445.

Peters’s Myotis

Myotis ater

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

Other common names: Small Black Myotis

Taxonomy. Vespertilio ater Peters, 1866,

“Ternate [Island],” Moluccas, Indonesia.

Subgenus Myotis; muricola species group. Formerly included in M. muricola, to which genetic data suggestit is most closely related; limits between the two species are uncertain, especially in the Philippines where they co-occur; see also M. brown: and M. gomantongensis . Perhaps also related to M. annatessae, although that species did not cluster with M. ater or M. muricola in recent studies. To date, genetic studies of this species have used only specimens from Vietnam; material from other regions needs testing, to provide a fuller picture of internal variation and external relationships. Race nugax is occasionally placed in M. muricola . Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution. M.a.aterPeters,1866—Sulawesi(includingPelengI),SulaIs(Sanana),andMoluccas(Halmahera,Ternate,Bacan,Buru,Ambon,andSeramIs).

M. a. nugax G. M. Allen & Coolidge, 1940 — Vietnam, WC Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Nias I, N Borneo (Sabah), and the Philippines in Luzon and the Calamian Group (Culion I).

Descriptive notes. Head-body ¢.46-53- 5 mm, tail 35-48 mm, ear 13- 5-15 mm, hindfoot 6- 5-11 mm, forearm 34-39 mm; weight 4- 3-8 g. Delage of Peters’s Dorsal is dark brown (hairs slightly paler brown at tip); ventral pelage is lighter and buffier (hairs darker brown basally, with buffy brown tips). Bare portions of face, ears, and membranes are blackish brown. Ears are long; tragus is long and slender, with bluntly pointed tip. Wings attach to base of outer toes; feet small. Baculum is deeply concave dorsally, with two concavities on either side ventrally, with a downcurved and narrowed tip, with a restriction just before bluntly rounded tip; larger than in the Nepalese Whiskered Myotis ( M. muricola). Skull has shallow forehead region, and relatively light, slender rostrum (less robust than in the Nepalese Whiskered Myotis). Canines are large, both C' and C, being taller than their respective posterior premolars; small P? is often displaced from tooth row, allowing P? and P* to touch; P,is also displaced from tooth row. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 44 and FNa = 50.

Habitat. [Lowland forests from sea level up to 1100 m. In Vietnam, Peters’s Dorsal has also been found near fast-flowing streams, agricultural areas, and secondary forest.

Food and Feeding. Peters’s Dorsal has been seen foraging along flyways within a village, on Sanana Island.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. On Sanana, Peters’s Dorsal has been seen flying out of village houses, suggesting it may roost in houses. In Vietnam, one was found roosting in a young banana leaf.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List.

Bibliography. Bates et al. (1999), Bickham, McBee & Schlitter (1986), Bickham, Patton et al. (2004), Bumrungsri et al. (2006), Cooper et al. (2001), Flannery (1995a), Francis & Hill (1998), Heaney et al. (2016), Hendrichsen, Bates, Hayes & Walston (2001), Hill & Francis (1984), Koopman & Gordon (1992), Kruskop (2013), Kruskop & Borisenko (2013), Phillipps & Phillipps (2016), Ruedi & Mayer (2001), Ruedi, Csorba et al. (2015), Ruedi, Stadelmann et al. (2013), Struebig et al. (2006), Suyanto & Struebig (2007), Wiles (2008b).