Miniopterus brachytragos
Miniopterus brachytragos | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Chiroptera |
Family: | Miniopteridae |
Genus: | Miniopterus |
Species: | M. brachytragos
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Binomial name | |
Miniopterus brachytragos Goodman et al., 2009
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Collection localities of Miniopterus brachytragos |
Miniopterus brachytragos is a bat in the genus Miniopterus that occurs in northern and western Madagascar. Populations of this species have historically been included in Miniopterus manavi, but molecular data published in 2008 and 2009 indicate this supposed species in fact consists of five separate species, including the newly described M. brachytragos. Up to four species of this group may occur in the same place. M. brachytragos has been found in dry and wet forests from sea level to 320 m (1,050 ft) altitude.
Miniopterus brachytragos is a small, brown Miniopterus; its forearm length is 35 to 38 mm (1.4 to 1.5 in). The hairs of the underparts have buff tips. The short
Taxonomy
During the 2000s,
Miniopterus brachytragos was described as a new species in the second 2009 paper by Goodman and colleagues.
Description
Miniopterus brachytragos is a small, short-tailed Miniopterus with short and relatively thin fur. The fur of the upperparts is dark brown and the hairs on the underparts have buff tips.
In 28 to 30 specimens measured by Goodman and colleagues, total length was 83 to 92 mm (3.3 to 3.6 in), averaging 87.4 mm (3.44 in); tail length was 38 to 43 mm (1.5 to 1.7 in), averaging 40.2 mm (1.58 in); hindfoot length was 5 to 6 mm (about 0.2 in), averaging 5.8 mm (0.23 in); tragus length was 3 to 4 mm (0.12 to 0.16 in), averaging 3.9 mm (0.15 in); ear length was 9 to 11 mm (about 0.4 in), averaging 10.0 mm (0.39 in); forearm length was 35 to 38 mm (1.4 to 1.5 in), averaging 36.6 mm (1.44 in); and body mass was 2.9 to 6.3 g (0.10 to 0.22 oz), averaging 4.3 g (0.15 oz).[15] There is no evidence for substantial size differences between males and females.[9]
In the skull, the rostrum (front part) is short relative to other small Malagasy Miniopterus and line-shaped.
Distribution and ecology
Miniopterus brachytragos is known from several
References
- ^ Goodman et al., 2009a, p. 340
- ^ Weyeneth et al., 2008; Goodman et al., 2009a, 2009b
- ^ Goodman et al., 2009a, fig. 1; 2009b, fig. 1
- ^ Goodman et al., 2009b, p. 28
- ^ Goodman et al., 2009b, p. 30, table 7
- ^ Goodman et al., 2009b, p. 9
- ^ Goodman et al., 2009b, p. 17
- ^ Goodman et al., 2009b, fig. 2
- ^ a b c d Goodman et al., 2009b, p. 16
- ^ a b Goodman et al., 2009b, p. 11
- ^ Goodman et al., 2009b, pp. 21–22
- ^ Goodman et al., 2009b, pp. 11, 15
- ^ a b c d Goodman et al., 2009b, p. 15
- ^ a b Goodman et al., 2009b, p. 22
- ^ Goodman et al., 2009b, table 3
- ^ Goodman et al., 2009b, pp. 16–17
- ^ Nowak, 1994, p. 222
Literature cited
- Goodman, S.M., Maminirina, C.P., Weyeneth, N., Bradman, H.M., Christidis, L., Ruedi, M. and Appleton, B. 2009a. The use of molecular and morphological characters to resolve the taxonomic identity of cryptic species: the case of Miniopterus manavi (Chiroptera: Miniopteridae) (subscription required). Zoologica Scripta 38:339–363.
- Goodman, S.M., Maminirina, C.P., Bradman, H.M., Christidis, L. and Appleton, B. 2009b. The use of molecular phylogenetic and morphological tools to identify cryptic and paraphyletic species: Examples from the diminutive long-fingered bats (Chiroptera: Miniopteridae: Miniopterus) on Madagascar. American Museum Novitates 3669:1–34.
- Nowak, R.M. 1994. Walker's Bats of the World. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 287 pp. ISBN 978-0-8018-4986-2
- Weyeneth, N., Goodman, S.M., Stanley, W.T. and Ruedi, M. 2008. The biogeography of Miniopterus bats (Chiroptera: Miniopteridae) from the Comoro Archipelago inferred from mitochondrial DNA (subscription required). Molecular Ecology 17:5205–5219.