177.

Southern Big-eared Brown Bat

Histiotus magellanicus

French: Sérotine de Magellan / German: Sidliche Grofsohrfledermaus / Spanish: Histiotus de Magallanes

Taxonomy. Vespertilio magellanicus R. A. Philippi, 1866,

Magallanes, Chile.

Histiotus magellanicus was described as a species and later considered a subspecies of H. montanus . This classification is still discussed, but morphological evidence suggests that this is a distinct species.

Monotypic.

Distribution. S Chile and WC & S Argentina.

Descriptive notes. Head—body ¢.59-65 mm, tail 48-61 mm, ear 18-19 mm, forearm 45-5—-45-6 mm; weight 14-5-15 g. Dorsal hairs of the Southern Big-eared Brown Bat are bicolored, with blackish brown bases and paler tips; ventral hairs have blackish bases and yellowish to creamy tips, contrasting strongly with bases. Ears and membranes are dark brown. Ears are well separated, lacking connecting band between them; tragusis well developed and slender, reaching one-half the ear length. Skull is robust; sagittal and lambdoidal crests are practically absent; zygomatic arches have strongly developed postorbital process of jugal; palate is slightly concave centrally; caudal spine is well developed; and tympanic bullae are large and rounded.

Habitat. Subantarctic forests, Magellanic subpolar forests, and Mediterranean-climate forests at known elevations of 500-1200 m. The Southern Big-eared Brown Bat seems to depend on forests; it has been captured in mature mixed forests, temperate forests, and areas of native forest mixed with exotic trees.

Food and Feeding. Southern Big-eared Brown Bats are insectivorous. They have been captured while foraging over streams.

Breeding. A pregnant Southern Big-eared Brown Bat bearing one embryo was captured in December in Argentina.

Activity patterns. Southern Big-eared Brown Bats were captured under loose bark of dead trees and in buildings.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Some Southern Big-eared Brown Bats roosted alone.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Southern Big-eared Brown Bat is locally common, and it occurs far from human activities. Major threats include habitat destruction and transformation and overpopulation of introduced North American Beavers (Castor canadensis) in some parts ofits distribution.

Bibliography. Barquez, Carbajal et al. (2013), Barquez, Mares & Braun (1999), Giménez et al. (2012), Handley & Gardner (2008), Mann (1978), Mares et al. (1995), Ossa & Diaz (2014), Rodriguez-San Pedro et al. (2015), Simmons (2005).