Sir David Attenborough's myotis

Last updated

Sir David Attenborough's myotis
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Vespertilionidae
Genus: Myotis
Species:
M. attenboroughi
Binomial name
Myotis attenboroughi
Moratelli et al., 2017

Sir David Attenborough's myotis (Myotis attenboroughi) is a species of small bat in the family Vespertilionidae that is endemic to the Caribbean island of Tobago. Its presence on nearby Trinidad is as yet uncertain. It is the only mammal species currently known to be endemic to Trinidad and Tobago. It was named after famed English naturalist Sir David Attenborough.

It was formerly assigned to Myotis nigricans until a 2017 study revealed that it was a distinct, previously unknown species. It is the sister species to a clade containing M. cf. handleyi, M. nesopolus , and 3 possibly undescribed species from South and Central America. It can be distinguished from all other Caribbean Myotis by its small skull and steeply sloping frontals.

It feeds on moths and other small flying nocturnal insects, and roosts in caves, tree hollows, and the attics of buildings. [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Attenborough</span> British broadcaster and naturalist (born 1926)

Sir David Frederick Attenborough is an English broadcaster, biologist, natural historian and author. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Natural History Unit, the nine natural history documentary series forming the Life collection, a comprehensive survey of animal and plant life on Earth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Biota of Trinidad and Tobago</span>

Trinidad and Tobago are continental islands with a geologically very recent history of direct land bridge connection to South America. As a result, unlike most of the Caribbean Islands, Trinidad and Tobago supports a primarily South American flora and fauna and has greater diversity of plant and animal species than the Antilles. However, rates of endemism are lower than in the rest of the Caribbean because there has been less time for genetic isolation from mainland populations because of the history of land bridge connections and hence fewer opportunities for speciation, and so a greater proportion of the species in Trinidad and Tobago are also found on the South American mainland. Trinidad is nearer to mainland South America and has been directly connected to the mainland via land bridges more often and for longer periods than Tobago. This, as well as Trinidad's larger size and more varied topography and hydrology compared to that of Tobago allow greater species and ecosystem diversity on the former compared to that on the later of the islands.

Mouse-eared bat Genus of bats

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 New Latin construction, from the Greek "muós and "oûs", literally translating to "mouse-eared".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinidad and Tobago</span> Country in the Caribbean

Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated 130 kilometres south of Grenada and 11 kilometres off the coast of northeastern Venezuela. It shares maritime boundaries with Barbados to the northeast, Grenada to the northwest and Venezuela to the south and west. Trinidad and Tobago is generally considered to be part of the West Indies.

Main Ridge is the main mountainous ridge on the island of Tobago, Trinidad and Tobago. It is a 29-kilometre (18 mi) chain of hills which runs from southwest to northeast between the Caribbean Sea and the Southern Tobago fault system and reaches a maximum height of 572 m (1,877 ft). The Main Ridge Forest Reserve, which was legally established in 1776, is one of the oldest protected areas in the world. It is a popular site for birdwatching and ecotourism. Main Ridge provides important habitat for native plants and animals, including several species endemic to Tobago.

Black myotis Species of bat

The black myotis is a vesper bat species from South and Central America.

Hodgsons bat Species of bat

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 Southern Caribbean is a group of islands that neighbor mainland South America in the West Indies. Saint Lucia lies to the north of the region, Barbados in the east, Trinidad and Tobago at its southernmost point, and Aruba at the most westerly section.

Flat-headed myotis Species of bat

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 Caribbean bioregion is a biogeographic region that includes the islands of the Caribbean Sea and nearby Atlantic islands, which share a fauna, flora and mycobiota distinct from surrounding bioregions.

Myotinae Subfamily of bats

Myotinae is a subfamily of vesper bats. It contains three genera: Eudiscopus, Myotis, and Submyotodon. Before the description of Submyotodon and analysis of its phylogenetics, as well as a phylogenetic analysis of Eudiscopus, the only member of Myotinae was Myotis.

The Barbados myotis is a species of bat found in the Lesser Antilles. It was previously considered a subspecies of Schwartz's myotis, Myotis martiniquensis, but was elevated to species rank in 2012.

<i>Myotis izecksohni</i> Species of bat

Myotis izecksohni is a species of mouse-eared bat that is endemic to Brazil and Argentina.

Myotis annatessae is a recently described species of bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is endemic to Vietnam and Laos.

Trinidad and Tobago moist forests

The Trinidad and Tobago moist forests ecoregion covers most of Trinidad Island and Tobago Island near the coast of South America where the southeastern Caribbean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean. Small portions of the islands around river estuaries and coastal lowlands are mangroves or dry forests. Species diversity is very high, in particular for plants and birds. Tobago, being much smaller, has fewer species.

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

The long-toed myotis or Taiwan long-toed myotis is a species of vesper bat endemic to Taiwan.

References

  1. Moratelli R, Wilson DE, Novaes RL, Helgen KM, Gutierrez EE (August 2017). "Caribbean Myotis (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae), with description of a new species from Trinidad and Tobago". Journal of Mammalogy. 98 (4): 994–1008. doi: 10.1093/jmammal/gyx062 .