Maluku myotis | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Chiroptera |
Family: | Vespertilionidae |
Genus: | Myotis |
Species: | M. moluccarum |
Binomial name | |
Myotis moluccarum Thomas, 1915 | |
The Maluku myotis (Myotis moluccarum), also commonly known as the Arafura large-footed bat, is a species of mouse-eared bat. [2] Native to Indonesia, and possibly New Guinea and northern Australia, it one of several species known as "fishing bats" because they catch their prey on the surface of water, scooping it up with their large feet.
M. moluccarum has large ears and feet. The fur on the dorsal surface of the body is gray-brown to rust while the underparts are cinnamon-brown. The wing membranes are light brown. [3] The adult has a forearm length of about 4 cm (1.6 in) and weighs between 8 and 15 g (0.3 and 0.5 oz). [4]
Myotis moluccarum ("of the Moluccas") is native to Indonesia, where it is present on the islands of Halmahera, Seram, Ambon, Peleng and the Kai Islands. It has also been reported from New Guinea and Australia, but it seems possible that it has been misidentified in these locations and the species concerned may be the southern or large-footed myotis, Myotis macropus . [4] It is a lowland species found in wetlands, around lakes and near streams at altitudes of up to 1,200 m (3,900 ft), but mostly below 300 m (980 ft). [1]
M. moluccarum is nocturnal and feeds by flying low over the surface of water and scooping up small fish and aquatic insects with its large feet. [4] It roosts during the day in caves, tunnels, mines and old buildings, under bridges and overhangs, and in hollow trees. Females give birth to a single offspring (or occasionally twins) up to three times each year. [1]
Although the taxonomic status and exact range of M. moluccarum are unclear and its population trend is unknown, in no parts of its range is it uncommon and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has rated its conservation status as being of "least concern". It appears able to tolerate some degree of modification of its habitat but the IUCN suggests there is a need to protect roosting sites. [1]
Natterer's bat is a European vespertilionid bat with pale wings. It has brown fur tending to greyish-white on its underside. It is found across most of the continent of Europe, parts of the Near East and North Africa. It feeds on insects and other invertebrates which it catches on the wing or pursues on the ground.
The mouse-eared bats or myotises are a diverse and widespread genus (Myotis) of bats within the family Vespertilionidae. The noun "myotis" itself is a Neo-Latin construction, from the Greek "muós and "oûs", literally translating to "mouse-eared".
The silver-tipped myotis is a species of mouse-eared bat found in a range of lowland habitats in the Americas.
The white-throated round-eared bat is a bat species found from Honduras to Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil. It creates roosts inside the nests of the termite, Nasutitermes corniger. It thrives on a mainly insect-based diet, focusing on the surfaces of foliage to hunt, and also eats fruit and pollen. It has a very wide range and is a common species over much of that range, so the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
The eastern long-fingered bat, or big-footed myotis is a species of vesper bat found in China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, and Russia. Roosting in caves and rock crevices during the day, it forages at night for insects near rivers and streams.
Hodgson's bat, also called the copper-winged bat or black-and-orange myotis, is a species of vesper bat in the genus Myotis, the mouse-eared bats. Favouring mountain forests, it is found throughout Central, Southeast, and East Asia, from Afghanistan to Taiwan. It is about 5 centimetres (2.0 in) long and is distinguished from most other species of bat in this range by its yellowish colouration.
The white-bellied yellow bat or white-bellied house bat, is a species of vesper bat in the genus Scotophilus, the house bats. It can be found in Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia. It is found in dry and moist savanna and open woodland. It is a common species with a very wide range, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as being of "least concern".
Findley's myotis is a species of vesper bat. It is found only on the Tres Marías Islands off the west coast of Mexico.
The eastern small-footed bat is a species of vesper bat. It can be found in southern Ontario and Quebec in Canada and in mountainous portions of the eastern United States from New England to northern Georgia, and westward to northern Arkansas. It is among the smallest bats in eastern North America and is known for its small feet and black face-mask. Until recently, all North American small-footed Myotis were considered to be "Myotis leibii". The western population is now considered to be a separate species, Myotis ciliolabrum. The eastern small-footed bat is rare throughout its range, although the species may be locally abundant where suitable habitat exists. Studies suggest white-nose syndrome has caused declines in their populations. However, most occurrences of this species have only been counted within the past decade or two and are not revisited regularly, making their population status difficult to assess. Additionally, most bat populations in the eastern U.S. have been monitored using surveys conducted in caves and mines in the winter, but eastern small-footed bats hibernate in places that make them unlikely to be encountered during these surveys. Perhaps as a result, the numbers of eastern small-footed bats counted in winter tend to be low and they are relatively variable compared to other species of bats. Many biologists believe the species is stable, having declined little in recent times, but that it is vulnerable due to its relatively restricted geographic range and habitat needs.
The wall-roosting mouse-eared bat, or Nepalese whiskered myotis is a species of vesper bat whose type locality is Nepal.
The flat-headed myotis is a species of vesper bat. It is endemic to Mexico where it is found in certain montane forests in the Sierra Madre Oriental in the northeast of the country. Once thought to be extinct, this bat was rediscovered in 2004 by Joaquín Arroyo-Cabrales and colleagues. The species is now classified as endangered by the IUCN.
The Cape hairy bat, also known as little brown bat, Temminck's mouse-eared bat, Cape myotis, tricoloured mouse-eared bat, Cape hairy myotis, Temminck's hairy bat and three-coloured bat is a species of vesper bat that is found in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Myotis vivesi, the fish-eating bat or fish-eating myotis, is a species of bat that lives around the Gulf of California, and feeds on fish and crustaceans. It is the largest species of the genus Myotis in the Americas, and has exceptionally large feet, which it uses in hunting. It was described in 1901 by Auguste Ménégaux. It was previously considered the only member of the Myotis subgenus Pizonyx, but Pizonyx is now considered to contain all American Myotis species, along with two Eurasian ones.
Hildegarde's tomb bat is a species of sac-winged bat in the family Emballonuridae. It is found near the coast in Kenya and Tanzania where it feeds in tropical dry forests and roosts in caves. It is a diurnal species and the International Union for Conservation of Nature has assessed its conservation status as "endangered". The specific name hildegardeae was given in honour of anthropologist Hildegarde Beatrice Hinde.
The fawn leaf-nosed bat is a species of bat in the family Hipposideridae found in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vanuatu.
Semon's leaf-nosed bat or Semon's roundleaf bat is a species of bat in the family Hipposideridae. It is found in Australia and Papua New Guinea.
The great flying fox, also known as the greater flying fox or Bismarck flying fox, is a species of megabat in the genus Pteropus, found throughout lowland areas of New Guinea and in the Bismarck Archipelago. Conflicting evidence suggests that its closest relative is either the spectacled flying fox or, jointly, the Pelew and insular flying foxes. Two subspecies are recognized. At up to 1.6 kg (3.5 lb) in weight, it is among the heaviest bats in the world and the largest bat in Melanesia. It is a gregarious animal which roosts with hundreds or thousands of individuals. In part due to its wide variation in color, it has many taxonomic synonyms, including Pteropus degener, Pteropus papuanus, and Pteropus sepikensis. It may forage during the day or night in search of fruit, including figs or fruits from the family Sapotaceae. It is considered a least-concern species by the IUCN, though its numbers have been negatively impacted by what appeared to be a disease, as well as by hunting for bushmeat that occurs across its range.
The little brown bat or little brown myotis is an endangered species of mouse-eared microbat found in North America. It has a small body size and glossy brown fur. It is similar in appearance to several other mouse-eared bats, including the Indiana bat, northern long-eared bat, and Arizona myotis, to which it is closely related. Despite its name, the little brown bat is not closely related to the big brown bat, which belongs to a different genus.
The California myotis is a species of vesper bat. It is found in British Columbia in Canada, Guatemala, Mexico, and in the western United States, including California.
The southern myotis, also known as large-footed myotis, is a species of vesper bat (Vespertilionidae) in genus Myotis. The southern myotis is one of only two Australian "fishing" bats and feeds by trawling its specially adapted feet along the water's surface for aquatic invertebrates and fish.