Welwitsch's bat
Welwitsch's bat | |
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Conservation status | |
![]() Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Chiroptera |
Family: | Vespertilionidae |
Genus: | Myotis |
Species: | M. welwitschii |
Binomial name | |
Myotis welwitschii (Gray, 1866) | |
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Welwitsch's bat also known as Welwitsch's mouse-eared bat or Welwitsch's myotis (Myotis welwitschii) is a species of vesper bat native to Africa.
Description
Welwitsch's bat is a relatively large member of its genus, measuring about 12 cm (4.7 in) in length, and weighing 12 to 17 g (0.42 to 0.60 oz). The body is chestnut brown, with off-white underparts, while the wing membranes are particularly distinctive, being reddish in colour with irregular dark brown to black spots. The face is pinkish, with a moderately long snout and large round, coppery-red ears.[2]
Distribution and habitat
Welwitsch's bat is found through much of eastern and southern Africa. In the east, it is patchily distributed from the Free State in South Africa to Ethiopia in the north, while further west it is also found in Zambia, the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and central Angola. It has also been reported from a single locality in Guinea.[1]
Within this large region, the bat has been reported form a range of different habitats, but appears most common in open woodland and savannah. Welwitsch's bats generally roost alone, in trees, low bushes, artificial structures, or deep caves.[2]
Habits
Welwitsch's bat has broad wings with a low aspect ratio, typical of a "clutter-edge forager", i.e. bats which search for prey along the edges of vegetation or buildings. Its diet consists of aerial insect prey such as moths, beetles and bugs, based on limited observations in Mpumalanga, South Africa.[3] There is limited information about the reproductive and social habits of this species, there is a single recorded observation of a pair roosting together. Other sympatric species of Myotis bats tend to be seasonal breeders, with mating observed from late spring to summer and normally rearing between one and two young.[4]
References
- ^ a b Monadjem, A.; Taylor, P.J.; Jacobs, D.; Cotterill, F.P.D. (2017). "Myotis welwitschii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2017: e.T14211A22068792. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T14211A22068792.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
- ^ a b Ratcliffe, J.M. (2002). "Myotis welwitschii". Mammalian Species. 701: Number 701: pp. 1–3. doi:10.1644/1545-1410(2002)701<0001:MW>2.0.CO;2. S2CID 198968744.
- ^ "African Bat Conservation Species Guide to Bats of Malawi" (PDF). African Bat Conservation. p. 15. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
- ^ "Comprehensive Description for Welwitsch's bat". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2016-11-22.
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- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Chiroptera
- Family: Vespertilionidae
- Subfamily: Myotinae
- Large-footed bat (M. adversus)
- Southern myotis (M. aelleni)
- Silver-tipped myotis (M. albescens)
- Myotis alcathoe (M. alcathoe)
- Szechwan myotis (M. altarium)
- Anjouan myotis (M. anjouanensis)
- Annamit myotis (M. annamiticus)
- M. annatessae
- Hairy-faced bat (M. annectans)
- Atacama myotis (M. atacamensis)
- Peters's myotis (M. ater)
- Sir David Attenborough's myotis (M. attenboroughi)
- Southwestern myotis (M. auriculus)
- Australian myotis (M. australis)
- Southeastern myotis (M. austroriparius)
- Chestnut myotis (M. badius)
- M. bartelsi
- Bechstein's bat (M. bechsteinii)
- Lesser mouse-eared bat (M. blythii)
- Rufous mouse-eared bat (M. bocagii)
- Far Eastern myotis (M. bombinus)
- Brandt's bat (M. brandtii)
- Bocharic myotis (M. bucharensis)
- California myotis (M. californicus)
- Long-fingered bat (M. capaccinii)
- Chilean myotis (M. chiloensis)
- Large myotis (M. chinensis)
- Western small-footed bat (M. ciliolabrum)
- Guatemalan myotis (M. cobanensis)
- Cryptic myotis (Myotis crypticus)
- Csorba's mouse-eared bat (M. csorbai)
- Pond bat (M. dasycneme)
- Daubenton's bat (M. daubentonii)
- David's myotis (M. davidii)
- Kock's mouse-eared bat (M. dieteri)
- M. diminutus
- Dominican myotis (M. dominicensis)
- Elegant myotis (M. elegans)
- Geoffroy's bat (M. emarginatus)
- M. escalerai
- Long-eared myotis (M. evotis)
- M. fimbriatus
- Findley's myotis (M. findleyi)
- M. flavus
- Hodgson's bat (M. formosus)
- Cinnamon myotis (M. fortidens)
- Fraternal myotis (M. frater)
- Gomantong myotis (M. gomantongensis)
- Malagasy mouse-eared bat (M. goudoti)
- Gray bat (M. grisescens)
- Armenian whiskered bat (M. hajastanicus)
- M. handleyi
- Lesser large-footed bat (M. hasseltii)
- Herman's myotis (M. hermani)
- Horsfield's bat (M. horsfieldii)
- M. hyrcanicus
- Ikonnikov's bat (M. ikonnikovi)
- M. indochinensis
- Insular myotis (M. insularum)
- M. izecksohni
- Hairy-legged myotis (M. keaysi)
- Keen's myotis (M. keenii)
- Chinese water myotis (M. laniger)
- M. lavali
- Eastern small-footed myotis (M. leibii)
- Yellowish myotis (M. levis)
- Kashmir cave bat (M. longipes)
- Little brown bat (M. lucifugus)
- Eastern long-fingered bat (M. macrodactylus)
- M. macropus
- Pallid large-footed myotis (M. macrotarsus)
- Schwartz's myotis (M. martiniquensis)
- Dark-nosed small-footed myotis (M. melanorhinus)
- M. midastactus
- Maluku myotis (M. moluccarum)
- Burmese whiskered bat (M. montivagus)
- Morris's bat (M. morrisi)
- Wall-roosting mouse-eared bat (M. muricola)
- Greater mouse-eared bat (M. myotis)
- Whiskered bat (M. mystacinus)
- Natterer's bat (M. nattereri)
- Curacao myotis (M. nesopolus)
- Black myotis (M. nigricans)
- Nimba mountain bat (M. nimbaensis)
- Nepal myotis (M. nipalensis)
- M. nyctor
- Arizona myotis (M. occultus)
- Singapore whiskered bat (M. oreias)
- Montane myotis (M. oxyotus)
- Peninsular myotis (M. peninsularis)
- Beijing mouse-eared bat (M. pequinius)
- Eastern water bat (M. petax)
- M. phanluongi
- Flat-headed myotis (M. planiceps)
- Frosted myotis (M. pruinosus)
- Felten's myotis (M. punicus)
- Rickett's big-footed bat (M. ricketti)
- Ridley's bat (M. ridleyi)
- Riparian myotis (M. riparius)
- Thick-thumbed myotis (M. rosseti)
- Red myotis (M. ruber)
- Schaub's myotis (M. schaubi)
- Scott's mouse-eared bat (M. scotti)
- Northern long-eared bat (M. septentrionalis)
- M. sibiricus
- Mandelli's mouse-eared bat (M. sicarius)
- Himalayan whiskered bat (M. siligorensis)
- Velvety myotis (M. simus)
- Indiana bat (M. sodalis)
- Kei myotis (M. stalkeri)
- M. taiwanensis
- Fringed myotis (M. thysanodes)
- Cape hairy bat (M. tricolor)
- Cave myotis (M. velifer)
- M. vivesi
- Long-legged myotis (M. volans)
- Welwitsch's bat (M. welwitschii)
- Yanbaru whiskered bat (M. yanbarensis)
- Yuma myotis (M. yumanensis)
- Zenati myotis (Myotis zenatius)
- S. caliginosus
- Taiwan broad-muzzled myotis (S. latirostris)
- S. moupinensis