Mouse-eared bat

Greater mouse- eared bat (Myotis myotis)

The mouse-eared bat (Myotis ) - mouse-eared bats also - are a bat genus belongs to the family of Myotis bats ( Vespertilionidae ). The mouse ears around 90 species are counted worldwide depending on the source. The assignment to the different types is currently the subject of intensive research, as evidenced by ( alcathoe Myotis ), for example in the described only in 2001 nymph bat. The name Myotis is composed of the Greek mys ( = mouse) and tos ( = ear) together, which also corresponds to the German generic name.

  • 5.1 subgenus Myotis
  • 5.2 subgenus Chrysopteron
  • 5.3 subgenus Selysius
  • 5.4 subgenus Isotus
  • 5.5 subgenus Leuconoe
  • 5.6 subgenus Pizonyx
  • 5.7 subgenus Cistugo

Features

Their name from the mouse ears of the similarity of their ears with those of mice. In contrast to these, the mouse-eared bats have a functional tragus, which is movable and the ear canal can be closed. The shape and size of the ears and wear are important differentiators in the identification of species of resting animals. Also using different arm lengths, habit and characteristics of the wing membranes can be distinguished depending on the species. The fur color varies on the backs of animals between different gray and brown tones. The underside is usually much lighter to almost white. The demarcation between dark -colored fur on the top and lighter on the bottom is usually sharp. Mouse ears reach a body length of 35 to 100 millimeters, her tail is 28-65 millimeters long. Your weight varies from 3 grams for the smallest species up to 45 grams of the greater mouse-eared.

The dental formula of mouse ears is 2133/3133. So that the mouse ears have the maximum number of teeth 38. The number of teeth is not helpful in distinguishing the individual Myotisarten.

Dissemination

As cosmopolitans the mouse ears are the richest and most common bat species worldwide. Its distribution area extends across all continents except Antarctica. Furthermore, no mouse ears occur in the Arctic, as well as on some oceanic islands. In Europe, eleven species live:

  • Bechstein's bat (Myotis bechsteinii )
  • Natterer's bat (Myotis nattereri )
  • Brandt's bat ( Myotis brandtii )
  • Greater mouse- eared bat (Myotis myotis)
  • Whiskered bat (Myotis mystacinus )
  • Lesser Mouse- eared bat (Myotis blythii )
  • Langfußfledermaus (Myotis capaccinii )
  • Nymph bat ( Myotis alcathoe )
  • Pond bat (Myotis dasycneme )
  • Daubenton's bat (Myotis daubentonii )
  • Geoffroy's bat (Myotis emarginatus )

Way of life

Mouse ears come in a variety of habitats, from deserts to rainforests and mountain countries. All species are nocturnal, during the day they sleep in caves, mines, buildings, tree hollows or other hiding places. Most species live in groups whose size can vary from a few to hundreds of thousands of animals. In cooler regions they hold during the cold season hibernation, to which they often retreat into their own winter quarters or migrate to warmer areas.

Nutrition

In Europe, all kinds of mouse ears feed almost exclusively on small arthropods. These insects provide the main food is, but also spiders and millipedes are captured. The prey is usually used in flight. However, some species also land on the ground or other surfaces such as leaves or walls to their prey partly crawling recreate there. Some species, the best known being Myotis vivesi from Mexico, feed primarily on fish. These species are adapted to this diet by long hind legs with large claws.

Reproduction

In temperate regions, the mating usually takes place in autumn or early winter, then the sperm of the male is kept in the reproductive tract of the female, and it is only in the spring for the fertilization and the beginning of the pregnancy. In tropical regions, however, the pairing can take place throughout the year. After a gestation period of 50 to 70 days usually a single young is born. In most species the females bring to birth and rearing with other females in nurseries back. The life expectancy of mouse ears in the wild is likely to be six to seven years. Some animals but significantly older, a specimen of Myotis lucifugus reached an age of 29 years.

System

We distinguish 90 types of mouse ears. Some species are so similar that they are hard to distinguish on the basis of external characteristics. This also explains the late description of individual species whose individuals have been previously assigned to other species.

Subgenus Myotis

  • Myotis altarium living in southern China and northern Thailand.
  • Myotis auriculus lives in the southwestern United States and in Central America.
  • The Bechstein's bat (Myotis bechsteinii ) lived in Europe and western Asia.
  • The Lesser Mouse-eared Bat (Myotis blythii ) is in southern Europe, is home to the Mediterranean and southern Asia.
  • Myotis chinensis is native to eastern and southern China.
  • The Geoffroy's bat (Myotis emarginatus ) is widespread in Europe, West Asia and North Africa.
  • Myotis evotis lives in western North America.
  • Myotis goudoti is endemic to Madagascar and the Comoros.
  • Myotis keenii occurs in North America.
  • Myotis is known from the central Africa ( Ethiopia and Nigeria) morrisi.
  • The greater mouse-eared bat (Myotis myotis ) is the largest representative of the genus. It lives in Europe and the Mediterranean.
  • Myotis pequinius is located in eastern China.
  • Myotis septentrionalis lives in northern North America.
  • Myotis sicarius is native to Nepal and Sikkim.
  • Myotis thysanodes lives in western North America and Mexico.
  • Myotis tricolor is widespread in central and southern Africa.
  • The Armenian whiskered bat (Myotis hajastanicus ) was endemic in the valley of the Armenian Sevan. She has not been seen since 1989.

Subgenus Chrysopteron

  • Myotis formosus lives in South and Southeast Asia.
  • Myotis hermani is endemic to Sumatra.
  • Myotis rufopictus is endemic to the Philippines.
  • The Welwitsch bat (Myotis welwitschii ) lives in central and southern Africa.

Subgenus Selysius

  • Myotis abei is endemic to the Russian island of Sakhalin.
  • The Nymph 's bat ( Myotis alcathoe ) was described in 2001 as a separate species. It is so far known only from Europe.
  • Myotis annectans is native to Southeast Asia.
  • Myotis atacamensis is located in the Atacama region in western South America.
  • Myotis ater is widespread in Indonesia and New Guinea.
  • Myotis australis lives in southeastern Australia (New South Wales).
  • The Brandt's bat ( Myotis brandtii ) lives in Eurasia.
  • The Kanifornische mouse-eared bat (Myotis californicus ) is native to North and Central America.
  • Myotis carteri is located in western Mexico.
  • Myotis ciliolabrum is widespread in western North America and Mexico.
  • Myotis dominicensis is endemic to the island of Dominica.
  • The Elegant mouse-eared bat (Myotis elegans ) lives in Central America.
  • Myotis is findleyi endemic to the Tres Marias Islands off the west coast of Mexico. The species is considered threatened.
  • The long-tailed mouse-eared bat (Myotis frater ) occurs in Central and East Asia.
  • Myotis gomantongensis lives in Malaysia. The species was first discovered in 1998.
  • Myotis hosonoi is endemic to the Japanese island of Honshu.
  • The Short-eared bat ( Myotis ikonnikovi ) lives in eastern Siberia, Korea, and Hokkaidō.
  • Myotis insularum is endemic to Samoa.
  • Myotis keaysi lives in Central and South America.
  • Myotis leibii is widespread in eastern North America.
  • Myotis martiniquensis is endemic to Martinique and Barbados.
  • Myotis muri cola lives in South and Southeast Asia.
  • The whiskered bat ( Myotis mystacinus ) is native to Eurasia.
  • Myotis nesopolus is based in Curacao and Venezuela.
  • Myotis nigricans occurs in Central and South America.
  • Myotis oreias is so far known only from Singapore.
  • Myotis ozensis is endemic to the Japanese island of Honshu. The species is considered threatened.
  • Myotis planiceps lives in eastern Mexico. The species was already considered extinct before being rediscovered. Nevertheless, it is considered highly threatened ( critically endangered ).
  • Myotis ridleyi is native to Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo.
  • Myotis Rosseti occurs only in Thailand and Cambodia.
  • Myotis scotti occurs only in the highlands of Ethiopia.
  • Myotis siligorensis is widespread in South and Southeast Asia.
  • Myotis sodalis is located in the central and eastern United States. The species is considered threatened.
  • Myotis yesoensis is endemic to the Japanese island of Hokkaidō.
  • Myotis yanbarensis was not discovered until 1998. The species lives on the Japanese Ryukyu Islands.

Subgenus Isotus

  • The Eastern Natterer's bat (Myotis bombinus ) is native to East Asia.
  • The Natterer's bat (Myotis nattereri ) lived in Europe and western Asia.
  • Myotis schaubi lives in Armenia and Iran. The species is considered threatened.

Subgenus Leuconoe

  • The Little Brown Gray bat ( Myotis adversus ) lives in Southeast Asia, New Guinea, Australia and the western Pacific.
  • Myotis aelleni is located in the southwestern Argentina.
  • Myotis albescens occurs in Central and South America.
  • Myotis annamiticus was not discovered until 2001. The species lives in Vietnam.
  • Myotis austroriparius is native to the southeastern United States.
  • Myotis bocagei occurs in many parts of Africa and Yemen.
  • The Langfußfledermaus (Myotis capaccinii ) lives in Southern Europe, the Mediterranean and Western Asia.
  • Myotis chiloensis lives in Chile and southern Argentina.
  • Myotis cobanensis inhabited a small area in Guatemala. The species is highly threatened ( critically endangered ).
  • Myotis csorbai was not discovered until 1997. The species is found only in Nepal.
  • The pond bat (Myotis dasycneme ) lives in Eurasia.
  • The Daubenton's bat (Myotis daubentonii ) also occurs in Eurasia.
  • Myotis fimbriatus is located in Southeast China.
  • Myotis fortidens is native to Central America.
  • The Grey mouse eared bat (Myotis grisescens ) occurs in the eastern United States. Due to the destruction of their habitat, the species is considered threatened.
  • The Van Hasselt's bat ( Myotis hasseltii ) lives in South and Southeast Asia.
  • Myotis horsfieldii is widespread in South and Southeast Asia.
  • The Chinese Daubenton's bat (Myotis laniger ) lives in southeast China and parts of India and Vietnam.
  • Myotis levis lives in central and southern South America.
  • Myotis longipes is based in Afghanistan and Kashmir.
  • The Little Brown Bat (Myotis lucifugus ) is common in North America and Mexico.
  • Myotis macrodactylus lives in southeastern Siberia and Japan.
  • Myotis macropus is native to southeastern Australia.
  • Myotis macrotarsus occurs on Borneo and the Philippines.
  • Myotis montivagus is widespread in South and Southeast Asia.
  • Myotis occultus lives in the Southwestern U.S. and Mexico.
  • Myotis oxyotus is widespread in Central and South America.
  • Myotis peninsularis lives just to the south of the Baja California peninsula.
  • Myotis pruinosus is native to Japan. The species is considered threatened.
  • Myotis ricketti lives in eastern China.
  • Myotis riparius lives in Central and South America.
  • Myotis ruber is widespread in south-eastern South America.
  • Myotis simus lives in the Amazon basin in northern South America.
  • Myotis stalkeri is endemic to two small Moluccas Islands. This species is listed by IUCN as threatened.
  • Myotis velifer lives in the southern U.S. and in Central America.
  • Myotis volans is in western North America, and Mexico is home.
  • The Yuma bat ( Myotis yumanensis ) lives in western North America.

Subgenus Pizonyx

  • Myotis vivesi is famous for its mainly focused on fish food. The species lives in western Mexico.

Subgenus Cistugo

This subgenus is characterized by glands on the wings and is sometimes elevated to the rank of a separate class.

  • Myotis lesueuri lives in South Africa.
  • Myotis seabrai is widespread throughout southern Africa.
Laurasiatheria Johann Jakob Kaup Tragus (ear) Cosmopolitan distribution Oceania Bechstein's bat Natterer's bat Middle America (region) Keen's myotis Northern long-eared myotis Fringed myotis California myotis Western small-footed bat Hairy-legged myotis Eastern small-footed myotis Black myotis Indiana bat Silver-tipped myotis Peninsular myotis Velvety myotis Maluku Islands Cave myotis Long-legged myotis
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