429.

Scott's Myotis

Myotis scotti

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

Other common names: Scott's Hairy Bat, Scott's Mouse-eared Bat

Taxonomy. Myotis scotti Thomas, 1927,

“Djem-Djem Forest, about 40 miles [= 64 km] W. of Addis Ababa, Abyssinia [= Ethiopia]. Alt. 8000’ [= 2438 m].”

Subgenus Chrysopteron. See M.tricolor . One recent study placed M. scott as sister to M. bocagii, while another found it to be basal to a group including M. welwitscha, M. rufoniger, M. bocagii, M. goudotii, and M. anjouanensis . Monotypic.

Distribution. Highlands of Ethiopia.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 42-51 mm, tail 40-47 mm, ear 14-16- 4 mm, hindfoot 7-9 mm, forearm 37-41 mm; weight 4-5- 6 g. Greatest lengths of skulls are 13.7- 15 mm, condylo-canine 12-8-13- 8 mm, and maxillary tooth rows 5.2- 5-7 mm. Scott’s Myotis superficially resembles Bocage’s Myotis (M. bocagit) but is duller, and is distinguished by high-domed cranium and reduction of canines. Pelage is dense and slightly woolly, with silky sheen; dorsally shiny coppery-brown (hairs bicolored, dark brown with terminal third coppery-brown; mid-dorsal hairs ¢. 7 mm); ventrally beige to offwhite (hairs bicolored, dark brown with white tips). Face and naked skin of muzzle are dark brown, creating conspicuous dark “mask.” Ears are medium-sized, outer margin without notch; tragus is relatively short (c.35% of ear length). Wings are uniformly dark brown without markings, attached to base offirst toe. Tibia both dorsally and ventrally haired; hindfoot is relatively short, about half length oftibia; toes with long hairs. Posterior margin of dark brown interfemoral membrane has numerous bristlelike hairs between end of calcar and tip oftail; tail fully enclosed by interfemoral membrane or slightly projecting; calcar reaches half-way to tip of tail. The three other Myotis from sub-Saharan Africa with unpatterned wing membranes differ as follows: Bocage'’s Myotis has flatter braincase, tricolored dorsal pelage and longer C'; Temminck’s Myotis ( M. tricolor) is larger, and wings sometimes show faint black and dark reddish-brown pattern; Kock’s Myotis (M. dieteri) has no face mask, has dorsal hairs dark brown with auburn tips, and forehead region weakly concave. Skull has relatively high braincase compared to Bocage’s Myotis; lateral profile of forehead region strongly concave; no sagittal crests. C' is very short, ¢. 1-2 mm from cingulum to tip ( cf. bocagii); P° is about half height of P* orless, about two-thirds ofits crown area, and within tooth row.

Habitat. Afro-montane forest and shrubland at elevations of 1300-2500 m. Also recorded in acacia savanna by Lake Abaya.

Food and Feeding. Scott’s Myotis has been recorded foraging 1-3 m aboveground over low bushes near water. Based on morphology, it may feed mainly on small insects by slow-hawking.

Breeding. A pregnant female in southern Ethiopia had an almost full-grown embryo in April; three females near Beko River were pregnant in March.

Activity patterns. The six members of the type series were roosting in furled leaves of banana plants.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The type series roosted colonially.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Vulnerable on The IUCN Red List, because its area of occupancy may be less than 2000 km?, its range is likely to be severely fragment ed, and there is continuing decline in the extent and quality of its habitat. It appears to be rare and is known from only ¢.20 specimens from about ten localities on both sides of the Rift Valley. Its forest habitat is suffering through conversion for agriculture and logging. There appear to be no conservation measures in place. Scott’s Myotis has been recorded in Bale Mountains National Park. Sufficient areas of suitable montane forest habitat need to be preserved; further study needed.

Bibliography. ACR (2018), Allen (1939), Amador et al. (2018), Benda & Lavrenchenko (2017), Csorba, Chou Cheng-Han et al. (2014), Dorst & Prévost (1972), Findley (1972), Godawa-Stormark (1998), Happold (2005), Hayman & Hill (1971), Koopman (1994), Kruskop & Lavrenchenko (2008), Largen etal. (1974), Lavrenchenko & Bekele (2017), Lavrenchenko et al. (2004), Pavlinov & Lissovsky (2012), Ruedi et al. (2013), Simmons (2005), Stadelmann, Jacobs etal. (2004), Stadelmann, Lin Liangkong et al. (2007), Tate (1941d), Thomas (1927), Yalden (2013b), Yalden & Largen (1992).