Karyology of five species of bats (Vespertilionidae, Hipposideridae, and Nycteridae) from Gabon with comments on the taxonomy of Glauconycteris

We karyotyped five species of bats from Gabon. Glauconycteris beatrix and G. poensis both have an all-biarmed 2n = 22 karyotype, consistent with the recognition of Glauconycteris as a genus distinct from Chalinolobus. One specimen of Hipposideros caffer had a 2n = 32 karyotype similar to that published for this species from other areas in Africa. We report a 2n = 52 karyotype for Hipposideros gigas which is identical to that found in H. vittatus. The slit-faced bat Nycteris grandis has a 2n = 42 karyotype similar to that known in other species of Nycteris.