Myotis formosus (Hodgson, 1835)

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Vespertilionidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 716-981 : 950

424.

Black-and-orange Myotis

Myotis formosus

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

Other common names: Hodgson's Bat, Hodgson’s Myotis

Taxonomy. Vespertilio formosa [sic] Hodgson, 1835 ,

“Nipal [= Nepal].”

Subgenus Chrysopteron. See M. tricolor . Myotis formosus was previously considered to include as races or synonyms M. hermani , M. bartelsii , M. weberi , M. rufopictus , and M. rufoniger, all now split based on morphology and genetics. Race flavus has been considered a separate species; the form watasei, likewise from Taiwan, was also included in M. formosus but is now considered a synonym of M. rufoniger;, the precise ranges of M. formosus and M. rufoniger in south-east China require clarification. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution. M.f.formosusHodgson,1835—NEAfghanistan,NPakistan,N&CIndia(includingSikkim),Nepal,Bhutan,NBangladesh,SW&SEChina(confirmedfromXizangandJiangxi),andNVietnam.

M. f. flavus Shamel, 1944 — Taiwan.

Descriptive notes. Head—-body 50-56- 6 mm,tail 36-57- 8 mm, ear 12-8-20- 9 mm, hindfoot 10-2-13- 2 mm, forearm 44- 5-53 mm; weight 13- 4 g. Dorsal pelage is light yellowish brown or ginger brown (hairs with mid-brown base, then pale yellow to tip, with mid-brown tip to some hairs) blending into ventral pelage, which is paler yellowish (hairs either with dark base and pale yellow to the tip or completely pale yellow). Ears are faintly edged black; thumbs and feet brown. Uropatagium is orange, wings orange along bones, with black in gaps between fingers; black portion of wing may be dotted or streaked with orange; wings attach at base offirst toe. Baculum is bluntly pointed to bifurcated at tip, and slightly to very bifurcated basally; in lateral view, it is saddleshaped, rising higher at base; ventral surface is deeply concave, while dorsal surface is convex with two concavities along either side. Skull has distinctly elevated frontal region; braincase is globose; sagittal crest is absent or very weakly developed; lambdoidal crests weakly developed. C' is moderately robust; P° is at most half the basal area of P* and completely or mostly displaced from tooth row (occasionally missing); P,is about half the basal area of P, and usually within tooth row. Dental formula is the usual of 38 teeth for the genus or only 36 teeth when P° is missing.

Habitat. [Lowland and montane primary and secondary forests; exclusively lowland in Taiwan. Recorded at elevations from sea level up to 3000 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Breeding colonies are known from March to July.

Activity patterns. Reported roosting in caves, tree foliage, and houses. When roosting, it tends to be fully exposed to light, and relies on camouflage to avoid predation. It hibernates through winter, at least in Taiwan, although localities unknown. Calls are a steep FM sweep with average peak frequency of 43-9 kHz (41-46-2 kHz) reported in Jiangxi, China.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. During breeding (March—July), the species occupies large breeding colonies of up to several hundred individuals.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Due to recent separation of several species previously included herein, range is now more restricted and reassessment ofstatus is needed; rare in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Taiwan. No known threats.

Bibliography. Bates & Harrison (1997), Benda & Gaisler (2015), Cheng Hsichi et al. (2017), Csorba, Chou Cheng-Han et al. (2014), Das (2003), Findley (1972), Francis, Bates, Csorba et al. (2008), Jiang Tinglei, Sun Keping et al. (2010), Khan (2001), Lin Liangkong et al. (2004), Mahmood-ul-Hassan & Salim (2015), Patterson etal. (2019), Ruedi et al. (2015), Sinha (1986), Smith & Xie Yan (2008).

Figures

420. Herman's Myotis (Myotis hermani), 421. Bartels’s Myotis (Myotis bartelii), 422. Weber’s Myotis (Myotis weberi), 423. Orange-fingered Myotis (Myotis rufopictus), 424. Black-and-orange Myotis (Myotis formosus), 425. Geoftroy’s Myotis (Myotis emarginatus), 426. Temminck's. 3 Myotis (Myotis tricolor), 427. Welwitsch’s Myotis (Myotis welwitschii), 428. Reddish-black Myotis (Myotis rufoniger), 429. Scott's Myotis (Myotis scotti), 430. Morris's Myotis (Myotis morrisi), 431. Bocage’ Myotis (Myotis bocagii), 432. Malagasy Myotis (Myotis goudotii), 433. Anjouan Myotis (Myotis anjouanensis), 434. Kock’s Myotis (Myotis dieteri), 435. Alcathoe Whiskered Myotis (Myotis alcathoe), 436. Hyrcanian Myotis (Myotis hyrcanicus), 437. Pond Myotis (Myotis dasycneme), 438. Ikonnikov’ ' s Myotis (Myotis tkonnikovi), 439. Sichuan Myous (Myotis altarium), 440. Common Whiskered Myotis (Myotis mystacinus), 441. David’s Myotis (Myotis davidii), 442. Valley Myotis (Myotis ancricola), 443. Anna Tess’s Myotis (Myotis annatessae), 444. Gomantong Myotis (Myotis gomantongensis), 445. Peters’s Myotis (Myotis ater), 446. Nepalese Whiskered Myotis (Myotis muricola), 447. Brown’s Whiskered Myotis (Myotis browni), 448. Insular Myotis (Myotis insularum)

Subspecies and Distribution. M.f.formosusHodgson,1835—NEAfghanistan,NPakistan,N&CIndia(includingSikkim),Nepal,Bhutan,NBangladesh,SW&SEChina(confirmedfromXizangandJiangxi),andNVietnam. M. f. flavus Shamel, 1944 — Taiwan .