228.

Christie’s Long-eared Bat

Plecotus christii

French: Oreillard d'Egypte / German: Christie-Langohr / Spanish: Orejudo de Egipto

Other common names: Christie's Big-eared Bat, Egyptian Long-eared Bat, Gray Long-eared Bat

Taxonomy. Plecotus christii|. E. Gray, 1838,

Nile Valley, Egypt.

Two subspecies are recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

P.c.christiiJ.E.Gray,1838—EgyptandNSudan.

P. c. petraeus Benda, 2008 — S Israel, SWJordan, and NE Egypt (Sinai).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 42-54 mm, tail 42-48 mm, ear 32-39 mm, hindfoot 8-9 mm, forearm 36-4—41- 3 mm; weight 6-8 g. Race petraeus has larger body and skull than nominate. Dorsal fur very pale umber brown or greyish brown (hairs 8:5-9- 3 mm long; tricolored, with basal onehalf rusty brown, terminal one-half pale brownish grey with umber brown or pale brown at tip); ventral pelage whitish (hairs 8:5-9- 3 mm long; dark rusty brown with creamy or white tip). Face pale and almost naked; forehead covered with short white hairs; muzzle long and narrow. Long ears are translucent, unpigmented except for pale brown tips; typically have numerous horizontal furrows, and inner margins joined by low band at base; tragus mostly translucent but brownish around distal margins, moderately long (one-half ear height), and tapering to blunt point. Wings are thin, semi-translucent, pale gray, and apparently unpigmented. Compared to other long-eared bat species, thumb is rather short (5:5- 5-6 mm). The speciesis morphologically different from other sympatric Plecotus in pale color, small, narrow baculum, and medium-large tympanic bullae (4:3—4- 6 mm). Skull smaller than in other congeners (condylo-basal length 14:9-15- 6 mm), with broad braincase. Mandible proportionally short and muzzle blunt. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 32 and FNa = 50.

Habitat. Occurs in various habitats of subtropical desert and semi-desert belt of Sahara. Reported foraging in mesic habitats close to rivers such as the Nile, in oases close to seashore, in open areas around water, and inland in mountains; also beach resort buildings, monasteries, gardens, other buildings, and natural pools.

Food and Feeding. Feeds mainly on Lepidoptera (100% moths, in feces from Israel), although grasshoppers and beetles have also been reported. In Dead Sea area, this species consumed Lepidoptera, but also Trichoptera, Coleoptera, and Diptera .

Breeding. In the Negev Desert, southern Israel, a female was in early stages of pregnancy in early March. In Dead Sea area, 50% of females captured in mid-April were lactating, with one still lactating in mid-June. Nursery colonies can harbor up to 40 individuals in rock crevices, tunnels, and caves.

Activity patterns. Roosts in caves and underground sites. Echolocation only recently described, but is almost identical to that of the Gray Long-eared Bat ( P. austriacus). Christie’s Long-eared Bat uses broadband, low-intensity FM-QCEFpulses at 20-30 kHz, with second harmonic at 45-60 kHz, which is usually fairly intense. Frequencies of maximum energy are 31-4-35-6 kHz, start frequencies 42-5-48-7 kHz, end frequencies 20-8-25-7 kHz, and durations 1:3-1-7 milliseconds. It is considered a “whispering” species due to general weak intensity of pulses.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Usually forms colonies, but has also been reported roosting solitarily.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Locally abundant within its very small range. No population estimates exist, but its natural habitat is reduced and heavily fragmented; probably affected by anthropic disturbance, especially at roosts.

Bibliography. Aloufi et al. (2016), Aulagnier & Benda (2008), Benda, Dietz, von Helversen & Nill (2008), Benda, Kiefer et al. (2004), Dietz (2005), Dietz & Kiefer (2016), Dietz et al. (2009), Flower (1932), Gray (1838), Hackett et al. (2013), Juste et al. (2004), Korine et al. (2015), Kruskop & Lavrenchenko (2000), Monadjem, Joubert et al. (2016), Munoz-Garcia et al. (2016), Qumsiyeh & Bickham (1993), Razgour et al. (2010), Spitzenberger et al. (2006), Tristram (1884).