Savi's pipistrelle

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Savi's pipistrelle
Hypsugo-savi-VE-Trtar.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Vespertilionidae
Genus: Hypsugo
Species:
H. savii
Binomial name
Hypsugo savii
Bonaparte, 1837

Savi's pipistrelle (Hypsugo savii sometimes classified as Pipistrellus savii) is a species of vesper bat found across North West Africa, the Mediterranean region and the Middle East. It feeds at night on flying insects. In the summer it roosts under bark, in holes in trees, in old buildings and in rock crevices but in winter it prefers roosts where the temperature is more even such as caves, underground vaults and deep rock cracks.

Contents

Taxonomy

Philetor brachypterus

Hypsugo macrotis

Hypsugo cadornae

Hypsugo dolichodon

Hypsugo pulveratus

Hypsugo savii

Hypsugo alaschanicus

Relationship of H. savii with other members of its genus [2]

Based on mitochondrial DNA, specifically the regions that encode cytochrome c oxidase and cytochrome b, Savi's pipistrelle is most closely related to Hypsugo alaschanicus . [2]

Description

Savi's pipistrelle is a small species of bat with a head and body length of between 1.75 and 2 inches (44 and 51 mm) and a forearm (elbow to wrist) length between 1.25 and 1.5 inches (32 and 38 mm). It weighs between 0.26 and 0.35 ounces (7.4 and 9.9 g). It has broad, rounded ears each with a short tragus that is widest in the middle and narrows towards the rounded tip. The face, ears and wing membranes are black. The short fur on the upperside of the head and body is dark brown and that on the underside is pale, with the chin, throat and chest contrasting sharply with the animal's back. The tail is rounded and is rather longer than is the case in other closely related species. [3]

Distribution

Savi's pipistrelle is native to the Mediterranean region of southern Europe, North West Africa, the Middle East, central Asia, Mongolia and northern Japan. It also occurs in the Canary Islands, Switzerland and Austria and has been recorded from Slovakia. [4] It mainly occurs in mountainous regions where it is found at altitudes of up to 2,500 metres (8,200 ft). It favours bushy slopes with clumps of trees, scrubland, cliffs, gorges and ruins. [3] In the summer it hides by day under the bark of trees, in rock clefts, in hollow trees, in holes in walls, in buildings under rafters and roof tiles. In winter it seeks more protected places to roost such as near the entrances of caves, in underground vaults and in deep rock crevices, where it normally hides alone. [3]

Biology

Savi's pipistrelle feeds on flying insects which it catches on the wing using echolocation to locate its prey. It has been found that it synchronises the emittance of the ultrasonic sounds used for this purpose with its wing beats, in order to maximise detection distances. [5] It drinks by making repeated low flights over water, raising its wings and scooping up water with its tongue. [3] It may forage over pastureland, in villages and round streetlights. [1] Savi's pipistrelle breeds in the summer, and up to 70 female bats may roost together in "maternity" communities. [1]

Status

Savi's pipistrelle is listed as being of "Least Concern" in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This is because its population is believed to be stable and there are no particular threats that affect it. Many nations protect all their bats, and Savi's pipistrelle is also protected through the Bonn Convention (Eurobats) in the countries that have ratified that treaty. It is also protected in Europe by its inclusion in Annex IV of the EU Habitats and Species Directive. [1]

Related Research Articles

Vespertilionidae 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 as evening bats and once referred to as 'evening birds'.

Serotine bat 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 the Greek ἔπιεν and οίκος which means "house flyer".

Brown long-eared bat 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.

Pallid bat Species of bat

The pallid bat is a species of bat that ranges from western Canada to central Mexico. It is the sole species of its genus and is closely related to Van Gelder's bat, which is sometimes included in Antrozous. Although it has in the past been placed in its own subfamily (Antrozoinae) or even family (Antrozoidae), it is now considered part of the subfamily Vespertilioninae and the tribe Antrozoini.

Soprano pipistrelle Species of bat

The soprano pipistrelle is a small bat that in taxonomy was only formally separated from the common pipistrelle in 1999. It is possible that these two groups diverged from one another in the Mediterranean, and that is why Pipistrellus pygmaeus has the ability to thermoregulate at temperatures as high as 40 degrees Celsius.

Canyon bat 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.

Lesser bamboo bat Species of bat

The lesser bamboo bat or lesser flat-headed bat is one of the smallest species of vesper bat, and is native to Southeast Asia.

Cadornas pipistrelle Species of bat

Cadorna's pipistrelle is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in India, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Big-eared pipistrelle Species of bat

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.

Western small-footed bat Species of bat

The western small-footed bat, also known as the western small-footed myotis, is a species of vesper bat native to North America.

Long-eared myotis Species of bat

The long-eared myotis is a species of vesper bat in the suborder Microchiroptera. It can be found in western Canada, the western United States, and Baja California in Mexico.

Banana pipistrelle Species of bat

The banana pipistrelle is a species of vesper bat found throughout much of Africa. It was previously known as Pipistrellus nanus, but genetic analysis has since shown it to be more closely related to other species in the genus Neoromicia.

Golden-tipped bat Species of bat

The golden-tipped bat is a species of Microchiropteran in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in Papua New Guinea and in Australia, especially scattered along the eastern part of Australia. The species is considered uncommon, and is listed as endangered in Australia.

Naked-rumped pouched bat Species of bat

The naked-rumped pouched bat, also known as pouched tomb bat, is a species of sac-winged bat in the family Emballonuridae.

Schneiders leaf-nosed bat Species of bat

Schneider's leaf-nosed bat or Schneider's roundleaf bat is a species of bat in the family Hipposideridae. It is endemic to South Asia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, caves, and urban areas.

<i>Hypsugo</i> Genus of bats

The genus Hypsugo contains many bats referred to as pipistrelles or pipistrelle bats. They belong to the family Vespertilionidae or vesper bats.

There are eighteen indigenous species of bats in Canada, which are found in many parts of the country. They are insectivores, and are prey to falcons, hawks, owls, snakes, cats, and raccoons.

Long-toothed pipistrelle Species of bat

The long-toothed pipistrelle is a species of bat of the genus Hypsugo. It is a small bat, with a length of 35.2–38.4 mm of forearm, and 5.9–7 mm of foot. It feeds on insects and has especially long canines compared to others of its genus.

Hypsugo alaschanicus, the Alashanian pipistrelle, is a species of bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in China, South Korea, Mongolia, Japan, and Russia.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Hutson, A. M.; Spitzenberger, F.; Juste, J.; Aulagnier, S.; Palmeirim, J.; Paunovic, M.; Karatas, A. (2010). "Hypsugo savii". The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2010: e.T44856A10955205.
  2. 1 2 Lim, LEE-SIM; Csorba, Gábor; Wong, Cheng-MIN; Zubaid, Akbar; Rahman, Sultana Parvin Habeebur; Kumaran, Jayaraj Vijaya; Khan, Faisal ALI Anwarali; Huang, JOE Chun-Chia; Najimudin, Nazalan; Görföl, Tamás (2016). "The systematic position of Hypsugo macrotis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) and a new record from Peninsular Malaysia". Zootaxa. 4170 (1): 169–177. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4170.1.10. PMID   27701281.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Konig, Claus (1973). Mammals. Collins & Co. pp. 65–66. ISBN   0-00-212080-1.
  4. Lehotská, Blanka; Lehotský, Roman (2006). "First record of Hypsugo savii (Chiroptera) in Slovakia". Biologia. 61 (2): 192. doi: 10.2478/s11756-006-0042-8 .
  5. Holderied, M. W.; von Helversen, O. (2003). "Echolocation range and wingbeat period match in aerial-hawking bats". Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 270 (1530): 2293–2299. doi:10.1098/rspb.2003.2487. PMC   1691500 . PMID   14613617.