brezina (33° 6'N, 1° 16′E) and several caves located between the desert. They noted that the hibernation period in Algeria is shorter than in Europe, but that the reproductive cycle was similar and copulation took place in autumn

Algeria and North Africa in 1942 in a cave around Algiers [50].

Gaisler et al. [54] and Kowalski et al. [45].

28 Bats

The bats reported for Algeria belong to the Palearctic region, whose boundaries were delineated by Corbet [63]. This region is described as beginning in the north with the Spitsbergen Islands; the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands are included, unlike the Cape Verde Islands which are excluded. In Africa, the western boundaries start at 21°30'N (Between Western Sahara and Mauretania), and the countries that are included are Algeria, Libya and Egypt and excluded are Niger, Chad and Sudan. The Hoggar Mountains are included in contrast to Tibesti. The entire Arabian Peninsula is included. The Asian boundary begins between Pakistan and Iran and continues in Afghanistan to central China.

By working on five large areas resulting from a climatological division of the Algerian territory made by Ochando [64], In 1986 Gaisler and his collaborators stipulated that seven species are characteristic of northern Algeria [54], of which the first and second zones represent the Mediterranean zone, or the climate varies from sub-humid to semi-arid. The third and fourth zone or medulla zone corresponds to the zone with an arid climate, except for some mountainous regions where the climate is semi-arid and possibly the highlands and the Saharan Atlas. The fifth zone is the Sahara with its desert climate and the Saharan mountains.


**Table 2** shows that 16 of the 26 species (61.53%) of Algerian bats live in the littoral zone, which represents less than 10% of the total land area. This is followed by the two Atlas mountain ranges—the Sahara Atlas and the Tell Atlas which both have 56% of Algerian bat species. The areas with the least diversity of bats are in the high plains and plateaus and the Sahara and massif mountains respectively with 40 and 48%. These last two areas account for more than 70% of the land area of Algeria. These results may reflect the fact that the sampling effort is very biased, because according to the literature, the majority of studies and surveys have been carried out in the northern part of the country: the littoral zone and

The Bat: A Benefactor Animal Poorly Understood in Algeria

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

31

According to Anciaux de Faveaux (1976) and some of our observations, the bats of Algeria can be divided, according to the habitat they occupy, into four main groups [51]. We found species that fit in two or more groups: troglophilic species, lithophilic species, phytophilic species

These are species that overwinter underground in caves and artificial cavities. During the summer breeding season, they seek warmer shelters such as attics, roofs of houses and mosques, ruins and rock crevices. They are represented by 14 species belonging to six

> In caves In caves In caves In caves In caves In caves

> In caves

In caves

and minarets

In caves, cracks in the pillars of bridges

Winter in caves and was in attics of houses, cracks in trees

the Tell Atlas.

**5. Habitat and distribution**

and synanthropic species.

families (**Table 3**).

**5.1. The troglophilic species**

Rhinolophidae *Rhinolophus blasii*

Vespertilionidae *Myotis punicus*

**Table 3.** Troglophilic species of bats.

**Family Species Habitat**

*Rhinolophus clivosus Rhinolophus euryale Rhinolophus ferrumequinum Rhinolophus hipposideros Rhinolophus mehelyi*

*Myotis capaccinii Myotis emarginatus Plecotus gaisleri*

Emballonuridae *Taphozous nudiventris* In dry caves

Miniopteridae *Miniopterus schreibersii* Old aqueducts, caves

Hipposideridae *Asellia tridens* In man-made tunnels

Rhinopomatidae *Rhinopoma cystops* In caves, basements of mosques

**Table 2.** Presence–absence of bat species according to the five Algerian geographical sets.

The principal species of northern Algeria, according to this division, are *Pipistrellus pipistrellus*, *Myotis punicus*, *Myotis schreibersii* and more-rarely *Myotis capaccinii*, *Myotis emarginatus*, *Myotis nattereri* and *Nyctalus leisleri*.

The results of this table are derived from the data of Gaisler [53], Hanak and Gaisler [52], Gaisler [56], Gaisler-Kowalski [54] and Kowalski and Rzebick Kowalska [45], and we have provided any necessary updates.

**Table 2** shows that 16 of the 26 species (61.53%) of Algerian bats live in the littoral zone, which represents less than 10% of the total land area. This is followed by the two Atlas mountain ranges—the Sahara Atlas and the Tell Atlas which both have 56% of Algerian bat species. The areas with the least diversity of bats are in the high plains and plateaus and the Sahara and massif mountains respectively with 40 and 48%. These last two areas account for more than 70% of the land area of Algeria. These results may reflect the fact that the sampling effort is very biased, because according to the literature, the majority of studies and surveys have been carried out in the northern part of the country: the littoral zone and the Tell Atlas.
