98.

Alashanian Pipistrelle

Hypsugo alaschanicus

French: Vespére de |'Ala Shan / German: Alaschan-Zwergfledermaus / Spanish: Hypsugo de Ala Shan

Other common names: Korean Pipistrelle

Taxonomy. Eptesicus alaschanicus Bobrinski, 1926,

Hotin Gol Pass, Alashan Range, Mongolia.

Hypsugo alaschanicus is generally considered a subspecies of H. savii, but morphological and genetic data support its species status; nevertheless, they are closely related genetically, and further work is needed to clarify their relationship. Taxa coreensis and velox are both considered synonyms of H. alaschanicus here, although both may represent valid subspecies, based on limited morphological differences; the formeris occasionally treated as a distinct species. Monotypic.

Distribution. SE Mongolia, NE, E & C China (Gansu, Ningxia, Inner Mongolia [= Nei Mongol], Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Sichuan, Henan, Shandong, and Anhui), S Russian Far East, Korean Peninsula (includingJeju I), andJapan (S Hokkaido, N Honshu, and Tsushima Is).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 38-50-3 mm, tail 30-40 mm, ear 12-5-15 mm, hindfoot 7-6-9 mm, forearm 35-38 mm; weight 6-3-9-4 g. Fur of the Alashanian Pipistrelle is long; dorsal pelage varies from yellowish brown to dark brown or dark reddish brown (nearly black); ventral pelage is usually much lighter. Ears are broad, and posterior borderis slightly concave near tip while anterior border is markedly convex basally; antitragus is small; tragus is one-half the height of ear, and is very narrow (wider basally) with blunt tip and well-defined basal lobe. Bare portions of membranes, digits, face, and ears are dark brown; wing membranes have distinct pale border. Tail extends 1-2 vertebrae past margin of uropatagium, and calcar is keeled and extends halfway to tail on margin of uropatagium. Skull is slightly convex above interorbital region. Upperincisors are about equal in length; P* is absent or minute; and lower molars are myotodont. Dental formula is sometimes as in congeners, but sometimes 12/3, C 1 £1, P1/2,M 3/3 (x2) = 32. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 44 and FNa = 50 (Korea and Russia).

Habitat. A variety of habitats, from mountains in deserts of Mongolia and northern China to temperate forests of Korea and Japan.

Food and Feeding. The Alashanian Pipistrelle feeds on small flying insects.

Breeding. Births occur from late June to early July in Korea. Litter size is usually two, rarely one.

Activity patterns. Alashanian Pipistrelles commonly roost by day in the eaves of houses and under bridges, rarely in caves; they forage throughout the night. They leave their roosts just before dark. These bats hibernate through winter, from November to March,for ¢.120 days. Their body temperature while hibernating is relatively low, at an average of 39°C. Search-call shapeis a steep FM/QCF sweep, and feeding call is similar but appears steeper. On Hokkaido, average peak frequencies were 33-9-36-4 kHz, start frequencies 41-62 kHz, end frequencies 32-34-4 kHz, durations 7-3-12-6 milliseconds, and interpulse intervals 69-169-1 milliseconds.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Alashanian Pipistrelles have been reported roosting in colonies, and are commonly seen roosting with Japanese Pipistrelles ( Pipistrellus abramus) under bridges.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List (as Pipustrellus alaschanicus). The Alashanian Pipistrelle is widespread and relatively common throughout much ofits distribution, although in Japan it is known only from a few specimens, and is rare in Korea.

Bibliography. Abe et al. (2005), Fukui, Mochida et al. (2013), Horaéek et al. (2000), Jo Yeong-Seok, Baccus & Koprowski (2018), Jo Yeong-Seok, Kim Tae-Wooket al. (2012), Kondo et al. (2011), Korablev et al. (1989), Lim, L.S. et al. (2016), Mallon (1985), Ohdachi et al. (2009), Park Si-Ryong & Won Pyong-Oh (1978), Smith & Johnston (2008b), Smith & XieYan (2008), Yoo & Yoon Myung-Hee (1992), Yoshiyuki (1989).