Parti-coloured bat

Last updated

Parti-coloured bat
Vespertilio murinus 2.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Vespertilionidae
Genus: Vespertilio
Species:
V. murinus
Binomial name
Vespertilio murinus
Vespertilio murinus range map.png
Range of V. murinus in Eurasia
Synonyms [3]

Eptesicus murinus(Linnaeus, 1758)

The parti-coloured bat or rearmouse (Vespertilio murinus) is a species of vesper bat that lives in temperate Eurasia, from Western and Southern Europe, eastwards over the Caucasus and Iran into Mongolia, north-east China, Korea, Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. [4]

Contents

Description

Their twittering call, similar to a bird's call, can be heard particularly in the autumn during the mating season. The parti-coloured bat has a body size of 4.8–6.4 centimetres (1.9–2.5 in) with a wingspan of 26–33 cm (10–13 in), and a weight of 11–24 grams (0.39–0.85 oz). [5] Its name is derived from its fur, which has two colours. Its back (dorsal side) is red to dark-brown, with silver-white-frosted hair. The ventral side is white or grey. The ears, wings and face are black or dark brown. The wings are narrow. The ears are short, broad and roundish. It is known to live up to 12 years.

Behaviour

These bats hunt for their prey, for example mosquitoes, caddis flies and moths, with a wide range of ultrasonic sounds, but especially around 25–27 kHz. [6] They hunt after twilight at heights of around 20–40 metres (66–131 ft), for example in open landscape over streams and lakes and above forests or at street lights. [7] In cold weather, the bat may remain in its resting place.

There is not much known about the behaviour of parti-coloured bats, as they are quite rare. Female bats live in small groups, of about 50 animals, sometimes up to several hundred adult females. In Western Europe, male groups consist of about 250 animals and are found only during the spring and early summer. These bats migrate, and flights of up to 900 kilometres (560 mi) were found. The furthest migration was determined at 1,780 km (1,110 mi). [1]

Between October and March, the bats hibernate. They hibernate alone, and can bear temperatures down to −5 °C (23 °F). [8]

Reproduction and birth

Females form maternity roosts during May and July and generally give birth to twins. [8] After the pups are weaned, which takes less than six weeks, [8] females leave the maternity roost. Birth of the young is in western Europe around beginning of June.

Distribution

The parti-coloured bat occurs in Central and Western Europe and in Asia. Its natural habitat is mountains, steppes and forested areas, but in Western Europe, they can mainly be found in cities. The species is protected, as it is threatened by insecticides and changes in their habitat.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spectral bat</span> Species of bat

The spectral bat, also called the great false vampire bat or Linnaeus's false vampire bat, is a large, carnivorous leaf-nosed bat found in Mexico, Central America, and South America. It is the only member of the genus Vampyrum; its closest living relative is the big-eared woolly bat. It is the largest bat species in the New World, as well as the largest carnivorous bat: its wingspan is 0.7–1.0 m (2.3–3.3 ft). It has a robust skull and teeth, with which it delivers a powerful bite to kill its prey. Birds are frequent prey items, though it may also consume rodents, insects, and other bats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big brown bat</span> Species of vesper bat (Eptesicus fuscus)

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).

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

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Serotine bat</span> Species of bat

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'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Common pipistrelle</span> Species of mammal

The common pipistrelle is a small pipistrelle microbat whose very large range extends across most of Europe, North Africa, South Asia, and may extend into Korea. It is one of the most common bat species in the British Isles. In Europe, the northernmost confirmed records are from southern Finland near 60°N.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lesser horseshoe bat</span> Species of bat

The lesser horseshoe bat is a type of small European and North African insectivorous bat, related to its larger cousin, the greater horseshoe bat. As with all horseshoe bats, the species gets its name from its distinctive horseshoe-shaped noseleaf.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Western mastiff bat</span> Species of bat

The western mastiff bat, also known as the western bonneted bat, the greater mastiff bat, or the greater bonneted bat, is a member of the free-tailed bat family, Molossidae. It is found in the Western United States, Mexico and South America. This species is the largest bat native to North America, and some of its distinguishing characteristics are its large ears, wings, and forearms. The subspecies Eumops perotis californicus is a species of concern as identified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The range of this subspecies is principally southwest desert regions of the United States, along the border with Mexico; however, the range extends as far north on the Pacific coast as Alameda County, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Egyptian slit-faced bat</span> Species of mammal

The Egyptian slit-faced bat is a species of slit-faced bat broadly distributed throughout Africa and the Middle East. It is a species of microbat in the family Nycteridae. Six subspecies are known.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canyon bat</span> Species of bat

The canyon bat, also known as the western pipistrelle, is a species of vesper bat. It is found in Mexico and in the western United States. The species has historically been placed in the genus Pipistrellus, but molecular evidence does not show any close relationship with that genus, and accordingly it was classified into its own genus, Parastrellus, in 2006.

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

Townsend's big-eared bat is a species of vesper bat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bechstein's bat</span> Species of mammal

Bechstein's bat is a species of vesper bat found in Europe and western Asia, living in extensive areas of woodland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eastern small-footed myotis</span> Species of bat

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fringed myotis</span> Species of bat

The fringed myotis is a species of vesper bat that is found in British Columbia, Mexico, and the western United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape hairy bat</span> Species of bat

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian flying fox</span> Species of mammal

The Indian flying fox, also known as the greater Indian fruit bat, is a species of flying fox native to the Indian subcontinent. It is one of the largest bats in the world. It is of interest as a disease vector, as it is capable of transmitting several viruses to humans. It is nocturnal and feeds mainly on ripe fruits, such as mangoes and bananas, and nectar. This species is often regarded as vermin due to its destructive tendencies towards fruit farms, but the benefits of its pollination and seed propagation often outweigh the impacts of its fruit consumption.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Large flying fox</span> Species of fruit bat

The large flying fox, also known as the greater flying fox, Malayan flying fox, Malaysian flying fox, large fruit bat, kalang, or kalong, is a southeast Asian species of megabat in the family Pteropodidae. Despite its scientific name, it feeds exclusively on fruits, nectar, and flowers, like the other flying foxes of the genus Pteropus. It is noted for being one of the largest bats. As with nearly all other Old World fruit bats, it lacks the ability to echolocate but compensates for it with well-developed eyesight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little brown bat</span> Species of mammal found in North America

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.

<i>Vespertilio</i> Genus of bats

Vespertilio is a genus of bats in the family Vespertilionidae. The common name for this family is vesper bats, which is a better-known classification than Vespertilio. They are also known as frosted bats.

<i>Myotis septentrionalis</i> Species of mammal

Myotis septentrionalis, known as the northern long-eared bat or northern myotis, is a species of bat native to North America. There are no recognized subspecies. The northern long-eared bat is about 3–3.7 inches in length, with a wingspan of 9–10 inches. It is distinguishable by its long ears when comparing it to other bats in its genus. This species is commonly found in the northern United States and Southern Canada east of British Columbia. The geographic range includes 37 states.

References

  1. 1 2 Coroiu, I. (2016). "Vespertilio murinus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T22947A22071456. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T22947A22071456.en . Retrieved 12 November 2021.
  2. Carl Linnaeus (1758). Systema naturæ per regna tria naturæ, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I (in Latin) (10th  ed.). Stockholm: Laurentius Salvius. p. 32.
  3. "Vespertilio murinus Linnaeus, 1758 - Parti-Coloured Bat". Natural History Museum . Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  4. "Vespertilio murinus", Science for Nature Foundation
  5. "Rarities and vagrants" (PDF). Bat Conservation Trust. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  6. Maja Zagmajster (2003). "Display song of parti-coloured bat Vespertilio murinus Linnaeus, 1758 (Chiroptera, Mammalia) in southern Slovenia and preliminary study of its variability" (PDF). Natura Sloveniae . 5 (1): 27–41.
  7. S. M. Swift. "Bat species in Scotland" (PDF). Scottish Natural Heritage . Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 Anne-Jifke Haarsma & Henk Siepel (2013). "Macro-evolutionary trade-offs as the basis for the distribution of European bats" (PDF). Animal Biology . 63 (4): 451–471. doi:10.1163/15707563-00002424.