Myotis diminutus, Moratelli & Wilson, 2011

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Vespertilionidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 716-981 : 945

416.

Diminutive Myotis

Myotis diminutus

French: Murin du Choco / German: Winziges Mausohr / Spanish: Ratonero diminuto

Other common names: Diminutive Bat

Taxonomy. Myotis diminutus Moratelli & Wilson, 2011 ,

“Rio Palenque Science Center (0°35'11"S, 79°21'53"W), 47 Km S (by road) from Santo Domingo, Los Rios, Ecuador, elevation ca. 150 m.”

Subgenus Pizonyx; albescens species group. See M. nigricans . Monotypic.

Distribution. Known from two localities in W Andes, La Guayacana, Narino (SW Colombia) and Santo Domingo (WC Ecuador).

Descriptive notes. Head-body c. 44 mm, tail 33 mm, ear 11 mm, hindfoot 6 mm, forearm 33- 3 mm and 33- 4 mm; weight 3-5 g and 4 g (measurements from two specimens from Ecuador and Colombia). Fur is silky and long (dorsal fur 5-5-6- 5 mm; ventral fur 5-5- 2 mm); dorsal are hairs cinnamon-brown and bicolored, with only slightly contrasting bases and tips; ventral hairs are strongly bicolored, with mummy-brown bases (two-thirds the total length) and cinnamon-buff tips (one-third). Ears are comparatively short, extending forward halfway from eye to nostril. Antitragal notch is barely evident. Membranes are dark brown; plagiopatagium is broadly attached to foot at base of toes. Uropatagium lacks fringe of hairs. Skull is small (greatest length of skull 12: 3 mm and 12- 7 mm); supraoccipital and posteriormost part of parietals are rounded in lateral view, projecting beyond limit of occipital condyles; rostrum is slightly sloping relative to braincase in lateral view; sagittal crest is absent; occipital crests are low; and P? is aligned in tooth row, smaller than P* (50% of the total length of P?), and visible in lateral view. Wing morphology is typical of aerial insectivore that uses cluttered spaces.

Habitat. Remnant forest with dense canopy 30 m high,rich in lianas, epiphytes, mosses, lichens, ferns, and palms (type locality) and tropical rainforest ( Colombia) from known elevations of 150-225 m.

Food and Feeding. The Diminutive Myotis is an aerial insectivore that forages in interior of forests and over water.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Known specimens of the Diminutive Myotis came from highly fragmented habitat, and nearby protected areas might not be effective forits long-term survival.

Bibliography. Moratelli & Wilson (2011, 2014b), Solari (20179).

Figures

394. Gray Myotis (Myotis grisescens), 395. South-eastern Myotis (Myotis austroriparius), 396. Yuma Myotis (Myotis yumanensis), 397. Cave Myotis (Myotis velifer), 398. Peninsular Myotis (Myotis peninsularis), 399. Guatemalan Myotis (Myotis cobanensis), 400. Chilean Myotis (Myotis chiloensis), 401. Silver-upped Myotis (Myotis albescens), 402. Yellowish Myotis (Myotis levis), 403. Dinelli’s Myotis (Myotis dinellu), 404. Izecksohn’s Myotis (Myotis izecksohni), 405. LaVal's Myotis (Myotis lavali), 406. Montane Myotis (Myotis oxyotus), 407. Clyde Jones's Myotis (Myotis clydejonesi), 408. Schwartz's Myotis (Myotis martiniquensis), 409. Dominican Myotis (Myotis dominicensis), 410. Barbados Myotis (Myotis nyctor), 411. Atacama Myotis (Myotis atacamensis), 412. Curacao Myotis (Myotis nesopolus), 413. Colombian Black Myotis (Myotis caucensis), 414. Sir David Attenborough’s Myotis (Myotis attenboroughi), 415. Handley’s Myotis (Myotis handleyi), 416. Diminutive Myotis (Myotis diminutus), 417. Common Black Myotis (Myotis nigricans), 418. Brandt's Myotis (Myotis brandtii), 419. Siberian Whiskered Myots (Myotis sibiricus)

Distribution. Known from two localities in W Andes, La Guayacana, Narino (SW Colombia ) and Santo Domingo (WC Ecuador ).