459.

Chinese Water Myotis

Myotis laniger

French: Murin laineux / German: China-Wasserfledermaus / Spanish: Ratonero chino lanudo

Other common names: Chinese Water Bat, Chinese Myotis, Indochinese Myotis

Taxonomy. Vespertilio laniger Peters in Swinhoe, 1871,

Amoy, Fujian, China.

Subgenus Myotis; siligorensis species group (7 species). Myotis laniger was formerly included under M. daubentonii but is generally recognized as a distinct species now based on substantial morphological and molecular data. It likely represents a species complex, and comparison of specimens from throughout the distribution is needed. Monotypic.

Distribution. S & E China (Hunan, Fujian, and Hainan), Taiwan, NE India (Meghalaya), NE & C Laos, and N Vietnam.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 36- 3-44 mm, tail 30- 3-40 mm, ear 11- 8-17 mm, hindfoot 7-2-11- 7 mm, forearm 31-37- 1 mm; weight 3- 3-4 g. The Chinese Water Myotis has dense, woolly fur and distinctly hairy face. Dorsal pelage is grayish brown; venteris creamy whitish, with hair extending onto ventral membranes and limbs up to knees and elbows; there is a distinct color morph that is rufescent dorsally and ventrally. Bare parts of skin around eyesare a lighter fleshy color. Ears are long, narrow, and relatively pointed, with inconspicuous notch along posterior edges; tragus is relatively straight and narrow and is ¢.50% of ear length. Wing membrane attaches close to ankle but is prolonged by narrow strip of membrane to base of metatarsus. Uropatagium stretches from ankle to nearly tip of tail (except last vertebrae, which is free). Calcar is long at three-quarters the distance from ankle to tail tip and lacks lobe or keel. Feet are relatively large and hairy. Penis is club-shaped. Skull profile typically rises sharply after postorbital constriction, while being nearly horizontal above, and is rounded in occipital region; surface of braincase is smooth and lacks sagittal crest; teeth are typically weak; C' barely reach size of P4, C. are even smaller than C!; P? is smaller than P? and in tooth row; inferior teeth are weak; and lower molars are myotodont. Chromosomal complement has on = 48 and FNa = 54 (China).

Habitat. Forested regions near water. Chinese Water Myotis were captured in agricultural areas with small ponds in Cuc Phuong, Vietnam, and disturbed pristine forest in Hoang Lien, Vietnam, at an elevation of ¢. 1850 m.

Food and Feeding. Chinese Water Myotis are insectivorous and forage low above water. In Guizhou, diet included mostly Diptera and their larvae (78:7%) but also smaller amounts of Coleoptera (6-4%), Lepidoptera (4:3%), and Trichoptera (1-9%).

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Chinese Water Myotis are nocturnal and roost in caves during the day.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Chinese Water Myotis probably roost in small colonies. It was reported roosting in the same cave as the Fringed Longfooted Myotis ( M. fimbriatus) in mainland China.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Chinese Water Myotis is widespread and does not seem to face any major threats, but it is relatively uncommon throughout much of its distribution.

Bibliography. Bates & Harrison (1997), Bates et al. (1999), Csorba & Bates (2008a), Hu Kailiang et al. (2012), Kruskop (2013a), Kruskop & Tsytsulina (2001), Ruedi et al. (2015), Smith & Xie Yan (2008), Tu Vuong Tan etal. (2016), Zhang Weidao (1984).