344.

Gloomy Tube-nosed Bat

Murina tenebrosa

French: Murine sombre / German: Distere Rohrennase / Spanish: Ratonero narizudo cenizo

Other common names: Tsushima Tube-nosed Bat

Taxonomy. Murina tenebrosa Yoshiyuki, 1970,

Sago, Kamishima, TsushimaIslands, Japan.

This species is monotypic.

Distribution. Tsushima Is (Japan); a specimen collected on Yakushima (Osumi Is) has been claimed to be this species, but most probably is the Ussuri Tube-nosed Bat ( M. ussuriensis).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 50- 5 mm, tail 34- 5 mm, ear 16 mm, hindfoot 8- 8 mm, forearm 34- 4 mm (holotype). The Gloomy Tube-nosed Batis similar to the Ussuri Tube-nosed Bat ( M. ussuriensis) but distinguished by its nearly naked uropatagium. Pelage is dense and woolly; dorsally dark brown, ventrally paler. Uropatagium is nearly naked, with few hairs spread across the membrane, and fur is very sparse on the wings, thumb, and feet. Face is sparsely haired except long protuberant nostrils (shorter than in other Japanese Murina), which are naked. Ears are short, broad, and rounded, with smoothly convex anterior margins, no notch on the posterior margin, and a broadly rounded tip; tragus is long, narrow, and tapering toward the pointed tip. Wing attachesto base offirst toe. Skullis larger than in the Ussuri Tube-nosed Bat; rostrum is deep and massive; temporal ridge is evident; anterior narial emargination is shallow and the cochleae are small. P? is comparatively large.

Habitat. No information.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. The holotype was collected (perhaps hibernating) in an abandoned mine in mid-February.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Critically Endangered (Possibly Extinct) on The [UCNRed List. Despite a limited survey effort, this species is still known only from the holotype, collected in 1962. Nothing is known ofits ecology or potential threats, or whether it still persists on Tsushima (or possibly Yakushima). Further surveys are urgently needed.

Bibliography. Abe et al. (2005), Maeda (2008e), Ohdachi et al. (2009), Yoshiyuki (1970).