Felten's myotis

Felten's myotis
Conservation status
Data Deficient  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Chiroptera
Family:	Vespertilionidae
Genus:	Myotis
Species:	M. punicus
Binomial name
Myotis punicus Felten, 1977

The Felten's myotis (Myotis punicus) is a species of vesper bat.

Distribution

It is found in Algeria, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Tunisia, France (Corsica) and Italy (Sardinia). Its natural habitats are temperate forests, temperate shrubland, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, Mediterranean-type shrubby vegetation, temperate grassland, caves, subterranean habitats (other than caves), arable land, rural gardens, and irrigated land. The habitat range extends to the border of the Sahara desert. In Tunisia, the species has been observed as far south as Ghomrassen or the Bou-Hedma National Park.^[2]

Distinctive early spring birth

The species - at least as far as specimens roosting in Northern Tunisia are concerned - seems able to give birth much earlier in the spring than the closely related species Myotis myotis or M. blythii in Europe or Western Asia:^[3] Individuals born that year and able to fly were observed in el Haouariya caves May 24, 2011, (i.e. these juveniles were born between 3 and 4 weeks prior).^[2]

References

1. Juste, J.; Paunović, M. (2016). "Myotis punicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T44864A22073410. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T44864A22073410.en. Retrieved 15 November 2021.
2. Puechmaille, Sebastien J.; Hizem, Wassim M.; Allegrini, Benjamin; Abiadh, Awatef (2012). "Bat fauna of Tunisia: Review of records and new records, morphometrics and echolocation data" (PDF). Vespertilio. 16: 211–239. ISSN 1213-6123. S2CID 89642956.
3. Sharifi, M (2004). "Postnatal growth in Myotis blythii (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae)". Mammalia. 68 (4): 283–289. doi:10.1515/mamm.2004.027. S2CID 83756873.