Welwitsch bat
| Welwitsch bat | ||||||||||||
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Drawing of the Welwitsch bat with a characteristic pattern on the flight membrane |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Myotis welwitschii | ||||||||||||
| ( Gray , 1866) |
The Welwitsch bat ( Myotis welwitschii ) is a species of bat from the smooth-nosed family (Vespertilionidae), which is native to Africa. The species is named after the botanist Friedrich Welwitsch .
description
The Welwitsch bat, with a forearm length of 52 to 58 mm, is larger than the mouse ears Myotis bocagei (forearm length approx. 50 mm) and M. tricolor (forearm length approx. 40 mm), which also occur in the area . Their total length is 105–127 mm with an average weight of 14.3 g. It can also be distinguished from all other bat species by the red-orange pattern on the otherwise black wings. Myotis formosus has a similar pattern, but only occurs from Afghanistan to India , China and Japan . The face is pink, the ears copper-red and large. The tragus is long and lanceolate and protrudes to about the middle of the ear. The hair on the back is tricolored with a black base, a dark brown center part and a rust brown tip. The hair on the belly is two-tone with a brown base and a white tip, which all in all makes the belly appear lighter than the back. The flight skin of the wing is black brown orange with a drawing along the arms and fingers. The tail skin is also orange-brown and streaked with irregular black spots. The calcar is long and extends up to two thirds into the tail membrane.
Way of life
The Welwitsch bat lives in savannahs and areas with tree populations in Africa. Only a few individuals of this species have been caught so far, which is why relatively little is known about their way of life. It is believed that they are solitary and feed on insects. During the day, Welwitsch bats can be found in buildings, in bushes and trees as well as in caves. The Welwitsch bat is a slow flyer due to its relatively wide wings.
distribution and habitat
The Welwitsch bat occurs from Ethiopia to South Africa . There are also two individual certificates in Guinea . Its population is classified as safe by the IUCN thanks to its wide distribution area.
literature
- JM Ratcliffe: Myotis welwitschii . In: Mammalian Species , No. 701, pp. 1-3
