Welwitsch's bat
| Welwitsch's bat | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Vespertilionidae |
| Genus: | Myotis |
| Species: | M. welwitschii |
| Binomial name | |
| Myotis welwitschii (Gray, 1866) | |
 | |
Welwitsch's bat (Myotis welwitschii) is a species of vesper bat native to Africa.
Description
Welwitsch's bat is a relatively large member of its genus, measuring about 12 cm (4.7 in) in length, and weighing 12 to 17 g (0.42 to 0.60 oz). The body is chestnut brown, with off-white underparts, while the wing membranes are particularly distinctive, being reddish in colour with irregular dark brown to black spots. The face is pinkish, with a moderately long snout and large round, coppery-red ears.[2]
Distribution and habitat
Welwitsch's bat is found through much of eastern and southern Africa. In the east, it is patchily distributed from the Free State in South Africa to Ethiopia in the north, while further west it is also found in Zambia, the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and central Angola. It has also been reported from a single locality in Guinea.[1]
Within this large region, the bat has been reported form a range of different habitats, but appears most common in open woodland and savannah. Welwitsch's bats generally roost alone, in trees, low bushes, artificial structures, or deep caves.[2]
References
- 1 2 Jacobs, D., Cotterill, F.P.D. & Taylor, P.J. (2008). "Myotis welwitschii". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 17 May 2014.
- 1 2 Ratcliffe, J.M. (2002). "Myotis welwitschii". Mammalian Species: Number 701: pp. 1–3. doi:10.1644/1545-1410(2002)701<0001:MW>2.0.CO;2.