Mouse ears

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Mouse ears
Great mouse-eared mouse (Myotis myotis)

Great mouse-eared mouse ( Myotis myotis )

Systematics
Superordinate : Laurasiatheria
Order : Bats (chiroptera)
Superfamily : Smooth-nosed (Vespertilionoidea)
Family : Smooth-nosed (Vespertilionidae)
Subfamily : Myotinae
Genre : Mouse ears
Scientific name
Myotis
Kaup , 1829

The mouse ears ( Myotis ) - also mouse-eared bats - are a bat genus that the family of smooth nose belongs (Vespertilionidae). In the Handbook of the Mammals of the World, 128 species are counted among the mouse ears . The genus is the subject of intensive research, with new species being described again and again, which can be seen, for example, in the nymph bat ( Myotis alcathoe ) , which was first described in 2001 . The name Myotis is made up of the Greek mys (= mouse) and otos (= ear), which also corresponds to the German generic name.

features

The mouse ears owe their name to the resemblance of their ears to those of mice . In contrast to these, the mouse-eared bats have a functional tragus that is mobile and with which the ear canal can be closed. The shape and size of the ears and carriers are important distinguishing features when determining the species of resting animals. The respective species can also be differentiated on the basis of different forearm lengths, habitus and characteristics of the flying membranes . The color of the fur on the back of the animals varies between different shades of gray and brown. The underside is usually much lighter to almost white. The line between darker colored fur on the top and lighter colored fur on the underside is usually sharp. Mouse ears reach a head body length of 35 to 100 millimeters, their tail is 28 to 65 millimeters long. Their weight varies from 3 grams for the smallest species to 45 grams for the large mouse-eared mouse .

The mouse-eared tooth formula is 2133/3133. This means that the mouse ears have a maximum of 38 teeth. The number of teeth is not helpful in differentiating the individual types of myotis.

distribution

Distribution area of ​​the mouse ears

As cosmopolitans , the mouse-eared bat is the most biodiverse and most widespread species of bat in the world. Their distribution area extends over all continents except for the Antarctic . Furthermore, there are no mouse ears in the Arctic or on some oceanic islands. Thirteen species live in Europe:

Way of life

Great Mouse-eared Colony

Mouse ears are found in a wide variety of habitats, from deserts to rainforests and mountainous lands. All species are nocturnal, during the day they sleep in caves, mines, buildings, tree hollows or other shelters. Most species live in groups, the size of which can vary from a few to hundreds of thousands of animals. In cooler regions they hibernate during the cold season , which is why they often retreat to their own winter quarters or migrate to warmer areas.

nutrition

In Europe, all types of mouse-eared animals feed almost exclusively on smaller arthropods . Here, put insects , the main food is, but also spiders and millipedes are captured. The prey animals are usually caught in flight. However, some species also land on the ground or other surfaces such as leaves or walls in order to sometimes crawl after their prey. Some species, the best known being Myotis vivesi from Mexico , feed primarily on fish. These species are adapted to this diet by their long hind legs with large claws.

Reproduction

In temperate regions, mating usually takes place in autumn or early winter, then the male's sperm is stored in the female's reproductive tract and fertilization and the beginning of pregnancy do not occur until spring. In tropical regions, on the other hand, mating can occur all year round. After a gestation period of 50 to 70 days, a single young is usually born. In most species, the females retire with other females in nursery rooms for the birth and rearing of the young. The life expectancy of mouse ears in the wild is likely to be six to seven years. However, some animals are getting significantly older, a specimen of Myotis lucifugus reached an age of 29 years.

Systematics

There are more than 100 types of mouse ears. Some species are so similar that they can hardly be distinguished by their external characteristics. This also explains the late description of individual species, the individuals of which were previously assigned to other species, and so the uncertainties about the family relationships within the genus.

Subgenus Myotis

Subgenus Chrysopteron

Subgenus Selysius

Subgenus Isotus

Subgenus Leuconoe

Subgenus Pizonyx

Cistugo also had the rank of a subgenus of Myotis in the past. In the meantime, Cistugo is not only considered an independent genus, but a new, monotypical family for the genus Cistugo has been introduced, the Cistugidae.

literature

  • J. Niethammer, F. Krapp (ed.): Handbook of mammals in Europe. Volume 4/1: Bats . AULA Verlag, Wiesbaden 2001, ISBN 3-89104-638-3 . (very detailed textbook)
  • Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9 .

further reading

  • Benoît Stadelmann, David S. Jacobs, Corrie Schoeman, Manuel Ruedi : Phylogeny of African Myotis bats (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) inferred from cytochrome b sequences . Acta Chiropterologica, 6, 2, pp. 177–192, 2004 ( online ; PDF; 121 kB)

Web links

Commons : Myotis  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. a b c Javier Juste, Manuel Ruedi, Sébastien Puechmaille, Irene Salicini, Carlos Ibáñez (2018): Two new cryptic bat species within the Myotis nattereri species complex (Vespertilionidae, Chiroptera) from the Western Palaearctic. Acta Chiropterologica, 20 (2): 285-301, doi: 10.3161 / 15081109ACC2018.20.2.001
  2. Manuel Ruedi, Gábor Csorba, Liang-Komg Lin & Cheng-Han Chou: Molecular phylogeny and morphological revision of Myotis bats (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from Taiwan and adjacent China. Zootaxa, 3920, 1, pp. 301–342, February 2015 doi: 10.11646 / zootaxa.3920.2.6
  3. a b c Gábor Csorba, Cheng-Han Chou, Manuel Ruedi , Tamás Görföl, Masaharu Motokawa, Sigit Wiantoro, Vu Dinh Thong, Nguyen Truong Son, Liang-Kong Lin and Neil Furey The Reds and the Yellows: A Review of Asian Chrysopteron Jentink, 1910 (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae: Myotis). Journal of Mammalogy 95 (4), 2014: 663-678. doi: 10.1644 / 13-mamm-a-200
  4. Ricardo Moratelli, Don E. Wilson, Roberto LM Novaes, Kristofer M. Helgen and Eliécer E. Gutiérrez. 2017. Caribbean Myotis (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae), with Description of A New Species from Trinidad and Tobago. J Mammal. gyx062. doi: 10.1093 / jmammal / gyx062
  5. Ricardo Moratelli, Roberto Leonan M. Novaes, Carlos Carrión Bonilla, and Don E. Wilson. 2019. A new species of Myotis (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) from Peru. In: RD Bradley, HH Genoways, DJ Schmidly, and LC Bradley (Eds.): From field to Laboratory: A memorial volume in honor of Robert J. Baker , Special Publications, Museum of Texas Tech University, No. 71, pp. 239-256
  6. a b Manuel Ruedi, Gábor Csorba, Liang-Kong Lin, Cheng-Han Chou: Molecular phylogeny and morphological revision of Myotis bats (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from Taiwan and adjacent China. Zootaxa 3920 (1), 2015: 301-342. doi: 10.11646 / zootaxa.3920.2.6
  7. ^ Ricardo Moratelli, Don E. Wilson: A new species of Myotis (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) from Bolivia. Journal of Mammalogy 95 (4), 2014; Pp. E17-E25. doi: 10.1644 / 14-MAMM-149
  8. ^ Lack, JB, Roehrs, ZP, Stanley, CE, Ruedi, M. and Van Den Bussche, RA 2010. Molecular phylogenetics of Myotis indicate familial-level divergence for the genus Cistugo (Chiroptera). Journal of Mammalogy 91 (4): 976-992. doi: 10.1644 / 09-MAMM-A-192.1