444.

Gomantong Myotis

Myotis gomantongensis

French: Murin de Gomantong / German: Gomantong-Mausohr / Spanish: Ratonero de Gomantong

Other common names: Gomantong Bat

Taxonomy. Myotis gomantongensis Hill & Francis, 1998,

“Gomantong Caves, 5°31°N, 118°04’E,” Sabah, Borneo, Malaysia.

Subgenus Myotis; muricola species group. Previously treated within M. ater nugax. Genetic studies place this species as sister to M. annectans; these two may be most closely related to M. muricola, or to M. pilosus and M. chinensis, and perhaps M. montivagus . Relationship with M. ater and M. munricola 1s unclear; all three occur in Borneo, where respective species limits require further study. Monotypic.

Distribution. N & W Borneo; only known from three localities in Sabah (Gomantong Caves, Baturong Caves, and Sinoa) and recently found in Sarawak (Bukit Sarang, Bintulu division); may be more widespread.

Descriptive notes. Tail 36-45 mm, ear 12:6—15- 5 mm, hindfoot 8-9 mm, forearm 40- 43 mm; weight 6-4-8- 8 g. Differs from Peters’s Myotis ( M. ater) in longer forearm and skull; feet small. Dorsal fur has blackish bases and dark brown tips; underparts are dark brownish gray with black hair bases; there is a golden-brown patch in center of belly, as in its sister species, the Hairy-faced Myotis ( M. annectans). Ears are medium-sized, with anterior margin convex and a rounded tip; tragus is narrow, c.40% ear length, with slightly concave anterior margin and more strongly convex posterior margin, with a marked triangular lobe at its base. Wing membrane is attached at base of toe; calcar is long and narrow toward tip, with a narrow keel. Skull is long and not especially broad, with inflated braincase and shallow frontal depression; no conspicuous sagittal crest. Skull is much narrower and less massive than in the Bornean Whiskered Myotis ( M. browni). C' is short, roughly equal to or slightly shorter than posterior upper premolar; P? is small, equal to or smaller than I’, and displaced slightly inward; P* is greatly reduced, less than quarter the surface area of P* and displaced inward, so that P* and P* are in contact; C, is small, ¢.20% shorter than P, and ¢.40% smaller than that tooth in surface area; P, is not particularly small, about half the height of canine, and about one-and-a-half times the surface area of I,, completely in line in tooth row; P, is tiny, completely displaced inward so that P, and P, are in contact or nearly so; P, is about the same height as M,. Differs from Peters’s Myotis in greater reduction of middle premolars, and in the small canines which are similar in length to P*, and distinctly shorter than P,. Condylo-basal length 14-3-15- 3 mm; maxillary tooth row 5:6- 6-9 mm.

Habitat. No information.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Roosts in limestone caves, and lives in small colonies.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No relevant information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red Lis. No threats have been identified. Found in Gomantong Forest Reserve.

Bibliography. Abdullah et al. (2007), Francis & Hill (1998), Francis & Hutson (2008), Francis et al. (2010), Hill & Francis (1984), Koopman (1993, 1994), Kruskop & Borisenko (2013), Medway (1963, 1977), Payne et al. (1985), Phillipps & Phillipps (2016), Simmons (2005), Wang Xiaoyun et al. (2017), Wilson et al. (2006).