Alpine long-eared bat

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Alpine long-eared bat
Plecotus macrobullaris - Ph. Karol Tabarelli de Fatis.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Vespertilionidae
Genus: Plecotus
Species:
P. macrobullaris
Binomial name
Plecotus macrobullaris
Kuzjakin, 1965
Synonyms
  • Plecotus auritus macrobullaris Kuzjakin, 1965
  • Plecotus alpinusKeifer & Veith, 2002
  • Plecotus microdontus Spitzenberger, 2002

The Alpine long-eared bat or mountain long-eared bat (Plecotus macrobullaris) is a species of long-eared bat. It was originally described from Switzerland and Austria as a species intermediate between the brown long-eared bat and the grey long-eared bat in 1965. It was later described in 2002, from France and Austria, respectively. Despite its name, this species is not restricted to the Alps, being found in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina [2] and elsewhere. It differs from other European long-eared bats, such as the brown long-eared bat, by its white underparts.

Contents

Taxonomy and etymology

Close view of the lip pad of the bat Plecotus macrobullaris. Plecotus macrobullaris - Corsica.jpg
Close view of the lip pad of the bat Plecotus macrobullaris.

It was described as a new subspecies in 1965 by A. Kuzjakin, who considered it a subspecies of the brown long-eared bat, Plecotus auritus. Its trinomen at the time was Plecotus auritus macrobullaris. [1] Andreas Kiefer and Michael Veith described a new taxon, Plecotus alpinus, in the 2001 volume of the journal Myotis, but the name was made available in 2002 only. [3] In 2002 too, another set of authors led by Friederike Spitzenberger described the same species under the name Plecotus microdontus. [4] DNA analysis showed that both "species" were synonymous, and according to the Principle of Priority, the oldest name should apply to this species. However, in 2003, it was determined that both P. alpinus and P. microdontus were synonyms of the previous taxon described Kuzyakin in 1965, which was then raised to species status as Plecotus macrobullaris. [5]

Its species name "macrobullaris" is from Ancient Greek " makrós " meaning "long" and Latin " bulla " meaning "knob-shaped," possibly referencing the auditory bulla.

Distribution

The Alpine long-eared bat has been recorded from Andorra, France and Spain in the Pyrenees; in the Alps it has been recorded from France to Slovenia, in the Dinaric Alps and through the Balkans to Greece. It is also found on Crete and Corsica. In Asia is occurs in Anatolia through the Caucasus as far south as Iran and Syria. [1] It mostly inhabits steep mountainous terrain, up to a maximum of 2,800 metres (9,200 ft) [6] but is known to reach sea level in some localities. [7]

In 2015, it was reported that the species contains two distinct mitochondrial lineages, which diverged from each other over 1 million years ago. However, it remains unclear whether or not the lineages are distinct in other respects, and therefore whether or not they should be considered distinct subspecies. [8] Nonetheless, two subspecies have been tentatively suggested: [5]

Description

The Alpine long-eared bat is a medium-sized bat, with a forearm length of approximately 4 centimetres (1.6 in) and a body weight of 6 to 10 grams (0.21 to 0.35 oz). It has pale grey fur over the body, fading to near-white on the underparts and with a dark brown face. The ears are long and a pinkish triangular pad projects downwards from the chin. There is no distinction in the size or colouration of the sexes. [6]

Biology and behaviour

Tha bat's diet is mainly based on moths, which are captured in open areas such as grasslands and alpine meadows. [9] Its echolocation calls are similar to those of other long-eared bats, consisting of very faint multiharmonic signals, with the first harmonic sweeping down from 46 to 23 kHz and lasting up to 7 milliseconds. [10]

The Alpine long-eared bat seems to be flexible in its choice of roosting habitats, being reported to roost primarily in natural rock crevices in the Pyrenees, [11] but to prefer the attics of human dwellings in the Alps. [12] Roosts are sometimes shared with other related species, but this is unusual. [13] While males change their roosting sites on an almost daily basis, females tend to remain in the same site for long periods, gathering together in brooding colonies of 5 to 25 individuals. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vespertilionidae</span> Family of microbats

Vespertilionidae is a family of microbats, of the order Chiroptera, flying, insect-eating mammals variously described as the common, vesper, or simple nosed bats. The vespertilionid family is the most diverse and widely distributed of bat families, specialised in many forms to occupy a range of habitats and ecological circumstances, and it is frequently observed or the subject of research. The facial features of the species are often simple, as they mainly rely on vocally emitted echolocation. The tails of the species are enclosed by the lower flight membranes between the legs. Over 300 species are distributed all over the world, on every continent except Antarctica. It owes its name to the genus Vespertilio, which takes its name from a word for bat, vespertilio, derived from the Latin term vesper meaning 'evening'; they are termed "evening bats" and were once referred to as "evening birds".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brown long-eared bat</span> Species of bat

The brown long-eared bat or common long-eared bat is a small Eurasian insectivorous bat. It has distinctive ears, long and with a distinctive fold. It is extremely similar to the much rarer grey long-eared bat which was only validated as a distinct species in the 1960s. An adult brown long-eared bat has a body length of 4.5–4.8 cm, a tail of 4.1–4.6 cm, and a forearm length of 4–4.2 cm. The ears are 3.3–3.9 cm in length, and readily distinguish the long-eared bats from most other bat species. They are relatively slow flyers compared to other bat species.

<i>Plecotus</i> Genus of bats

Plecotus is a genus of vesper bat, commonly called long-eared bats. They are found throughout Eurasia and northern Africa. Many species in the genus have only been described and recognized in recent years.

The Ethiopian long-eared bat or Ethiopian big-eared bat is a recently described species of long-eared bat in the family Vespertilionidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sardinian long-eared bat</span> Species of bat

The Sardinian long-eared bat is a species of bat endemic to Sardinia, Italy.

The Japanese long-eared bat is a species of vesper bat endemic to Japan, where it is found in Hokkaido, Honshu and Shikoku. It has distinctive, long ears, hence its Japanese name, the 'rabbit bat'. Formerly included as a subspecies of the European bat Plecotus auritus, genetic studies now indicate Plecotus sacrimontis is a separate species.

<i>Rhagamys</i> Extinct rodent genus

Rhagamys is an extinct genus of rodents in the subfamily Murinae, the Old World mice and rats. The genus was established by the Swiss zoologist Charles Immanuel Forsyth Major to accommodate Rhagamys orthodon, commonly known as Hensel's field mouse or the Tyrrhenian field rat, which is the only species in the genus. It was endemic to the Mediterranean islands of Corsica and Sardinia, where it first appeared in the fossil record in the Late Pleistocene, and was relatively large in size, weighing up to 50 g. Its closest living relatives are of the genus Apodemus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mediterranean long-eared bat</span> Species of bat

The Mediterranean long-eared bat, also known as Kolombatovic's long-eared bat, is a species of vesper bat ranging from Italy east through the Balkans east to Syria, and south to Jordan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maternity colony</span> Temporary association of reproductive female bats

A maternity colony refers to a temporary association of reproductive female bats for giving birth to, nursing, and weaning their pups. The colonies are initiated by pregnant bats. After giving birth, the colony consists of the lactating females and their offspring. After weaning, juveniles will leave the maternity colony, and the colony itself will break apart. The size of a maternity colony is highly variable by species, with some species forming colonies consisting of ten or fewer individuals, while the largest maternity colony in the world in Bracken Cave is estimated to have over 15 million bats.

The Turkestani long-eared bat, Otonycteris leucophaea, is a species of bat found in Asia. Though it was initially described in 1873 as a species, for many years it was considered synonymous with the desert long-eared bat, Otonycteris hemprichii. Recently, it was recognized as a distinct species once again.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ognev's long-eared bat</span> Species of bat

Ognev's long-eared bat is a species of bat found in Asia. By 2006, it was recognized as a separate species from the P. auritus species complex.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaisler's long-eared bat</span> Species of bat

Gaisler's long-eared bat is a species of bat in the genus Plecotus. It is a medium-sized grayish-brown and found in Morocco, Algeria, Libya, and Tunisia.

The Turkmen long-eared bat is a species of bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and possibly Mongolia.

The Himalayan long-eared bat, also known as Hodgson's long-eared bat, is a species of bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is ranges from the Indian subcontinent east to China and south to Vietnam.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Plecotini</span>

Plecotini is a tribe of bats in the family Vespertilionidae. It contains several genera found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, in Eurasia, North Africa, and North America. Several genera in this tribe are known as big-eared bats or long-eared bats. It also contains the spotted bat and barbastelles.

Kozlov's long-eared bat is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in southern Mongolia and adjacent parts of China.

Strelkov's long-eared bat is a species of vesper bat found in mountainous regions of Central Asia.

Ward's long-eared bat is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in mountainous regions of South Asia and adjoining regions.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Piraccini, R. (2016). "Plecotus macrobullaris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T136229A22002229. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T136229A22002229.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ↑ "SARAJEVO Otkrivena nova vrsta šišmiša u BiH". Dnevni avaz. Sarajevo. May 16, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  3. ↑ Kiefer, A.; Veith, M. (2001). "A new species of long-eared bat from Europe (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)" (PDF). Myotis. 39: 5–16.
  4. ↑ Spitzenberger, F.; Haring, E.; Tvrtković, N. (2002). "Plecotus microdontus (Mammalia: Vespertilionidae), nova vrsta šišmiša iz Austrije". Natura Croatica: Periodicum Musei Historiae Naturalis Croatici. 11 (1): 1–18.
  5. 1 2 Spitzenberger, F.; Strelkov, P.; Haring, E. (2003). "Morphology and mitochondrial DNA sequences show that Plecotus alpinus Kiefer & Veith, 2002 and Plecotus microdontus Spitzenberger, 2002 are synonyms of Plecotus macrobullaris Kuzjakin 1965". Natura Croatica. 12 (2): 39–53.
  6. 1 2 3 Alberdi, Antton; Aizpurua, Ostaizka (May 2018). "Plecotus macrobullaris (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)". Mammalian Species. 50 (958): 26–33. doi: 10.1093/mspecies/sey003 .
  7. ↑ Pavlinić, I.; Tvrtković, N. (2004). "Altitudinal distribution of four Plecotus species (Mammalia, Vespertilionidae) occurring in Croatia". Natura Croatica. 13 (4): 395–401. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  8. ↑ Alberdi, Antton; Gilbert, M.T.P.; et al. (May 2015). "Contrasting population‐level responses to Pleistocene climatic oscillations in an alpine bat revealed by complete mitochondrial genomes and evolutionary history inference". Journal of Biogeography. 42 (9): 1689–1700. doi:10.1111/jbi.12535. S2CID   56247000.
  9. ↑ Alberdi A, Garin I, Aizpurua O, Aihartza JR (2012) 'The foraging ecology of the Mountain long-eared bat Plecotus macrobullaris revealed with DNA mini-barcodes.' PLoS ONE7(4): e35692.
  10. ↑ Dietrich, Susanne; Szameitat, Diana P.; et al. (December 2006). "Echolocation signals of the plecotine bat, Plecotus macrobullaris Kuzyakin, 1965". Acta Chiropterologica. 8 (2): 465–475. doi:10.3161/1733-5329(2006)8[465:ESOTPB]2.0.CO;2. S2CID   85921180.
  11. ↑ Alberdi, Antton; Aihartza, Joxerra; et al. (2015). "Living above the treeline: roosting ecology of the alpine bat Plecotus macrobullaris". European Journal of Wildlife Research. 61: 17–25. doi:10.1007/s10344-014-0862-8. S2CID   14059163.
  12. ↑ Alberdi, Antton; Garin, Inazio; et al. (December 2013). "Review on the geographic and elevational distribution of the mountain long-eared bat Plecotus macrobullaris, completed by utilising a specific mist-netting technique". Acta Chiropterologica. 15 (2): 451–461. doi:10.3161/150811013X679071. S2CID   86165807.
  13. ↑ Tvrtković, Nikola; Pavlinić, Igor; Haring, Elisabeth (2005). "Four species of long-eared bats (Plecotus, Geoffroy, 1818; Mammalia, Vespertilionidae) in Croatia: field identification and distribution". Folia Zoologica. 54 (1–2): 75–78. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
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