428.

Reddish-black Myotis

Myotis rufoniger

French: Murin rouge-et-noir / German: Shanghai-Mausohr / Spanish: Ratonero rojinegro

Other common names: Black-winged Myotis

Taxonomy. Vespertilio rufo-niger Tomes, 1858,

Shanghai, China.

Subgenus Chrysopteron. See M. formosus, from which it was split based on cranial, dental, and external morphology. One genetic study placed this species as sister to African M. welwtischii. Monotypic.

Distribution. Korea (including Jeju I), Japan (only Tsushima I), China (confirmed from Shanghai, Jiangxi, Fujian, and Sichuan), Taiwan, N Vietnam, and SE Laos.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 57- 4— 70 mm, tail 43-56 mm, ear 16-19 mm, hindfoot 11-13 mm, forearm 45-56 mm; weight 12-13 g. Fur is woolly and long; dark rusty orange dorsally and ventrally with smoky appearance throughout (hairs with slate-gray base, yellowish middle band, and dark brown tips). Ears are long, narrow, and slightly egg-shaped; tragusis sickle-sshaped and bent forward with relatively pointed tip. Wings are black, with orange broadly surrounding bones and near body. Uropatagium is completely orange, and ears are dark orange with black along edges. Nose tip, thumbs, and feet area are entirely black, and face is essentially orange (darker than in the Black-and-orange Myotis, M. formosus). Wings are attached to base of first toe and are furred along the body. Skull has slightly elevated frontal region; sagittal and lambdoidal crests are moderately strong. Dentition is moderately robust, including canines; basal area of P? is about two-thirds that of P* and usually in tooth row, rarely displaced lingually; P, is well developed and at least two-thirds the basal area of P,. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 44 and FNa = 50 (Korea and Taiwan).

Habitat. Known primarily from mountainous forest habitats in Korea and Taiwan.

Food and Feeding. The Reddish-black Myotis Appears to feed mostly on moths, along with few ants and spiders.

Breeding. The Reddish-black Myotis seems to breed in late October, but fertilization does not occur until ovulation, after the bats awaken from hibernation in spring; sperm is stored in female’s reproductive track during hibernation. Females give birth to 1-2 (usually one) young in late June and early July in Korea. Maternity colonies are known from Taiwan, but in Korea only mothers with suckling young roosting by themselves have been found. Sex ratio in Korea is very biased toward males at 1-8:1 to 40:1; reason unknown.

Activity patterns. The Reddish-black Myotis roosts in caves during autumn, and hibernates through winter in northern areas; can be found roosting in forested and shrubby areas, in foliage of broadleaved trees. Summer roosts are generally only c. 4-5 km from the hibernacula.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Reddish-black Myotis usually roosts alone or in small groups, although when hibernating or in maternity colonies, it can congregate in large numbers. Radio-telemetry shows that these bats generally forage only within a small area within ¢. 200 m of their roost.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List. The Reddish-black Myotis is widespread and relatively common throughout much ofits distribution, although it is considered an endangered species in Korea. In Hampyeong County, South Korea, 878 ha offorests have been designated as conservation areas for this species.

Bibliography. Bhak Young-June et al. (2017), Csorba, Chou Cheng-Han et al. (2014), Jiang Tinglei, Sun Keping et al. (2010), Jo Yeong-Seok et al. (2018), Kim Sun-Sook, Choi Yu-Seong, Kim Bong-Hyeon & Yoo Jeong-Chil (2009), Kim Sun-Sook, Choi Yu-Seong & Yoo Jeong-Chil (2013), Lin Liangkong, Motokawa & Harada (2002a), Ohdachi et al. (2009), Patterson et al. (2019), Ruedi et al. (2015), Shen Hueiping & Lee Lingling (2000), Son Sung-Won etal. (1987), Yoo & Yoon Myung-Hee (1992).