New Genus Of Bat Discovered In South Sudan

It's a good day for animal biologists, as a new genus of bat has been discovered in South Sudan.

The animal is a fluffy, striped, black and white mammal similar to the Glauconycteris superba bat discovered in the nearby Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1939. However, researchers soon found that it was an entirely new genus.

"After careful analysis, it is clear that it doesn't belong in the genus that it's in right now," said researcher DeeAnn Reeder in a press release. "Its cranial characters, its wing characters, its size, the ears--literally everything you look at doesn't fit. It's so unique that we need to create a new genus."

"Our discovery of this new genus of bat is an indicator of how diverse the area is and how much work remains," she added. "Understanding and conserving biodiversity is critical in many ways. Knowing what species are present in an area allows for better management. When species are lost, ecosystem-level changes ensue. I'm convinced this area is one in which we need to continue to work."

The discovery was made by a team in the Bangangai Game Reserve while conducting field research on conservation efforts.

"To me, this discovery is significant because it highlights the biological importance of South Sudan and hints that this new nation has many natural wonders yet to be discovered," said Fauna and Flora International's South Sudan country director Matt Rice. "South Sudan is a country with much to offer and much to protect."

The researchers have proposed the genus name Niumbaha, which means "rare" in Zande, the native language of the Azande people who live in the surrounding area. This particular bat is just the fifth specimen of its kind to ever be found, and the first to be discovered in South Sudan.

Details of the new bat have been published in  ZooKeys journal.