Sandy long-fingered bat

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Sandy long-fingered bat
Miniopterus species.png
Miniopterus arenarius at number 22
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Miniopteridae
Genus: Miniopterus
Species:
M. arenarius
Binomial name
Miniopterus arenarius
Heller 1912
Miniopterus arenarius range.png

The sandy long-fingered bat (Miniopterus arenarius), also known as the sandy bent-winged bat, is a species of bat from the genus Miniopterus that is endemic to the Arabian Peninsula and East Africa. The species was initially described as a subspecies of either M. schreibersii or M. natalensis . Recent genetic research has revealed that specimens from the Arabian Peninsula and Ethiopia, which were tentatively ascribed to the genus, are significantly distinct from M. schreibersii and M. natalensis. A genetic analysis of type locality material is still needed before taxonomy can be resolved.

Contents

It is a small brownish or dark species of the Miniopterus genus. The head is a darker clove-brown color than the seal-brown dorsal pelage. The forearm measures approximately 42–46 mm (1.7–1.8 in) in the South Sudan population and 45 mm (1.8 in) in the Ethiopia population.

Taxonomy

Miniopterus, a widespread genus of bats in Africa, southern Eurasia, and Australia, was first recorded from Madagascar by George Edward Dobson, who mentioned the larger Miniopterus schreibersii and the smaller M. scotinus (currently M. natalensis) in his 1878 catalog of the bats in the British Museum. [1]

Description

The species is very small and has a head-to-body length of 55 mm (2.2 in) on average, with a 47 mm (1.9 in) long tail. The hind feet is 9 mm (0.35 in) long, and the ears 11 mm (0.43 in). It's similar in size to M. natalensis, but has a larger braincase and lighter, shorter pelage. [2]

Distribution and ecology

The current range of M. arenarius spans across the southwest Arabian Peninsula, and in East Africa in countries like Kenya, Somalia, Ethiopia and South Sudan. In Kenya, it lives in brushlands and thickets, and also forest-savanna mosaics up to 1,400 m (4,600 ft) in elevation. It also inhabits Acacia and Burseraceae trees. The original specimen of the Sandy Long-fingered Bat was discovered in a sizable gap between granite boulders on top of a modest hill; a second specimen was discovered in the same area at dusk amid some acacia trees. It was discovered in Ethiopia at a height of around 1,300 m (4,300 ft) in a cave on the steep, rocky side of a river valley that was covered with dense mixed Acacia and broadleaved scrubs, with a thin strip of lusher flora on the riverbanks. Most species of Miniopterus are insectivores and mainly eat insects. [3]

Related Research Articles

The African long-fingered bat is a species of vesper bat in the family Miniopteridae. It is found only in Kenya. It is found in subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. This species is often considered a synonym of Miniopterus inflatus. The holotype was collected in October 1926 by A. M. Bailey. It was described as a new species in 1936 by Colin Campbell Sanborn.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little bent-wing bat</span> Species of bat

The little bent-wing bat or little long-fingered bat is a species of vesper bat in the family Miniopteridae. It is found in Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Vanuatu.

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

The greater long-fingered bat is a species in the family Miniopteridae. It is found in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. It roosts in caves.

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

Major's long-fingered bat is a species of vesper bat in the family Miniopteridae. It is found only in Madagascar. It is similar to M. schreibersi of continental Africa, differing by having a shorter forearm, slightly longer digits and a narrow box-shaped skull. The pelage is often a greyish-brown colour, and the tragus is kidney-shaped and is a prominent feature. It is an insectivore and is viewed as a possible contributor to pest removal in Madagascar. The species was named in honour of Swiss zoologist C. I. Forsyth Major.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manavi long-fingered bat</span> A bat in the genus Miniopterus that occurs in east-central Madagascar

The Manavi long-fingered bat is a bat in the genus Miniopterus that occurs in east-central Madagascar. First described in 1906, this species was later included in the mainland African M. minor. A 1995 revision united populations of small Miniopterus from Madagascar and the Comoros as M. manavi, but molecular and morphological studies in 2008 and 2009 showed that this concept of M. manavi in fact included five different species. M. manavi itself was restricted to a few locations in the eastern Central Highlands and populations in the Comoros and northern and western Madagascar were allocated to different species.

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

The Natal long-fingered bat is a species of vesper bat in the family Miniopteridae. It can be found in Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, possibly Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. It is found in dry savanna, moist savanna, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, caves, and hot deserts.

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

The common bent-wing bat, also known as the Schreibers's long-fingered bat or Schreibers's bat, is a species of insectivorous bat. They appear to have dispersed from a subtropical origin and distributed throughout the southern Palearctic, Ethiopic, Oriental, and Australian regions. In Europe, it is present in the southern half on the continent from Iberia to the Caucasus, with the largest populations found in the warmer Mediterranean area. The common and scientific names honor Carl Franz Anton Ritter von Schreibers.

<i>Miniopterus</i> Genus of bats

Miniopterus, known as the bent-winged or long winged bats, is the sole genus of the family Miniopteridae. They are small flying insectivorous mammals, micro-bats of the order Chiroptera, with wings over twice the length of the body. The genus had been placed in its own subfamily among the vespertilionid bats, as Miniopterinae, but is now classified as its own family.

<i>Miniopterus aelleni</i> Bat in the family Miniopteridae from the Comoros and Madagascar

Miniopterus aelleni is a bat in the genus Miniopterus that occurs on Anjouan in the Comoros and in northern and western Madagascar.

<i>Miniopterus brachytragos</i> Species of mammal bat in the genus Miniopterus that occurs in northern and western Madagascar

Miniopterus brachytragos is a bat in the genus Miniopterus that occurs in northern and western Madagascar. Populations of this species have historically been included in Miniopterus manavi, but molecular data published in 2008 and 2009 indicate this supposed species in fact consists of five separate species, including the newly described M. brachytragos. Up to four species of this group may occur in the same place. M. brachytragos has been found in dry and wet forests from sea level to 320 m (1,050 ft) altitude.

<i>Miniopterus griveaudi</i> Bat in the family Miniopteridae from the Comoros and Madagascar

Miniopterus griveaudi is a bat in the genus Miniopterus found on Grande Comore and Anjouan in the Comoros and in northern and western Madagascar. First described in 1959 from Grande Comore as a subspecies of the mainland African M. minor, it was later placed with the Malagasy M. manavi. However, morphological and molecular studies published in 2008 and 2009 indicated that M. manavi as then defined contained five distinct, unrelated species, and M. griveaudi was redefined as a species occurring on both Madagascar and the Comoros.

<i>Miniopterus mahafaliensis</i> A bat in the genus Miniopterus that occurs in southwestern Madagascar

Miniopterus mahafaliensis is a bat in the genus Miniopterus that occurs in southwestern Madagascar. Populations of this species have historically been included in Miniopterus manavi, but molecular data published in 2008 and 2009 indicate that this supposed species in fact consists of five separate species, including the newly described M. mahafaliensis. The species has been found in dry, spiny, and gallery forest, as well as more open habitats, in southwestern Madagascar.

Miniopterus zapfei is a fossil bat in the genus Miniopterus from the middle Miocene of France. First described in 2002, it is known only from the site of La Grive M, where it occurs with another fossil Miniopterus species, the smaller and more common Miniopterus fossilis. M. zapfei is known from five mandibles and an isolated fourth upper premolar (P4). The fourth lower premolar is more slender than in M. fossilis and the cingulum shelf surrounding the P4 is less well-developed than in living Miniopterus. The length of the first lower molar is 1.57 to 1.60 mm.

Miniopterus tao is a fossil bat in the genus Miniopterus from the Pleistocene of Zhoukoudian in China. It is known from a number of mandibles, which were initially identified as the living species Miniopterus schreibersii in 1963 before being recognized as a separate species, M. tao, in 1986. Miniopterus tao is larger than living M. schreibersii and has more closely spaced lower premolars and more robust talonids on the lower molars. The back part of the mandible is relatively low and on it, the coronoid and condyloid processes are about equally high. The average length of the mandible is 12.0 mm.

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

Griffith's long-fingered bat is a bat in the genus Miniopterus which occurs in southern Madagascar. M. griffithsi was previously a part of the largest family of bats, the Vespertilionidae, which consist of five subfamilies. The bat family Miniopteridae is widely distributed, ranging from the majority of sub-Saharan Africa to north Africa and Eurasia, as well as southern and southeastern Asia and Australia. Typical features of these bats include elongated third fingers, long narrow wings giving them a pointed shape when in flight, and a bent shape when folded, adding to the common name of bent-wing bats. M. griffithsi is similar to its sister species Miniopterus gleni, which lives north of the Onilahy River, while M. giffithsi lives south of it. Researchers first discovered that M. griffithsi was separate from M. gleni based on phylogeographic studies of the latter.

Miniopterus newtoni is a species of bat that is endemic to São Tomé and Príncipe.

<i>Miniopterus sororculus</i> Species of bat

Miniopterus sororculus is a species of bat endemic to the highland forests of Madagascar.

Miniopterus maghrebensis, also known as the Maghrebian bent-wing bat, is a species of bat found in North Africa.

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

The Javanese long-fingered bat is a species of bat from the Miniopterus genus native to Indonesia. A common misconception was that Miniopterus blepotis belonged to the M. schreibersii subspecies. M. blepotis was recognized as a distinct species after the Schreibersii complex was divided. This is backed up by New Guinean mtDNA sequence data that is ascribed to M. blepotis. Whether it is a complex made up of multiple species is unknown.

References

  1. Dobson, 1878, pp. 350, 352; Hill, 1993, p. 401; Simmons, 2005, p. 521
  2. Wilson, Don E.; Mittermeier, Russell A. (2019-10-31). "Miniopteridae". Handbook of the Mammals of the World. doi:10.5281/ZENODO.5735202.
  3. Miniopteridae, pp. 674-709 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, pp. 704.