| Meridional serotine | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Vespertilionidae |
| Genus: | Eptesicus |
| Species: | E. isabellinus |
| Binomial name | |
| Eptesicus isabellinus Temminck, 1840 | |
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| Range of the meridional serotine | |
| Synonyms | |
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The meridional serotine (Eptesicus isabellinus) is a species of bat native to the Iberian Peninsula, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya.
The taxonomic status of Eptesicus isabellinus has been revised several times since its initial description. This species was initially described in 1840 by Dutch zoologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck. He placed it in the genus Vespertilio , naming it Vespertilio isabellinus. [2] In 1887, French zoologist Fernand Lataste intimated that he believed that the meridional serotine was a subspecies of the serotine bat, Eptesicus serotinus, per Harrison 1963. [3] [4] In 1963, David Harrison determined that morphologically, Eptesicus isabellinus was indistinguishable from Eptesicus serotinus, and suggested that its name should be Eptesicus serotinus isabellinus to recognize it as a subspecies of the latter. [3]
In 2006, Ibáñez and others examined the mitochondrial DNA of several members of the European Eptesicus species, finding considerable genetic diversity. They concluded that Eptesicus serotinus was a species complex of morphologically similar but genetically distinct species. [5] They recommended that Eptesicus serotinus isabellinus should be elevated to a species, suggesting a reversion to the name Eptesicus isabellinus if the population of southern Iberia represented the same species as the population of northern Africa (formerly Eptesicus serotinus boscai), which it did. [5] In 2013, another study was published on the genetics of Eptesicus isabellinus, which further supported its elevation to species rank. [6]
Its species name isabellinus is a Neo-Latin rendering of isabelline, which means pale yellow in color. In his initial description of the species, Temmick described its fur color as "a beautiful shade of isabella." [2]
The forearm is 51 mm (2.0 in) long, and the hind foot is 11.6–11.8 mm (0.46–0.46 in) long. It has long, silky hair on its back, with individual hairs 8 mm (0.31 in) long. [3] Hairs on its belly are shorter, at 6 mm (0.24 in) long. It can be distinguished from the closely related serotine bat by its yellowish brown fur, which is much lighter than that of the serotine bat. [5] The internal margin of the ear is convex; ears are rounded at the tip. The tragus is blunt at the tip. The feet are large with brown claws and hairy toes. [3]
It is insectivorous, feeding on beetles, moths, and flies. [1] Important prey items include scarab beetles and various flies. [7] Females will form maternity colonies, consisting of 20-100 individuals. [1]
It has been documented in Spain, Portugal, Gibraltar, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. It has not been documented at elevations over 1,800 m (5,900 ft). During the day, it will roost in rock crevices, bridges, and buildings. It is tolerant of a wide range of climates and habitats, including semi-desert, temperate forest, shrubland, suburbs, and subtropical dry forest. It prefers to forage over open habitats such as pastures and gardens. [1]
It is currently evaluated as least concern by the IUCN. In some areas of southern Spain, it is considered one of the most common species of bat. [1]
The big brown bat is a species of vesper bat distributed widely throughout North America, the Caribbean, and the northern portion of South America. It was first described as a species in 1796. Compared to other microbats, the big brown bat is relatively large, weighing 15–26 g (0.53–0.92 oz) and possessing a wingspan of 32.5–35 cm (12.8–13.8 in).
The serotine bat, also known as the common serotine bat, big brown bat, or silky bat, is a fairly large Eurasian bat with quite large ears. It has a wingspan of around 37 cm (15 in) and often hunts in woodland. It sometimes roosts in buildings, hanging upside down, in small groups or individually. The name serotine is derived from the Latin serotinus, which means 'evening', while the generic name derives from Greek ἔπιεν and οίκος, which means 'house flyer'.
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 northern bat is the most abundant species of bat in northern Eurasia occurring from France to Hokkaidō and south to Kazakhstan.
Eptesicus is a genus of bats, commonly called house bats or serotine bats, in the family Vespertilionidae. The genus name is likely derived from the Greek words ptetikos 'able to fly' or petomai 'house flier', although this is not certain.
Bobrinski's serotine is a species of vesper bat. It can be found in Iran and Kazakhstan.
Botta's serotine is a species of vesper bat, one of 25 in the genus Eptesicus. It is found in rocky areas and temperate desert.
The Sind bat is a species of vesper bat and the only member of the genus Rhyneptesicus. It inhabits forests and arid areas near waterbodies in southwestern Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman, around the coast of the Gulf of Oman in southern Iraq and Iran. Isolated populations in southern Pakistan and northwestern Afghanistan occur up to an elevation of 862 m (2,828 ft). Its presence in Bahrain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates is uncertain.
The bronze sprite, also known as the black-gilded pipistrelle, is a species of vesper bat found in China, India, Myanmar, and Nepal.
Anchieta's serotine, formerly known as Anchieta's pipistrelle, is a species of vesper bat. It is found in Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Madagascar. The species inhabits savanna habitats.
The big-eared pipistrelle is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It can be found in Indonesia and Malaysia. It forages over mud flats over Peninsula Malaysia but its roosting activities are unknown. Its habitat is being threatened by deforestation for agriculture, plantations, logging and fires but how it affects this bat or if it is adaptable are unknown.
The Cape serotine is a species of vesper bat occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa. 'Serotine' is from Latin 'serotinus' meaning ‘of the evening'.
The Vespertilioninae are a subfamily of vesper bats from the family Vespertilionidae.
The Isalo serotine is a vesper bat of Madagascar in the genus Laephotis. It is known only from the vicinity of the Isalo National Park in the southwestern part of the island, where it has been caught in riverine habitats. After the first specimen was caught in 1967, it was described as a subspecies of Eptesicus somalicus in 1995. After four more specimens were collected in 2002 and 2003, it was recognized as a separate species. Because of its small distribution and the threat of habitat destruction, it is considered "vulnerable" in the IUCN Red List.
Escalera's bat is a European bat in the genus Myotis, found in Spain, Portugal, and far southern France.
European bat 1 lyssavirus(EBLV-1) is one of three rabies virus-like agents of the genus Lyssavirus found in serotine bats in Spain. Strains of EBLV-1 have been identified as EBLV-1a and EBLV-1b. EBLV-1a was isolated from bats found in the Netherlands and Russia, while EBLV-1b was found in bats in France, the Netherlands and Iberia. E. isabellinus bats are the EBLV-1b reservoir in the Iberian Peninsula. Between 1977 and 2010, 959 bat rabies cases of EBLV-1 were reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) Rabies Bulletin.
The Oriental serotine is a species of bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is widespread and found throughout Asia.
Eptescini is a tribe of bats in the family Vespertilionidae. This tribe has a cosmopolitan distribution.
Ognev's serotine is a species of vesper bat found in western and central Asia.
