Whiskered bat

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Whiskered bat
Myotis mystacinus.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Vespertilionidae
Genus: Myotis
Species:
M. mystacinus
Binomial name
Myotis mystacinus
(Kuhl, 1817)
Mapa Myotis mystacinus.png

The whiskered bat (Myotis mystacinus) is a small European bat with long fur. Although uncommon, M. mystacinus is often found around human habitation and around water; it is similar to Brandt's bat (Myotis brandtii), from which it was distinguished as a separate species only in 1970.

Contents

Taxonomy

The taxonomy of the genus Myotis is "considered to be one of the most challenging topics in European bat systematic", and the species count within the genus and the "mystacinus" group has varied considerably over the years. [2] [3] The analysis of morphological, behavioural, and especially genetic characters have since identified further cryptic species of whiskered bats in the genus Myotis, including Myotis alcathoe (described in 2001 from Europe). Myotis aurascens and Myotis ikonnikovi are other similar species. [4] Myotis hajastanicus was also included in M. mystacinus until recently, but it was differentiated on the base of morphologic comparison. [1]

As of 2016, there were three subspecies: Myotis mystacinus mystacinus, found over most of its range, M. m. occidentalis, found in Iberia and Morocco, and M. m. caucasicus, found in the Caucasus. [1]

Description

They are small bats, with long fur that varies in color from dark brown to golden on the back and grayish on the front. [5]

The frequencies used by M. mystacinus for echolocation are 34–102 kHz, have most energy at 53 kHz, and have an average duration of 3.0 ms. [6] [7]

Range, habitat and ecology

The whiskered bat is a primarily European species, found over large parts of mainland Europe, the United Kingdom, and extending into the Urals. It has also been found in Morocco in northern Africa. It can be found over a wide variety of habitats, including forest, meadows, and semi-desert. It is often found living in urban areas. [1]

It is an insectivore. [1]

Conservation status

The whiskered bat is assessed as a species of least concern by the IUCN due to its wide distribution and lack of significant threats. It is among the most common bat species within its range in Europe. [1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Coroiu, I. (2016). "Myotis mystacinus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2016: e.T14134A22052250. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T14134A22052250.en . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. ↑ Budinski, Ivana; López-Baucells, Adrià (2023), Russo, Danilo (ed.), "Myotis mystacinus Species Complex (M. mystacinus, M. brandtii, M. alcathoe, M. davidii)" , Chiroptera, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 321–353, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-44029-9_53, ISBN   978-3-030-44029-9 , retrieved 2025-04-12
  3. ↑ Benda, Petr; Tsytsulina, Katerina A. (December 29, 2000). "Taxonomic revision of Myotis mystacinus group (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in the western Palearctic". Acta Societas Zoologicae Bohemicae. 64.
  4. ↑ "Myotis aurascens", Science for Nature Foundation
  5. ↑ "Myotis mystacinus (Leisler, 1819)". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2025-04-12.
  6. ↑ Parsons, S. and Jones, G. (2000) 'Acoustic identification of twelve species of echolocating bat by discriminant function analysis and artificial neural networks.' J Exp Biol., 203: 2641-2656.
  7. ↑ Obrist, M.K., Boesch, R. and Flückiger, P.F. (2004) 'Variability in echolocation call design of 26 Swiss bat species: Consequences, limits and options for automated field identification with a synergic pattern recognition approach.' Mammalia., 68 (4): 307-32.
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