454.

Malaysian Whiskered Myotis

Myotis federatus

French: Murin de Malaisie / German: Malaysia-Bartfledermaus / Spanish: Ratonero bigotudo de Malasia

Other common names: Malayan Whiskered Myotis

Taxonomy. Myotis peyton federatus Thomas, 1916,

“Semangko Pass, Selangor-Pahang boundary [Malaysia]. 2,700 ft. [= 823 m].”

Subgenus Myotis; montivagus species group. Myotis federatus has been considered a subspecies, a distinct species, and synonymized with M. montivagus, however, based on morphological and morphometric differences, M. federatus was separated from M. montivagus in 2013. Although M. federatus has not been included in any published phylogenetic study, two samples from Selangor, Malaysia, were sequenced with 5% divergence, suggesting existence of cryptic species. Uncertainty about relationships of M. federatus to other taxa of the montivagus species group (e.g. indochinensis, borneoensis, and montivagus) needs to be clarified with morphological and genetic comparison acrossits distribution. Species formerly grouped under the name M. montivagus might form a natural grouping ofrelated species. Monotypic.

Distribution. Peninsular Malaysia, known from Belum-Temenggor Forest Reserve, Semangko Pass, Ulu Gombak, and Genting Highlands on border of Selangor-Pahang, and Batu Caves, near Kuala Lumpur.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 53 mm, tail 35 mm, ear 15 mm, forearm 39- 5 mm (type specimen). Forearm length 40- 3-46 mm and weight 8:3-12: 8 g (Ulu Gombak and Genting Highlands, Peninsular Malaysia; wide ranges might suggest cryptic diversity). The Malaysian Whiskered Myotisis similar to Peyton's Myotis ( M. peytoni) but distinguished byits smaller forearm, metacarpals, and hindlegs. Furis uniform dark brown (almost blackish brown), usually without palertips. Ears are moderately large and narrow. Tragus bends forward and reaches one-half the ear length. Metacarpus is much shorter than in Peyton’s Myotis, but first phalanx and third finger are about the same length. Skull of the Malaysian Whiskered Myotis has slightly domed braincase. Sagittal and lambdoid crests are poorly developed; anteorbital bridgeis wide. Basal dimension of P*is one-quarter that of P*. P* is small and completely displaced from tooth row so that P? and P* are in contact. P,is small, intruded from tooth row, and notvisible laterally; P, and P, are not in contact. Condylo-canine lengths are 15-1-15- 3 mm, maxillary tooth row lengths are 6-4-7- 2 mm, and condylo-basal lengths are 15-4—16- 9 mm. Two different chromosomal complements were described from Malaysia: a female with 2n =44 and FN = 52 (as M. montivagus A) from Ulu Gombak (c. 260 m) and a male with 2n = 44 and FN = 50 (as M. montivagus B) from Genting Highlands (c. 900 m).

Habitat. Primary and secondary forests at an elevation of 260 m in Ulu Gombak and 900 m in Genting Highlands.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The Malaysian Whiskered Myotis is nocturnal. One specimen was caught at the Batu Caves, near Kuala Lumpur.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. The Malaysian Whiskered Myotis is known only from a few specimens, and little is known about its distribution, abundance, ecology, or conservation threats. It occurs in Belum-Temenggor Forest Reserve.

Bibliography. Corbet & Hill (1992), Findley (1972), Francis (1995b), Gérfol & Csorba (2017b), Gorfol et al. (2013), Heller & Volleth (1989), Hill (1962), Koopman (1994), Kruskop (2013a), Kruskop & Borisenko (2013), Medway (1983), Nguyen Truong Son et al. (2013), Ruedi & Mayer (2001), Ruedi et al. (2013), Simmons (2005), Tate (1941d), Volleth (1989), Volleth & Heller (2012), Wang Xiaoyun et al. (2017).