238.

Japanese Long-eared Bat

Plecotus sacrimontis

French: Oreillard du Japon / German: Japan-Langohr / Spanish: Orejudo de Japon

Taxonomy. Plecotus sacrimontis G. M. Allen, 1908,

“Mt. Fuji [Honshu], Japan.”

Until recently considered a race of P. aurtus. Monotypic.

Distribution. S Kuril Is (Iturup, Kunashir, and Shikotan) and Japan (Hokkaido, including Rebun and Rishirito Is, Honshu, and Shikoku).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 4457- 5 mm, tail 43-54 mm, ear 36-42 mm, hindfoot 10-12: 6 mm, forearm 37.744- 1 mm; weight 7-4-9- 2 g. Furis soft, woolly, and dense, with two different colorations: dark brown or blackish on dorsum with pale washed brown-gray (yellow or gray) venter; or pale brown on dorsum and ivory on venter. Furis generally long on back, and shorter on venter; hairs are tricolored on back, with dark bases, medium gray bands, and paler tips; hairs on belly are bicolored, with dark basal part and lighttips. There is a conspicuous “mask” of darker fur on face, from nostrils to eyes, with nose and cheeks sparsely furred. Ears long, extending ¢. 20 mm beyond tip of muzzle when laid forward. Muzzle rather narrow; glandular swellings not conspicuous. Wings broad, with membranes thin and semi-transparent, joining foot at base of outertoe. Tibia c. 19 mm long; thumb and claws long. Baculum either Yshaped or Tshaped. Braincase smoothly rounded, large, and low; condylo-basal length c.15- 9 mm; zygomatic width ¢. 9 mm; bullae large; auditory bulla is relatively larger than in any other Japanese bat. Dental formula is 1 2/3, C 1/1, P 2/3, M 3/3 (x2) = 36. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 32 and FNa = 50.

Habitat. Various habitats at elevations of 700-1700 m. The species has been seen flying above a stream in mixed deciduous—coniferous forest, in Japan. In one study, it was notaffected by forest type and was recorded in all surveyed habitats equally, including riparian forest, non-riparian forest, old growth forest, and larch plantations. Unlike other batspecies, it might not positively select riparian habitats due to noise of water, which hinders its hunting capacity.

Food and Feeding. Fecal analysis revealed mainly nightflying moths ( Pyralidae, Geometridae, Drepanidae, Noctuidae), as well as neuropterans. This species may hunt using the samestrategy asits European congeners: emitting low-intensity echolocation calls while passively listening to prey-generated sounds. It is apparently specialized in detecting sound of fluttering moths.

Breeding. Forms breeding colonies. In central Japan, parturitions occurred synchronously from mid- to late June. Females were reproductively active at 1-2 years old.

Activity patterns. Uses tree holes, caves, and houses as roosting sites, although it is suspected mainly to forage in forests at night. Has been found roosting not only in trees but also in caves and buildings as day roostsites. Echolocation is characterized by FM-QCF pulsesat ¢.28-30 kHz with a second harmonic usually quite evident at ¢.50-60 kHz. Considered a “whispering” species due to the low intensity at which its calls are emitted.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. In central Japan, breeding colonies with 7-33 individuals have been found, composed mainly of mothers, immature females, and young of both sexes; a few adult males were also found. Most banded young males did not return to their natal colony, whereas return rates ofyoung females were 0-78-9%.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Fairly widespread, and versatile in terms of roost and habitat selection.

Bibliography. Abe et al. (2005), Ellerman & Morrison-Scott (1951), Funakoshi, Kawaiet al. (2015), Kawai et al. (2014), Harada (1973), Sato et al. (2015), Spitzenberger et al. (2006), Suzuki (2012), Yoshikura, Murata et al. (2009), Yoshikura, Yasui & Kamijo (2011), Yoshiyuki (1979b, 1989).