Desert long-eared
| Desert long-eared | ||||||||||||
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Desert long-eared ( Otonycteris hemprichii ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name of the genus | ||||||||||||
| Otonycteris | ||||||||||||
| Peters , 1859 | ||||||||||||
| Scientific name of the species | ||||||||||||
| Otonycteris hemprichii | ||||||||||||
| Peters, 1859 |
The desert long- eared bat ( Otonycteris hemprichii ) is a species of bat from the smooth-nosed family (Vespertilionidae). It is native to northern Africa (from Morocco and Niger to Egypt ), the Arabian Peninsula and parts of Central Asia (to Kazakhstan and Kashmir ).
The fur of these bats is colored sand-colored on the upper side, the underside is white. The up to 40 millimeter long ears that have grown together at the base are striking. The animals reach a body length of 73 to 81 millimeters and a weight of 18 to 20 grams, so they are slightly larger than the European long-eared bats .
Desert long-eared habitats are extremely dry and sterile regions. Crevices and buildings serve as sleeping places. At night they go in a slow, fluttering flight in search of food, mostly staying close to the ground. They eat spiders and insects .
Little is known about reproduction. Females form nurseries for birth and rearing young, which are composed of three to 15 animals. In contrast to many other smooth noses, twin births are likely to predominate.
Web links
- Photo of the desert long-eared
- Otonycteris hemprichii inthe IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2013.2. Posted by: Benda, P., Aulagnier, S. & Hutson, AM, 2008. Retrieved March 26, 2014.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 ISBN 0801857899