Miniopterus maghrebensis, Puechmaille, 2014

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Miniopteridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 674-709 : 700-701

17.

Neghrohion Long-fingered Bat

Miniopterus maghrebensis

French: Minioptére du Maghreb / German: Maghreb-Langfllgelfledermaus / Spanish: Miniéptero de Maghreb

Other common names: Maghrebian Bent-winged Bat

Taxonomy. Miniopterus maghrebensis Puechmaille et al, 2014 ,

“Kef Azigza Cave (or Tazzouguert Cave), 5.7 km S of Ksar Tazougart, 19 km W-NW of Boudenib, Er Rachidiyah Province, Morocco (32 °0I’ 46.6" N, 03° 47° 16.7" W, 1060 ma.s. 1.).”

Miniopterus maghrebensis was originally referred to as M. schreibersii until a recent molecular study confirmed existence of genetic differences at mitochondrial and nuclearlevels to allow their separation. All previous records of M. schreibersii from the Maghreb need to be reevaluated because they could potentially belong to M. maghrebensis ; both species are found together in the region and can even share roosts. Monotypic.

Distribution. So far known only from C & SW Morocco (Middle and High Atlas) and N Tunisia. Possibly occurs continuously across most of the Mediterranean part of N Africa, including Algeria.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 60 mm,tail 63 mm, ear 13-4 mm, forearm 45-48 mm (holotype). The Maghrebian Long-fingered Bat is similar in most aspects to Schreibers’s Long-fingered Bat (M. schreibersit), from which it can only be taxonomically confirmed with genetic analyses. Dorsal pelage of the Maghrebian Long-fingered Bat is chestnut-brown to dark grayish brown, and ventral pelage is pale brown. Ventral hairs are bicolored, dark brown on proximal parts and pale brown to buffy on distal parts. Dorsal skin of ears and naked parts of face are pale grayish brown, and ventral skin of ears is almost without pigments, fleshy pale to pinkish. Wing membranes are dark brown to dark grayish brown. Ears are small, and tragus (6-3 mm) is slender and slightly curved forward.

Habitat. Mediterranean scrublands and dry forests, steppes, and other semi-desert habitats at elevations of 300-1200 m. In Morocco, the Maghrebian Long-fingered Bat seems to prefer southern and more arid environments, and in northern one-half of Morocco, Schreibers’s Long-fingered Bat is found, although with large overlap between species.

Food and Feeding. There is no specific information available for this species, but based on wing morphology, the Maghrebian Long-fingered Bat probably forages for flying insects by moderately fast hawking in open, uncluttered places including clearings, above trees, and over water.

Breeding. It is difficult to assign available information on reproduction of Miniopterus in the Maghreb to either the Maghrebian Long-fingered Bat or Schreibers’s L.ongfingered Bat. In any case, the pattern seems to be the typical for a temperate zone species of Miniopterus . An unusually wide range of dates of births has been reported for these bats in Algeria from mid-April to the end ofJune, but again it is not possible to taxonomically assign these records, and it was suggested that this wide range was due to the fact that the two species were present but had differentiated breeding periods.

Activity patterns. The Maghrebian Long-fingered Bat is presumably nocturnal. As other temperate species of Miniopterus , it is expected to enter torpor in autumn, and it has been found to store fat in autumn for winter hibernation. It roosts in caves and other underground areas (e.g. irrigation channels). Echolocation calls have downward FM signals, with initial frequencies of 63-6-101-1 kHz, end frequencies of 48-9-51-8 kHz, peak frequencies of 51-54-8 kHz, durations of 3-2-5-6 milliseconds, and intervals of 67-2-239-2 milliseconds.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Colonies of Maghrebian Long-fingered Bats can include up to 400 individuals.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List because actual levels of disturbance are likely to lead to habitat declines of at least 30% in the next 15 years. This species is known from very few sites only, all representing underground spaces threatened by human activities.

Bibliography. Benda & Piraccini (2017), Benda, Cerveny et al. (2010), Benda, Ruedi & Aulagnier (2004), Benda, Spitzenberger et al. (2014), Bilgin et al. (2016), Kowalski & Rzebik-Kowalska (1991), Puechmaille, Allegrini et al. (2014), Sramek et al. (2013).

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. So far known only from C & SW Morocco (Middle and High Atlas) and N Tunisia . Possibly occurs continuously across most of the Mediterranean part of N Africa, including Algeria .