Gambian Slit-faced Bat

It is a small to medium-sized bat with a relatively short forearm compared with some other species of the genus Nycteris. Its forearm length is approximately 35–44 mm. The ears are about 24–30 mm long. The species has relatively long, soft and woolly fur, with the upperparts ranging from dark beige to dark brown. Its coloration is generally less variable than that of the closely related Egyptian slit-faced bat (Nycteris thebaica). Like other members of the family Nycteridae, N. gambiensis has a distinctive slit-like groove running along the muzzle. The nostrils are separated by this longitudinal groove, which extends towards a deep depression on the forehead. The tail has a characteristic T-shaped tip. These features contribute to the distinctive facial appearance of slit-faced bats. The species is closely related to Nycteris thebaica, and the two can be difficult to distinguish using measurements alone because their morphological measurements show considerable overlap. However, differences in coloration and the shape of the tragus, together with multivariate morphological analysis, have been used to distinguish N. gambiensis from N. thebaica.

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