Armenian whiskered bat
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Family: Vespertilionidae
Genus: Myotis
Species:
M. hajastanicus
Binomial name
Myotis hajastanicus
Argyropulo, 1939
Synonyms
  • Myotis mystacinus hajastanicus Argyropulo, 1939
  • Myotis aurascens Kuzyakin, 1935

The Armenian whiskered bat (Myotis hajastanicus), also known as the Hajastan myotis or the Armenian myotis, is a species of bat from the family Vespertilionidae. The Armenian whiskered bat was formerly included as a part of the whiskered bat, but was considered distinct in 2000[2] as a result of morphologic comparison.

Taxonomy and etymology

It was described as a new subspecies of the whiskered bat in 1939.[3] In 2000, Benda and Tsytsulina published that it should be considered a full species based on its physical characteristics.[4] In 2016, Dietz et al. argued that the Armenian whiskered bat was not morphologically or genetically distinct enough to be considered a full species; instead, they argued that it is synonymous with Myotis aurascens (which is itself sometimes considered synonymous with Myotis davidii).[5] However, as of 2018 the Integrated Taxonomic Information System still considers the Armenian whiskered bat as a full species.[6] Its species name "hajastanicus" means "of Hayastan," which is an alternate name for Armenia.[7]

Description

It is relatively large for its genus with a forearm length of approximately 35.6 mm (1.40 in).[5] Its fur is brown while the distal tips of individual hairs may have a golden or yellowish tint.[4]

Conservation

There were no records of the Armenian whiskered bat from the 1980s until 2013[1] and the species has only ever been located in the Sevan Lake basin in Armenia.[2] In 2013, 11 pregnant Armenian whiskered bats were captured near Lake Sevan.[5] Before the 2013 documentation, it was considered possibly extinct.[1] Due to its imperiled status, it is identified by the Alliance for Zero Extinction as a species in danger of imminent extinction.[8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Tsytsulina, K.; Benda, P.; Aulagnier, S.; Hutson, A.M. (2008). "Myotis hajastanicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2008: e.T136288A4269513. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2008.RLTS.T136288A4269513.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 Simmons, N.B. (2005). "Order Chiroptera". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 508. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  3. ↑ Argyropulo, A. I. (1939). "Über einige Säugetiere Armeniens". Zool. Pap. Biol. Inst. Acad. Sci. Arm SSR (Jerevan). 1: 27–66.
  4. 1 2 Benda, P.; Tsytsulina, K.A. (2000). "Taxonomic revision of Myotis mystacinus group (Mammalia: Chiroptera)". Acta Soc. Zool. Bohem. 64: 364–367.
  5. 1 2 3 Dietz, Christian; Gazaryan, Astghik; Papov, George; Dundarova, Heliana; Mayer, Frieder (2016). "Myotis hajastanicus is a local vicariant of a widespread species rather than a critically endangered endemic of the Sevan lake basin (Armenia)". Mammalian Biology - Zeitschrift für Säugetierkunde. 81 (5): 518. doi:10.1016/j.mambio.2016.06.005.
  6. ↑ "Myotis hajastanicus Argyropulo, 1939". ITIS.gov. U. S. Federal Government. Retrieved 31 May 2018.
  7. ↑ Lina, P. (2016). Common Names of European Bats (PDF). EUROBATS. p. 11. ISBN 978-92-95058-37-8.
  8. ↑ "A Five-Year Plan for Global Bat Conservation" (PDF). batcon.org. Bat Conservation International. October 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 17, 2018. Retrieved May 1, 2017.
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