ON THE OCCURRENCE OF A SHORT-PERIOD OF DELAYED IMPLANTATION IN SCHREIBERS LONG-FINGERED BAT (MINIOPTERUS-SCHREIBERSII) FROM A TROPICAL LATITUDE IN ZIMBABWE

Mating in Schreibers' long-fingered bat (Miniopterus schreibersii) fro m central Zimbabwe (18 degrees S) occurred between mid-April and mid-M ay, after a five-month period of spermatogenesis. Implantation was del ayed until early July and parturition occurred between late October an d mid-November, about four months after implantation and six to seven months af-er fertilization. The timing and length of gestation al 18 d egrees S are similar to that described for hi. schreibersii from Zaire (11 degrees S) and when these data are compared with those for the sa me species from higher latitudes in Africa, it is apparent that there is a small, but distinct, increase in the total length of pregnancy an d the length of delayed implantation with increasing latitude. The rep roductive biology of Miniopterus schreibersii from Africa and France d iffers fundamentally From that of the same species from Australia and Japan, and it is suggested that studies of the relationship between la titude and duration of delayed implantation should be based on compari sons within single species from different latitudes on the same contin ent, and that comparisons between species and between continents shoul d be avoided.