Southern big-eared brown bat

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Southern big-eared brown bat
Histiotus magellanicus 565915.jpg
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Vespertilionidae
Genus: Histiotus
Species:
H. magellanicus
Binomial name
Histiotus magellanicus
Philippi, 1866
Histiotus magellanicus map.svg
Synonyms [2]

H. capucinus(Philippi, 1866)
H. montanus magellanicus(Philippi, 1866)

Contents

The southern big-eared brown bat (Histiotus magellanicus) is a species of bat from the family Vespertilionidae. Although current taxonomy treats the southern big-eared brown bat as a separate species, it is often treated as a subspecies of the small big-eared brown bat. [2] It lives in the forests of southern Argentina and Chile; though the population of the bat in the southern part of its habitat is low, there are no major concerns to justify anything lower than a Least Concern rating in the IUCN Red List. [1]

Description

This is a small bat, with a total length of 10 to 12 centimetres (3.9 to 4.7 in) and a wingspan of about 31 centimetres (12 in). Adults weigh from 10 to 18 grams (0.35 to 0.63 oz). The fur is soft and dark brown in colour across the whole of the body, allowing it to be distinguished from other members of the same genus which much paler, often whitish, underparts. The ears are large and moderately elongated with a well-developed tragus and are separated on the head, rather than being connected by a band of skin as in some closely related species. The skin of the ears and wing membranes is very dark brown. [3]

Distribution and habitat

This is one of the most southerly bat species in the world, and is endemic to Chile and western and southern Argentina. In the north, it reaches as far as the southern part of the Maule Region in Chile, from which it is found southwards across Chile and neighbouring parts of Argentina as far as the Magellan Straits. South of the mainland, it is found across the whole of Tierra del Fuego, almost as far as Cape Horn. [3] It is found primarily in forests, especially those dominated by southern beech trees, [1] but has also been recorded from Matorral shrubland and Andean steppe country. [4]

Biology and behaviour

Bats in the genus Histiotus have the largest hearts, relative to body size, of any studied mammal. At 2.18% of total body mass, their hearts are about 63% larger than would be expected. [5] The echolocation calls of the southern big-eared brown bat are medium broadband signals, lasting about 10 ms and sweeping down from 40 to 30 kHz. Breeding takes place in the summer, with lactating females having been recorded in November and December. [3]

Very little is known of the species' behaviour, but the bats are known to occasionally use natural cavities in standing dead trees or large living trees as roosting sites. [6] This reliance on trees may mean that the recent introduction of beavers to Tierra del Fuego could post a future risk to the species. [1]

Head of H. magellanicus as illustrated in a monthly report of the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences Histious magellanicus.jpg
Head of H. magellanicus as illustrated in a monthly report of the Royal Prussian Academy of Sciences

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vespertilionidae</span> 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 "evening bats" and were once referred to as "evening birds".

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

The Argentine brown bat, is a bat species from South and Central America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Strange big-eared brown bat</span> Species of bat

The strange big-eared brown bat, is a bat species found in Brazil.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tropical big-eared brown bat</span> Species of bat

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

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

The silver-tipped myotis is a species of mouse-eared bat found in a range of lowland habitats in the Americas.

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

The velvety myotis, is a species of vesper bat from South America.

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

The broad-eared bat or broad-tailed bat is a species of free-tailed bat from the Americas.

<i>Eptesicus</i> Genus of bats

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big-eared brown bat</span> Species of bat

The big-eared brown bat is a species of vesper bat found in Argentina, Paraguay, and Chile.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small big-eared brown bat</span> Species of bat

The small big-eared brown bat is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It can be found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.

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

The Chilean myotis is a species of vesper bat found in southern South America.

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

The hairy-legged myotis is a species of mouse-eared bat. It is found from southern Tamaulipas in Mexico, through much of Central America and across northern South America as far east as Trinidad. Further south, it is found along the foothills of the Andes as far south as northern Argentina.

<i>Histiotus</i> Genus of bats

Histiotus is a genus of South American vesper bats with species that include:

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

The cinnamon red bat is a species of bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It was first described from a specimen that had been collected in Chile. For more than one hundred years after its initial description, it was largely considered a synonym of the eastern red bat. From the 1980s onward, it was frequently recognized as distinct from the eastern red bat due to its fur coloration and differences in range. It has deep red fur, lacking white "frosting" on the tips of individual hairs seen in other members of Lasiurus. It has a forearm length of 39–42 mm (1.5–1.7 in) and a weight of 9.5–11.0 g (0.34–0.39 oz).

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

Thomas's big-eared brown bat is a species of vesper bat found in South America.

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

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

The Moche big-eared brown bat is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is endemic to coastal Peru. It is notable for its likely depiction in Moche ceramics over a millennium prior to its discovery to Western science in 2012 and scientific description in 2021.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Barquez, R.; Diaz, M. (2016). "Histiotus magellanicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T136292A22017718. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T136292A22017718.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Simmons, N.B. (2005). "Order Chiroptera". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 488. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  3. 1 2 3 Díaz, M.M.; Ossa, G.; Barquez, R.M. (July 2019). "Histiotus magellanicus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)". Mammalian Species. 51 (973): 18–25. doi: 10.1093/mspecies/sez003 .
  4. Sierra-Cisternas, C.; Rodríguez-Serrano, E. (June 2015). "Los quirópteros de Chile: avances en el conocimiento, aportes para la conservación y proyecciones futuras". Gayana (Concepción). 79 (1): 57–67. doi: 10.4067/S0717-65382015000100007 .
  5. Canals, M.; Atala, C.; et al. (June 2005). "Relative size of hearts and lungs of small bats". Acta Chiropterologica. 7 (1): 65–72. doi:10.3161/1733-5329(2005)7[65:RSOHAL]2.0.CO;2. S2CID   85897076.
  6. Altamirano, Tomás A.; Ibarra, José Tomás; Novoa, Fernando; Vermehren, Alejandra; Martin, Kathy; Bonacic, Cristián (2017). "Antecedentes históricos sobre el Complejo Forestal y Maderero Panguipulli, provincia de Valdivia, Centro-sur de Chile" [Historical background of the Panguipulli Forestry and Timber Complex, Valdivia province, South-central Chile]. Bosque . 37 (3). Retrieved January 23, 2018.