Two-colored bats
| Two-colored bats | ||||||||||||
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(European) two-colored bat ( Vespertilio murinus ) |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Vespertilio | ||||||||||||
| Linnaeus , 1758 |
The two-colored bats ( Vespertilio ) are a species of bat from the smooth-nosed family (Vespertilionidae). The genus includes three species that are common in Eurasia , the best known is the (European) two-colored bat ( Vespertilio murinus ).
The bats get their name from the short-haired, dense two-tone back fur. It is red to dark brown and silver white at the ends of the hair. The ventral side is dark brown to grayish in color. Two-colored bats reach a head body length of 55 to 75 millimeters, their tail is 35 to 50 millimeters long.
Two-colored bats originally prefer rocky terrain with caves or crevices as resting places. Due to their preference for man-made dwellings, their range is likely to have increased. Their habitat is predominantly forests, but they can also be found in grasslands and mountainous regions. In the colder months, they often go on long hikes to warmer areas.
Like most bats, they are nocturnal, they come out of their shelter in the evening and go in search of food. They usually fly at a height of more than 20 meters and hunt insects (mainly two-winged birds and moths ).
There are three types:
- The (European) two-colored bat ( Vespertilio murinus ) is common in Europe and northern and western Asia.
- The Asiatic two-colored bat ( Vespertilio sinensis ) lives in northeast China , southeast Russia , Korea and Japan .
- Vespertilio orientalis is native to eastern China, Taiwan and Japan. V. orientalis is listed in recent papers as a subspecies of the Asiatic two-colored bat.
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999 ISBN 0-8018-5789-9
