425.

Geoftroy’s Myotis

Myotis emarginatus

French: Murin a oreilles échancrées / German: \Wimperfledermaus / Spanish: Ratonero pardo

Other common names: Geoffroy’s Bat

Taxonomy. Vespertilio emarginatus E. Geof: froy Saint-Hilaire, 1806,

“les souterrains des fortifications de Charlemont [= tunnels in the Fort of Charlemont],” Givet, Ardennes, northern France.

Subgenus Chrysopteron. See M. tricolor . Populations of Central Asia are sometimes separated as race turcomanicus . Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

M.e. emarginatus E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, 1806 — Europe and N Africa, including most larger Mediterranean Is, E to Caucasus and Middle East.

M.e. desertorum Dobson, 1875 — Asian part of range E of Caucasus.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 41-54 mm, tail 38-46 mm, ear 15-17 mm, hindfoot 9-11- 5 mm, forearm 36-1-44- 7 mm; weight 5-5-15- 5 g. Fur of Geoffroy’s Myotisis long and woolly. Dorsal pelage is grayish brown to bright rusty brown (hairs tricolored, being straw yellow with gray bases and tips matching dorsal color). Ventral pelage is slightly to much paler than dorsum, ranging from yellowish gray to pale rufous (hairs bicolored, dark gray or dark grayish brown on basal one-half). Juveniles are darker and grayer with less conspicuously tricolored dorsal hairs. Muzzle is hairy and reddish to medium brown. Ears are grayish brown and relatively long, outer margin with conspicuous notch at about two-thirds from base; tragusis lancet-shaped with bluntly pointed tip, beingjust over one-half the ear height. Membranes are uniformly grayish brown and wings attach to base of outer toe; hindfeet are relatively short and calcaris straight, extending about halfway to tail tip. Skull is moderately sized and fairly delicate; braincase is high and forehead region is strongly concave;sagittal crest is absent anteriorly and weak posteriorly. Upper incisors are subequal in crown area to each other; P? is reduced but within tooth row. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 44 and FNa = 50 (Spain) or FNa = 52 (former Czechoslovakia and Greece).

Habitat. Usually reported from hardwood forests, with clear preference for deciduous trees and shrublands. It favors complex, structurally rich habitats, and positively selects riparian forests and low-vegetation ecosystems. It prefers sloping ground rather than the open spaces used by other species. It is commonly found feeding in more humanized habitats such as cattle sheds, orchards, or parks. Ranges from sea level to 1800 m.

Food and Feeding. Geoffroy’s Myotis feeds mainly on flies and spiders, with smaller amounts of Coleoptera and Hymenoptera . The species captures most of its prey by gleaning off surfaces; it tends to fly very close to ground, scanning for potential prey. It typically forages in rich shrublands and grasslands; also around cowsheds or sheep pens, where flies are abundant around cattle or sheep droppings.

Breeding. Maternity colonies occur in a wide range of places such as caves, roofs of churches or houses, cattle sheds, and other buildings, usually less than 900 m above sea level. Maternity colonies tend to be densely clustered, mostly with adult females and young, and frequently mixed with other species. During maternity period, single individuals, mostly males, occupy rock holes and tree holes. Young are commonly born in early summer (earlyJune to mid-July), one per female, rarely twins. Lactating period lasts 25-35 days. Maternity colonies usually number 20-500 females and a few adult males. Females do not often mate during their first year, but a few do in their first autumn. Nursery roosts are frequently abandoned in August.

Activity patterns. Being a cave-dwelling species, Geoffroy’s Myotis always occurs in habitats close to underground sites. After maternity period, it mainly occupies caves and mines or other underground sites for swarming. Roosts are commonly in group; the species tends to emerge from roosts ¢.15-20 minutes after sunset, and will fly up to 12: 5 km from the roost each night to visit hunting grounds, which can be as large as 50-70 ha; it can fly at up to 55 km /h. Caves and mines used as winter roosts usually have temperature fairly constant and often up to 13°C, much higher than in other similar species. The species can hibernate for long periods, to mid-April or even later. In winter,it is normally free-hanging, especially males that tend to roost solitarily. However, small clusters have also been found hibernating together with other species. Echolocation is characterized by short, highly modulated pulses, reaching values of 140 kHz at start of call, and ending at 38 kHz (broad frequency range), rarely below 30 kHz. These calls are typical for all Myotis . Pulses are always very short (1-3 milliseconds).

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Longest known distance of migration is only 105 km, but few hibernation sites are known and longer distancesare to be expected. In some regions, the species disappears during winter and is not seen again until spring. During the swarming period,it forms groups mainly in caves and mines, generally dominated by males. Typically found roosting with other species such as Rhinolophus spp. and Schreibers’s Long-fingered Bat ( Miniopterus schreibersii).

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The [UCN Red List. In previous decades numbers declined, but the species has now clearly recovered and is even spreading to new regions. Cave-dwelling habits make the species vulnerable to disturbance, especially from leisure activities, and recently from fires and vandalism; itis also hunted for traditional medicine.

Bibliography. Aulagnier (2013k), Dekker et al. (2013), Fenton & Bogdanowicz (2002), Findley (1972), Flaquer et al. (2008), Garcia & Arbona (2009), Goiti et al. (2011), Hutterer et al. (2005), Kervyn et al. (2012), Krull et al. (1991), Piraccini (2016g), Schumm et al. (1991), Steck & Brinkmann (2006), Volleth & Heller (2012), Zahn et al. (2010).