Miniopterus fuliginosus, Hodgson, 1835

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Miniopteridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 674-709 : 693

1.

Asian Long-fingered Bat

Miniopterus fuliginosus

French: Minioptére fuligineux / German: Asiatische Langfligelfledermaus / Spanish: Minidptero de Asia

Other common names: Asian Bent-winged Bat, Eastern Bent-winged Bat, Eastern Long-fingered Bat

Taxonomy. Vespertilio fuliginosa [sic] Hodgson, 1835 ,

“ Nepal.”

Miniopterus fuliginosus was traditionally included in M. schreibersii until recent genetic and morphometric evidence confirmed it as a valid species and totally independent of West Palearctic Miniopterus and different from the rest of Eastern/ Australian species once included in the schreibersui species complex ( M. magnater , M. eschscholtzii , M. blepotis , and M. orianae ).

Taxonomy of M. fuliginosus is not completely resolved because no genetic study has included samples from populations in south-central India and Sri Lanka that are isolated from other populations and live in very different environments. Bats formerly assigned to the schreibersii species complex from mainland South-east Asia need to be genetically identified to know if they belong to M. fuliginosus, M. blepotis , or M. magnater . Monotypic.

Distribution. NE Afghanistan, N Pakistan, NW, N, NE & S India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, N Myanmar, N Vietnam, S, SE & E China, Taiwan, Korean Peninsula, extreme S Russian Far East, and Japan (except Hokkaido); it may occur in Bhutan and Bangladesh.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 47-65 mm, tail 44-61 mm, ear 8:7-12 mm, hindfoot 7-12 mm, forearm 44-7-49-6 mm; weight 13-6 g (+ 1-1 g SD). Pelage of the Asian Long-fingered Bat is soft, velvety, and silky. Bases and tips of hairs are unicolored. Dorsal surface is blackish brown to gray-brown. Venteris slightly paler, usually dark gray-brown, and occasionally has a more or less reddish morph. Ears are short. Tragus is slightly curved forward. Membranes are dark, almost black. Dental formula for all species of Miniopterusis12/3,C1/1,P 2/3, M 3/3 (x2) = 36. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 46 and FN = 52 ( Japan and China) or 2n = 46 and FN = 54 ( India).

Habitat. Mostly temperate habitats from arid steppes in Afghanistan to wooded areas in China and Japan, more tropical habitats in southern India (wet evergreen forests) and Sri Lanka, and mainly lower hilly country in Sri Lanka from sea level to elevations above 2000 m (Himalayas).

Food and Feeding. The Asian Long-fingered Bat typically forages in open spaces 9-12 m above grasslands, woodlands, and open water. Diet mainly contains species of Lepidoptera , generally more than 50% by volume of prey. Diptera, Coleoptera, and Trichoptera are also frequent prey but have a minor and variable importance depending on time of year and locality. Hymenoptera, Ephemeroptera , and Plecoptera are occasionally eaten. Body lengths of prey seem to be less than 25 mm.

Breeding. The Asian Long-fingered Bat is seasonally monoestrous, with only one young per pregnancy. This cycle has local variations to adapt to different climatic conditions throughout its wide distribution. Tropical populations of southern India and Sri Lanka do not have any delay throughout the cycle, but females in northern populations in cold climates in Japan have delayed implantation of blastocysts and post-implantation delays during gestation. This second delay is a facultative response to prolonged torporlinked to cool conditions and associated decreases in food availabilities. Gestation lasts ¢.4 months in tropical populations and ¢.8-5 months in northernmost populations; these northern populations have c.2 months of delayed implantation, c.3 months of delayed development, and 3-5 months of fetal growth. Populations in temperate mild climates, intermediate between these two extremes, only have a few months of delayed implantation. In any case, it seems that births in all populations are synchronized during short periods of time. In Japan, copulation takes place in autumn, and births occur synchronously from late June to earlyJuly. Most females give birth for the first time at the end of their second year. In tropical India, copulation takes place in the second and third weeks of February, and all births in the colony occur between 15 June and 25 June. Neonates are completely naked, with closed eyes, and weigh c. 3 g. Sex ratio is even during their first 2-3 months oflife. It has been suggested that young are nursed communally, probably related to enormous size of the breeding colony (100,000-200,000 individuals). Lactating females are found until mid-August. By mid-October, young are the size and weight of adults. Sexual maturity of females is not reached until they are at least 20 months old and males at ¢.19 months old.

Activity patterns. In Ohse-do Cave (Kyushu district, 32° N) in Japan, Asian Longfingered Bats started vocalizing c.1-2 hours before emerging from the cave. Such an early awakening is probably due to endogenous activity rhythm, and light sampling behavior could be seen a few minutes before individuals emerged. Emergence time was synchronized with sunset and correlated with appearance of prey. Asian Longfingered Bats are most active soon after sunset in early spring and late autumn and secondarily active before sunrise. This activity pattern seems to correspond to their feeding pattern. Feeding in summer lasted until c.02:00 h. There is always some activity during winter. When temperature at dusk is less than 7°C, activity is greatly reduced, but when it is 7-13°C,at least one-half of the colony becomes active. During periods of winter activity, Asian Long-fingered Bats must be foraging because fresh feces appear under colonies. Hibernation begins in December and ends at the end of February. In late autumn, body fat begins to rapidly increase and reaches maximum values at the end of November (weight 15-16 g for adults and 13-9-14-5 g for young). At the end of February when hibernation ends, body weights are 11-5-12-5 g for adults and 10-8-11-2 g for young. During this period, individuals select in the coldest areas of the cave with temperatures of 68°C and maintain their body temperatures to less than one degree above ambient temperatures. Tropical populations do not hibernate. The Asian Long-fingered Bat typically roosts in caves but also uses abandoned mines, tunnels, and similar structures such as underground channels. Echolocation calls have downward FM signals. Regional characteristics include: start frequencies of 54-3-113 kHz, end frequencies of 42-9-53 kHz, peak frequencies of 44-5-62-4 kHz, and durations of 1-5-9 milliseconds in southern India; peak frequencies 53-5-57-5 kHz in China; peak frequencies of 50-3 kHz in Korea; and peak frequencies of 52-1 kHz in Japan.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Asian Long-fingered Bat probably has a metapopulation structure, like other temperate species of Miniopterus . Displacement of 200 km was recorded in Japan that is of similar magnitude to those known in Europe for Schreibers’s Long-fingered Bat between different refuges used by the same population. Breeding colonies of up to 12,000 individuals are known in Japan, consisting almost entirely of adult females. Hibernation colonies can have up to 83,000 individuals, although they are usually much smaller. The colony in Robbers’ Cave in Western Ghats, India, contains 100,000-200,000 individuals in the breeding period, and it includes females and males with no apparent sexual segregation. This colony is considered the “mother colony,” which contains individuals from other “secondary colonies” usually within 70 km of the mother colony.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed as a separate species on The [UCNRed List, where itis included under Schreiber’s Long-fingered Bat ( M. schreibersii ) as Near Threatened.

Bibliography. Akmali et al. (2015), Ao Lei et al. (2006), Appleton et al. (2004), Bates & Harrison (1997), Benda & Gaisler (2015), Brosset (1962c), Corbet & Hill (1992), Francis (2008a), Francis et al. (2010), Fukui et al. (2015), Funakoshi & Takeda (1998), Funakoshi & Uchida (1975, 1978a), Furman, Oztunc¢ & Coraman (2010), Gopalakrishna et al. (1986), Hendrichsen, Bates, Hayes & Walston (2001), Hodgson (1835), Hu Kailiang et al. (2011), Kimura & Uchida (1983), Kruskop et al. (2012), Li Shi et al. (2015), Maeda (1982), Mahmood-ul-Hassan & Salim (2015), Ohdachi et al. (2009), Saikia (2018), Sramek et al. (2013), Srinivasulu, C. et al. (2010), Tian Lanxiang et al. (2004), Uchida et al. (1984), Vanitharani et al. (2013), Wordley et al. (2014), Zhang Chunmian et al. (2018).

Figures

1. Asian Long-fingered Bat (Miniopterus fuliginosus), 2. Large Long-fingered Bat (Miniopterus magnater), 3. Small Long-fingered Bat (Miniopterus pusillus), 4. Intermediate Long-fingered Bat (Miniopterus meduius), 5. Ryukyu Long-fingered Bat (Miniopterus fuscus), 6. Eschscholtz’s Long-fingered Bat (Miniopterus eschscholtzii), 7. Philippine Long-fingered Bat (Miniopterus paululus), 8. Great Long-fingered Bat (Miniopterus tristis), 9. Shortridge’s Long-fingered Bat (Miniopterus shortridgei), 10. Javanese Long-fingered Bat (Miniopterus blepotis), 11. Little Long-fingered Bat (Miniopterus australis), 12. Small Melanesian Long-fingered Bat (Miniopterus macrocneme), 13. Loyalty Long-fingered Bat (Miniopterus robustior), 14. Australian Long-fingered Bat (Miniopterus orianae), 15. Pallid Long-fingered Bat (Miniopterus pallidus), 16. Schreibers’s Long-fingered Bat (Miniopterus schreibersu), 17. Neghrohion Long-fingered Bat (Miniopterus maghrebensis)

Distribution. NE Afghanistan , N Pakistan , NW, N, NE & S India , Nepal , Sri Lanka , N Myanmar , N Vietnam , S, SE & E China , Taiwan , Korean Peninsula, extreme S Russian Far East, and Japan (except Hokkaido); it may occur in Bhutan and Bangladesh .