430.

Morris's Myotis

Myotis morrisi

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

Other common names: Morris's Bat, Morris's Hairy Bat

Taxonomy. Myotis morrist Hill in Hill & Morris, 1971,

“ ‘Forward Base Three’, mouth of Didessa River, Blue Nile Gorge [Walga, Ethiopia]. 10° 05' N, 35° 38' E, alt. ¢. 1,000 m.”

Subgenus Chrysopteron. This species has not yet been included in a phylogenetic study. Monotypic.

Distribution. Known only from two distant sites: type locality in W Ethiopia; and NE Nigeria (Numan, Adamawa State). May be widespread across Sudan Savanna Biome.

Descriptive notes. Head-body c. 48 mm, tail 45 mm, ear 16-17 mm, hindfoot 9- 5— 10 mm, forearm 45-2-45- 7 mm; weight 8 g (all measurements from a single individual). Greatest length of skull 16:3-17- 5 mm, and maxillary tooth row 6:6- 6-8 mm. Pelage is dense and fairly woolly; dorsally bright orange-brown (hairs tricolored, creamy white, with basal quarter dark brown and tip orange-brown; dorsal hair length c. 7 mm); ventrally dull creamy white to orange-beige, chin and flanks slightly darker (hairs unicolored, vs. bicolored or tricolored in all other African Myotis). Muzzle is pink. Medium-sized ears are pinkish basally, shading to brown at tips; tragus is pink, bluntly pointed, and half ear-length,tip slightly directed backward. Wing membranes are dark brown, slightly pigmented yellow along leading edge and along a narrow band posterior to forearm, as well as between body and a line roughly joining elbow and ankle; wings are naked except for band on dorsal surface adjacent to body; wing membranes are attached to base of first toe; calcar extends half-way to tip of tail; no postcalcarial lobe; interfemoral membrane is yellow, with dorsal pelage extending over its distal half but no fringe or bristle-like hairs on posterior edge; terminal vertebra may or may not protrude beyond membrane. Two other African Myotis have dichromatic or contrasting wing pattern: in some populations of Temminck’s Myotis (M. trcolor), black and dark reddish-brown wing pattern might be present and ventral hairs bicolored; Welwitsch’s Myotis (M. welwitschii) is larger (forearm length 52-60 mm), with very conspicuous black-and-orange wing pattern and bicolored venter. Hindfoot is relatively short and tibiae hairy. Skull is elongated with uninflated, globular braincase and supraorbital region; palate long and narrow, anterior emargination rounded posteriorly, extending almost to a line joining the centers of the canines; no sagittal crests. Upper incisors bicuspid, I? is longer than wide, I* wider than long; P* of same height as I’, in contact with canine; P° reduced (reaching only slightly above cingulum of P? and slightly less than half crown area of P*) and slightly or fully displaced from tooth row, but P? and P* are not in contact; I, and I, with four cusps; lower premolars not particularly compressed; P, in contact with both others and slightly higher than P,. Anterior palatal emargination very narrow.

Habitat. Morris's Myotis occupies dry scrub in lowlands. The holotype was found hunting over the Blue Nile in an area of riverine scrub and maize fields. The Nigerian specimen was found in a region of short grass and Acacia (Fabaceae) bush, with some silk-cotton trees.

Food and Feeding. Morris's Myotis forages at moderate height (1-3 m).

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Morris’s Myotis is known only from two specimens from widely separated sites.

Bibliography. ACR (2018), Csorba, Chou Cheng-Han (2014), Hill & Morris (1971), Hill et al. (1988), Jacobs et al. (2008h), Koopman (1994), Largen et al. (1974), Simmons (2005), Yalden (2013a), Yalden & Largen (1992).