Myopterus daubentonii, Desmarest, 1820

Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Molossidae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 598-672 : 663

102.

Daubenton’s Winged-mouse Bat

Myopterus daubentonii

French: Tadaride de Daubenton / German: Daubenton-Bulldogfledermaus / Spanish: Mioptero de Daubenton

Other common names: Daubenton’s Free-tailed Bat, Senegal Mastiff Bat

Taxonomy. Myopteris daubentonii Desmarest, 1820 ,

type locality not given. Based on neotype selection,restricted by F. Adam and colleagues in 1993 to Senegal.

In 1816, L.. Oken named this species Myopterus senegalensis but the name was shown to be invalid by J. E. Hill in 1969. As the original syntypes were lost, Adam and coworkers designated a neoholotype and four neoparatypes, from Senegal, in 1993. The form albatus was recognized as a subspecies by K. F. Koopman in 1989, Adam and colleagues in 1993, N. B. Simmons in 2005, and J. Fahr in 2013. Two subspecies recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution.

M.d.daubentoniiDesmarest,1820—SenegalandIvoryCoast.

M. d. albatus Thomas, 1915 — Central African Republic and N DR Congo.

Descriptive notes. Head-body ¢.67-76 mm, tail 37-44 mm, ear 18-22 mm, hindfoot 9-13 mm, forearm 48-54 mm; weight 20-22 g. Pelage is short, dark cream, reddish brown or grayish brown above, usually with two lateral whitish or yellowish bands on each side of mid-dorsal line, and a large whitish patch on nape and crown; below offwhite to pure white, much paler than above, with no mid-ventral markings or different colored flank-stripe. Skin of forearm, tibia, fingers and tail is pink. Wings have white arm-wing membranes, whereas hand-wing membranes are transparent, showing red veining and some enclosed white spots of fat. Tail membrane is pale brown above and white below. Upperlip is smooth without wrinkles, with dense patch of spoon-hairs. Ears are erect and without complex folds; innerside is whitish. Tragus is large for a molossid, fingershaped, same size as semicircular antitragus and not concealed by it. There is no interaural crest or gular sac. Anterior palatal emargination is closed and basisphenoid pits are very deep and wide. M? has N-shaped cusps, with third ridge absent or vestigial. Anterior premolar is absent and there is only one incisor on each side, bicuspid in shape. Dental formula for both members ofthis genusis11/1,C1/1,P 1/2, M 3/3 (x2) = 26.

Habitat. Dry forest and dry savanna. Daubenton’s Winged-mouse Bat is apparently a specialist of mosaic gallery forest, but is also recorded from montane grassland at 1250 m.

Food and Feeding. Daubenton’s Winged-mouse Bats are high-flying aerial feeders. At Comoé National Park in north-eastern Ivory Coast they were caught at heights of 9-20 m. From their robust skull and teeth, they probably feed on hard-shelled prey such as beetles.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. Daubenton’s Winged-mouse Bats roost in hollow trees.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Small groups of several individuals of both sexes have been found roosting together.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red Lust.

Bibliography. ACR (2017), Adam et al. (1993), Brosset & Vuattoux (1968), Fahr (2013s), Hill (1969b), Koopman (1989), Oken (1816), Rosevear (1965), Simmons (2005).

Figures

On following pages: 105. Roberts's Flat-headed Bat (Sauromys petrophilus); 106. Brazilian Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida brasiliensis); 107. European Free-tailed Bat (7adarida teniotis); 108. Egyptian Free-tailed Bat (7adarida aegyptiaca); 109. Kenyan Big-eared Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida lobata); 110. African Giant Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida ventralis); 111. Malagasy Free-tailed Bat (7adarida fulminans); 112. East Asian Free-tailed Bat (7adarida insignis); 113. La Touche's Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida latouchei); 114. New Guinea Free-tailed Bat (Austronomus kuboriensis); 115. White-striped Free-tailed Bat (Austronomus australis); 116. East Coast Free-tailed Bat (Micronomus norfolkensis); 117. Beccari's Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops beccaril); 118. Northern Coastal Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops cobourgianus); 119. Cape York Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops hall); 120. South-western Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops kitchener); 121. Loria’s Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops loriae); 122. Lumsden'’s Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops lumsdenae); 123. Inland Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops petersi); 124. Southern Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops planiceps); 125. Ride's Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops ride); 126. Hairy-nosed Free-tailed Bat (Setirostris eleryi).

Subspecies and Distribution. M.d.daubentoniiDesmarest,1820—SenegalandIvoryCoast. M. d. albatus Thomas, 1915 — Central African Republic and N DR Congo .