Black mouse ear
| Black mouse ear | ||||||||||||
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Myotis nigricans | ||||||||||||
| ( Schinz , 1821) |
The black mouse- eared bat ( Myotis nigricans ) is a bat species from the smooth-nosed family (Vespertilionidae), which is native to Central and South America.
description
Myotis albescens is a small mouse-eared mouse with a weight of 3 to 5.5 g and a head-trunk length of 38 to 49 mm. The fur is between 4 and 4.5 mm long and silky. The color of the fur can differ regionally and locally, but is usually black or dark brown to cinnamon. The Latin species name nigricans refers to the mostly dark coat color, especially in the region in Brazil where the type was caught.
Way of life
Myotis nigricans lives during the day in large colonies of up to 1000 individuals in buildings, under tree bark, in hollow trees and tree hollows, and in crevices. While the sex ratio in young animals is more or less balanced, the number of adult females often doubles that of males. Colonies that stay under roofs during the day where temperatures of up to 50 ° C prevail, divide into small groups or individuals for thermoregulation. The animals cannot survive temperatures above 42 ° C for more than 2 days. Myotis nigricans feeds exclusively on insects.
Reproduction
Females of Myotis nigricans can become pregnant up to three times a year. In Panama , the first mating season takes place between late December and early January. After a gestation period of 60 days, the females give birth to a single young. This is followed by a second and third mating and gestation period with births in April – May and August. This cycle seems to correlate with the general food supply so that the kittens are not weaned during the dry season. During the first 2 to 3 days after birth, the young animal hangs on its mother and is taken on foraging flights. Later, the young animal is left in the colony during the night, where the mother can find it again by means of the smell or acoustic signals. After 2 weeks the young will reach the weight of a fully grown animal, and after 3 weeks the first attempts at flight are made. After 5-6 weeks, the pups are weaned and they leave the maternal colony.
distribution and habitat
The distribution of Myotis nigricans ranges from southern Mexico to northern Argentina . Their populations are classified as stable and safe by the IUCN thanks to their widespread distribution and relative tolerance to man-made disturbance.
literature
- DE Wilson, RK LaVal: Myotis nigricans , Mammalian Species , No. 39 (1974): pp. 1-3