Long-fingered bat

Long-fingered bat
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Vespertilionidae
Genus: Myotis
Species: M. capaccinii
Binomial name
Myotis capaccinii
Bonaparte, 1837

The long-fingered bat (Myotis capaccinii) is a species of vesper bat. It is known from Morocco, Algeria, southern Europe and the Middle East as far east as western Iran.

Physical characteristics

The bat is medium-sized for a vesper bat, with large feet and more prominent nostrils than other European Myotis species. Hair is dark grey at the base, with light smoky grey dorsal-side hair and light grey ventral-side hair.

Ecology

M. capaccinii lives in limestone areas, preferably wooded or shrubby terrain near flowing water. Summer and winter roosts are always in caves. They hunt insects, usually aquatic insects, and fish.[1]

Reproduction

Little is known about this species reproductive cycle. Nursery roosts are in caves, with up to 500 females in clusters on the cave roof. Birth occurs in mid to late June, with only one young born.

References

  1. Aihartza, J. R.; Goiti, U.; Almenar, D.; Garin, I. (2003). "Evidences of Piscivory byMyotis capaccinii(Bonaparte, 1837) in Southern Iberian Peninsula". Acta Chiropterologica 5 (2): 193. doi:10.3161/001.005.0204.

Ostaizka Aizpurua, Joxerra Aihartza,Antton Alberdi, Hans J. Baagoe & Inazio Garin (2014). Fine-tuned ecoholocation and capture flight of Myotis capaccinii when facing different sized insects and fish prey. The Journal of Experimental Biology http://jeb.biologists.org/lookup/doi/10.1242/jeb.104992

Further reading


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