South Asian water bat

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
South Asian water bat
Systematics
Order : Bats (chiroptera)
Superfamily : Smooth-nosed (Vespertilionoidea)
Family : Smooth-nosed (Vespertilionidae)
Subfamily : Myotinae
Genre : Mouse ears ( myotis )
Type : South Asian water bat
Scientific name
Myotis adversus
( Horsfield , 1824)

The South Asian water bat ( Myotis adversus ) is a kind of mouse ears ( Myotis ) within the bats (chiroptera). It is distributed over parts of Southeast Asia and Taiwan as well as from New Guinea to Australia and western Oceania .

features

The South Asian water bat reaches a head-trunk length of 51 to 53 millimeters and a tail length of 33 to 48 millimeters. The hind feet are 10 to 13 millimeters long and the tibia is almost twice as long at 18 millimeters, which means that the species is known as "Large-Footed Myotis" in English-speaking countries. The ears measure 14 to 18 millimeters and are therefore comparatively small. Overall, it is a relatively small species of bat. The forearm length is 38 to 45 millimeters and the animals have a long calcar on the hand to stretch the flight skin . The palm skins end at the ankles. The back fur is reddish brown, the belly side is dark brown.

The skull has a total length of 15.5 millimeters and is delicately built. The small premolars are visible from the side in the row of teeth, the second and third premolars are separated by a gap.

distribution

The South Asian water bat lives in parts of Southeast Asia , Taiwan and probably in some regions from New Guinea to Australia and western Oceania . It is proven from the Malay Peninsula , Singapore , Taiwan, Borneo , the Indonesian islands Java , Sulawesi , Mendanau , Karakelong ( Talaud Islands ), West Timor and Flores as well as the Kangean Islands and the Togian Islands . Some unverified documents originate from the regions Sa Pa and Hanoi in Vietnam . Evidence of the species from New South Wales in Australia has been assigned to the southern long-footed bat ( Myotis macropus ) and further evidence from Vanuatu has not yet been confirmed.

Way of life

Very little information is available about the lifestyle and ecological demands of the widespread bat species. In Taiwan, the species occurs in the lowlands and at medium altitudes and rests in caves and artificial tunnels. Like other bats, they feed on insects, which they often catch in flight over bodies of water. Due to the long feet and the aquatic manner of hunting, it was also assumed that they could catch small fish from the water.

Systematics

The South Asian water bat is assigned to the mouse ears (genus Myotis ) as an independent species . The first scientific description comes from Thomas Walker Horsfield from 1824, who described it on the basis of individuals from the Indonesian island of Java.

Within the species, six subspecies are distinguished including the nominate form :

  • Myotis adversus adversus : nominate form; described from the island of Java.
  • Myotis adversus carimatae
  • Myotis adversus orientis
  • Myotis adversus taiwanensis : endemic to the island of Taiwan .
  • Myotis adversus tanimbarensis
  • Myotis adversus wetarensis

According to some scholars, Myotis adversus taiwanensis is an independent species. In the past, Myotis macropus , Myotis moluccarum and Myotis solomonis were sometimes considered as subspecies, but are now considered independent.

Hazard and protection

The species is classified by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) as not endangered ("least concern") due to its large distribution area and the associated high population numbers. No major threats to the species population are known, but there is only little data available on the current population and the way of life and ecological demands of the species, and the species is often confused with other species of the genus. Regionally, deforestation and habitat loss could have negative effects on populations .

supporting documents

  1. ↑ a b c d e f Don E. Wilson Large-Footed Myotis. In: Andrew T. Smith , Yan Xie: A Guide to the Mammals of China. Princeton University Press, 2008; P. 371, ISBN 978-0-691-09984-2 .
  2. ↑ a b c d e Myotis adversus in the Red List of Threatened Species of IUCN 2017-3. Listed by: AM Hutson, T. Kingston, C. Francis, 2008. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
  3. ^ Kyle Armstrong, Yuki Konishi: Bat call identification from the south coast of Timor-Leste , Worley Parsons Services Pty Ltd., March 2012.
  4. ↑ a b c Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Myotis adversus in Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed).

literature

Web links