Myotis alcathoe

Myotis alcathoe

The Alcatoe bat (Myotis alcathoe von Helversen & Heller, 2001) is a bat belonging to the Vespertilionidae family.

Systematic –
From a systematic point of view it belongs to:
Eukaryota domain,
Kingdom Animalia,
Phylum Chordata,
Mammalia class,
Superorder Laurasiatheria,
Order Chiroptera,
Suborder Microchiroptera,
Family Vespertilionidae,
Subfamily Myotinae,
Genus Myotis,
Species M. alcathoe.
Within this species the following subspecies are recognised:
– Myotis alcathoe subsp. alcathoe von Helversen & Heller, 2001;
– Myotis alcathoe subsp. circassicus Benda, Gazaryan & Vallo, 2016.

Geographic Distribution and Habitat –
Myotis alcathoe is a bat which, although it was initially known only in Greece and Hungary and was thought to be restricted to south-eastern Europe, finds have since greatly expanded its range, and it is now known from Portugal, Spain and England to Sweden and European Turkey.
In detail it is present in northern Spain, France, northern and southern England, western Switzerland, south-eastern Austria, south-western and central Germany, southern Sweden, southern Poland, western Ukraine, Czech Republic, Slovakia, northern Hungary, southern Albania, Montenegro, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece and European Turkey. Recently in Italy it has been reported within the Majella National Park, the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, in the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park and in the Lucanian Apennines National Park. It is probably also present in Serbia, Belgium and the Netherlands and also in other European countries, such as Ireland and Moldova.
Furthermore, targeted research has been conducted in several European countries to detect its presence.
Although there are abundant reports in some areas, such as France and Hungary, the species appears to be rare in most of its range.
Its habitat generally consists of moist, deciduous, mature forests near waterways, for example in ravines or floodplain forest where there are many decaying trees that the bat can use as roost sites. In these areas it lives up to 2,000 meters above sea level.
In Germany, for example, its preferred habitat is mixed deciduous forests. In the south of the continent it is usually found in mountain ranges, but the factors influencing its distribution in the north are less known. Its range appears to be similar in shape to that of the bats Rhinolophus ferrumequinum and R. hipposideros and the bat Myotis emarginatus.
The animal perches in the high hollows of trees. Although there are some winter finds from caves, it can also spend the winter in tree cavities.

Description –
The Myotis alcathoe is a small bat, with the length of the head and body between 39 and 44 mm, the length of the forearm between 31 and 33 mm, the length of the tail between 36 and 37 mm, the length of the ears between 13 and 14 mm and a weight of up to 6 g.
The dorsal parts are reddish-brown in color, while the ventral parts are brownish.
The muzzle is short, brown or dirty pink and densely covered with hair. A hairless area is present around the eyes.
The ears are short, narrow, with the upper half of the external margin straight, a hollow approximately halfway along its length and of a brownish colour, paler at the base of the internal surface.
The tragus is less than half the length of the auricle.
The alar membranes are brownish and attached posteriorly to the base of the great toe.
The tail is long and completely included in the large uropatagium.
The feet are small, the calcar is thin and without reinforcing lobes.
The penis is narrow and without bulges at the tip.
As regards echolocation, the frequencies used by M. alcathoe vary between 34-102 kHz, reaching peak energy at 53 kHz and with an average duration of 3.0 ms.

Biology –
The Myotis alcathoe has a not very well known reproduction. However, some lactating females were captured in Germany during June.
The mating phase occurs during a specific time of the year, known as the mating season. During this period, male bats try to attract females through specific behaviors, such as vocalizations and acrobatic flights.
After mating, the female can store sperm within her body for a variable period of time before fertilization actually occurs. Fertilization can occur in a deferred manner to ensure that environmental and nutritional conditions are optimal for the survival of the young.
Once the female has reached the right conditions, the fertilized egg implants in the uterus, and gestation begins. The gestation period can vary, but usually lasts several weeks.
At the end of gestation, the female gives birth to one or more offspring. The young of Myotis alcathoe are born already able to move, although they are still very dependent on their mother for breastfeeding and protection.
Breastfeeding can last several weeks, during which the babies grow rapidly and become increasingly independent.
After a period of nursing, the young begin to learn to hunt and fly independently. The mother continues to take care of them until they reach a certain level of independence.

Ecological Role –
Myotis alcathoe is a small bat that uses the highest echolocation call frequencies of any European species of its genus. It prefers to hunt in small valleys with deciduous trees near streams. Ancient documents from Greece and Hungary indicate an important distribution in south-eastern Europe.
It is closely related to the Myotis hyrcanicus of Iran, but otherwise has no close relatives.
In summer it takes refuge inside hollow trees and in caves in large groups, while in winter it probably hibernates in underground environments.
It feeds on insects caught near watercourses within small valleys.
Numerous parasites have been recorded on M. alcathoe.
The IUCN Red List, considering that this species was recently discovered and is difficult to distinguish from other forms of Myotis, classifies M. alcathoe as a species with insufficient data (DD).

Guido Bissanti

Sources
– Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
– GBIF, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
– Gordon Corbet, Denys Ovenden, 2012. Guide to the mammals of Europe. Franco Muzzio Editore.
– John Woodward, Kim Dennis-Bryan, 2018. The great encyclopedia of animals. Gribaudo Publisher.

Photo source:
– https://batslife.eu/item/myotis-alcathoe/