| Southwestern myotis | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Vespertilionidae |
| Genus: | Myotis |
| Species: | M. auriculus |
| Binomial name | |
| Myotis auriculus Baker & Stains, 1955 | |
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The southwestern myotis (Myotis auriculus) is a species of vesper bat. It is found in Guatemala, Mexico, and the United States (Arizona and New Mexico). [1]
The southwestern myotis is a member of the order Chiroptera and the family Vespertilionidae. Discovered in 1955 by Baker and Stains, it was originally believed to be a member of the species Myotis evotis. Both bats live in the same region and occupy similar niches. Later that same year Hoffmeister and Krutzsch identified the mysterious bat as M. evotis Apache, a new subspecies. M. e. Apache was changed to M. e. auriculus in 1959 by Hall and Kelson. In 1960 it was determined that the southwestern myotis was, in fact, not a member of M. evotis but a member of M. keenii. This determination was made by a scientist named Findley. It wasn't until 1969 that M. auriculus was recognized as an independent species by scientists Genoways and Jones. [2] M. auriculus and M. evotis exhibit different jaw shapes. Particularly in regions where both bats are present. M. auriculus has a larger and weaker jaw than M. evotis. M. auriculus also has a much larger skull than M. evotis. [3]
The southwestern myotis is generally larger than similar bat species living within its range. It has soft brown pelage with a large skull and large ears. Its ears are brown and used for echolocation. Found in Guatemala, Mexico, and the southern United States, it is a nocturnal insectivore. There is no sexual dimorphism amongst these bats. The species migrates phenologically as opposed to hibernating. [4]
Several physical features of the southwestern myotis differentiate it from other members of the genus Myotis. This bat has larger forearms, ears, and a larger skull than other members of Myotis, such as M. septentrionalis and M. keenii. This is in part due to the fact that the southwestern myotis is an overall larger bat. The southwestern myotis can be identified based on its size. This bat generally has forearms that exceed 37mm, ears larger than 19mm, and a skull that is longer than 15.7mm. Various fur patterns also make this bat distinctive. The southwestern myotis has no microscopic hairs on its wings or its uropatagium. Its large brown ears are also distinctive. Similar members of the genus Myotis have black ears. [4]
Moths make up a huge part of the southwestern myotis diet. While they can eat other things, for the most part they subsist on moths. Despite the lack of sexual dimorphism in the species, the male bats eat many more moths than the females. Both sexes prefer to feed around one to two hours after sunset. The southwestern myotis is not particularly picky about where it hunts. They hunt both outside of and inside of cities. [4]
The southwestern myotis usually has their offspring in June and they only have one offspring per year. Bats that are further south will have their young later. It is believed that births are timed with environmental factors. The minimum life span of the Southwestern myotis is 3 years and 2 moths. [4]
Due to the fact that the southwestern myotis migrates, it lives in many different habitats. The preferred habitat of this bat, however, is in ponderosa pine forests. [5] The Southwestern myotis migrates from Guatemala in the south to Arizona and New Mexico in the north. Not every member of this species migrates all the way to Guatemala or the United States. This migration may be based on factors aside from temperature, however, the southwestern myotis is more active when feeding if it is 11°C - 19°C during its feeding period. [4] The southwestern myosit has been found as far north as Flagstaff Arizona and Santa Fe New Mexico. [5]
In several locations, the southwestern myotis is sympatric with M. evotis. These two bats exhibit altered behavior, likely caused by competition, in these areas. For example, in the San Mateo mountains of New Mexico M. auralius is more likely to be found at lower elevations and M. evotis at higher elevations despite the fact that both species are capable of living in both low and high elevations. [6]
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".
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 Neo-Latin construction, from the Greek "muós and "oûs", literally translating to "mouse-eared".
The Argentine brown bat, is a bat species from South and Central America.
The greater mouse-eared bat is a European species of bat in the family Vespertilionidae.
The desert long-eared bat is a species of vesper bat found in North Africa and the Middle East.
The Mexican big-eared bat is a species of vesper bat endemic to Mexico. They are nocturnal and insectivorous. Their very large ears are located across their foreheads, and when captured, the bats are observed to curl their ears in a protective manner. The adults are usually brown colored, while the juveniles are usually a smokey brown color. They have small noses.
Allen's big-eared bat is a species of vesper bat in the monotypic genus Idionycteris. It occurs in Mexico and in Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado in the United States.
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.
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.
The fringed myotis is a species of vesper bat that is found in British Columbia, Mexico, and the western United States.
The cave myotis is a species of vesper bat (Vespertilionidae) in the genus Myotis.
The long-legged myotis is a species of vesper bat that can be found in western Canada, Mexico, and the western United States.
The Yanbaru whiskered bat(Myotis yanbarensis) is a species of vesper bat in the genus Myotis.
The Mexican long-tongued bat is a species of bat in the family Phyllostomidae. It is the only species within the genus Choeronycteris. The species is found in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and the United States.
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 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.
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.
The elegant myotis is a species of vesper bat found in Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.
A maternity colony refers to a temporary association of reproductive female bats for giving birth to, nursing, and weaning their pups. The colonies are initiated by pregnant bats. After giving birth, the colony consists of the lactating females and their offspring. After weaning, juveniles will leave the maternity colony, and the colony itself will break apart. The size of a maternity colony is highly variable by species, with some species forming colonies consisting of ten or fewer individuals, while the largest maternity colony in the world in Bracken Cave is estimated to have over 15 million bats.
