Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39622813›Full record

ArticleScientific data2024

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

Ara Monadjem, Cecilia Montauban, Paul W Webala, Theresa M Laverty, Eric M Bakwo-Fils, Laura Torrent, Iroro Tanshi, Adam Kane, Abigail L Rutrough, David L Waldien and 1 more

Abstract readDataset
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific data, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Underrepresentation of bats in Africa's protected areas.Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Case Report of Unusual Mortality of Egyptian Fruit Bat (Case reports in veterinary medicine · 2026
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Ara MonadjemDepartment of Biological Sciences, University of Eswatini, Kwaluseni, Eswatini. ara@uniswa.sz.ORCID 0000-0003-1906-4023
Cecilia MontaubanDepartment of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-7501-3389
Paul W WebalaDepartment of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Maasai Mara University, Narok, 20500, Kenya.
Theresa M LavertyDepartment of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA.ORCID 0000-0003-1727-5943
Eric M Bakwo-FilsDepartment of Environmental Sciences, University of Ebolowa, Ebolowa, Cameroon.ORCID 0000-0001-7878-8158
Laura TorrentBiBio Research Group, Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, Francesc Macià 51, 08402, Granollers, Spain.
Iroro TanshiDepartment of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, USA.
Adam KaneSchool of Biology and Environmental Science and Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0002-2830-5338
Abigail L RutroughDepartment of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, 79409, USA.
David L WaldienIUCN Species Survival Commission Bat Specialist Group, 1196, Gland, Switzerland.
Peter J TaylorDepartment of Zoology & Entomology & Afromontane Research Unit, University of the Free State, Qwaqwa Campus, Phuthaditjhaba, South Africa.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Accurate 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.

Indexed as

ChiropteraConservation of Natural ResourcesDatabases, FactualAfrica South of the SaharaAnimal DistributionAnimalsEcosystem

Identifiers

PMID39622813
PMCPMC11611906

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.