Variegated Butterfly Bats in Saint Lucia, South Africa
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Y29sdW1uPSIzMDM0ZmJlODg2YzExMDU0ZTk1YjQ2YjA5ZDNlNDExMiJdIHsgZGlzcGxheTogZmxleDsgfSAgIH0g
On 29 Nov 2025, I found a group of 12 Variegated Butterfly Bats (Glauconycteris variegata) day-roosting in a Mahogany tree (Trichilia species) on the outskirts of Saint Lucia town (KwaZulu‑Natal Province, South Africa). They were at the same tree 5 days later. iNaturalist (2 Mar 2026) shows only 12 photographic records across Africa, with none in South Africa. The nearest photographic record in iNat is 1,100 km to the north, in central Mozambique. If you want to see this species then the site I found them is an easy place to check (with thermal scope).
My report is posted here: https://www.pacapix.com/glauconycteris-variegata/
Paul Carter
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Paul Carter
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