Yellow-lipped bat
Yellow-lipped bat | |
---|---|
Conservation status | |
![]() Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1] | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Chiroptera |
Family: | Vespertilionidae |
Genus: | Vespadelus |
Species: | V. douglasorum |
Binomial name | |
Vespadelus douglasorum (Kitchener, 1976)[2] | |
Synonyms | |
Eptesicus douglasi Kitchener, 1976[3] |
The yellow-lipped cave bat (Vespadelus douglasorum) is a vesper bat that only occurs in the Kimberley region of northwest Australia. The bat was first captured at Tunnel Creek in 1958 and a description published nearly twenty years later. Aside from observations of their physical characteristics, a preference for caves, and hunting insects over streams, little is known of the species.
Description
An insectivorous flying mammal with greyish fur, pale at the back and lighter still on the front. The hair at the shoulders and head is tinged with yellow, and bare parts, the feet and forearms, are also yellowish.[4] The shade of the lips may a buff orange or light cinnamon.[5] The forearm measurement is 34–38 mm (1.3–1.5 in), and the weight range is 3–5 g (0.11–0.18 oz).[4] The long and slender fore-arm, foot, and head is comparatively lighter than the rest of the animal.[2]
Vespadelus douglasorum is distinguished by having a forearm 34 to 38 mm (1.3 to 1.5 in)long, a total head and body length of 35 to 44 mm (1.4 to 1.7 in), a tail 35 to 38 mm (1.4 to 1.5 in) long and a length from the notch at the base of the ear to the tip of 11 to 13 mm (0.43 to 0.51 in). The weight ranges from 4.5 to 6 g (0.16 to 0.21 oz).[5]
They resemble the smaller 'northern cave' species Vespadelus caurinus, except for the darker colouring lacks a yellowish hue.[5]
Taxonomy
The first description, published as Eptesicus douglasi, was made by Darrell Kitchener in 1976. The epithet was emended by Kitchener to douglasorum in 1987,[6][7] the same year another systematic treatment transferred that taxon to a subgeneric arrangement within Pipistrellus, allied to Pipistrellus (Vespadelus).[8][9] The type location is at Tunnel Creek in the Kimberley region, located in the north-west of the continent in the state of Western Australia.[7] The holotype obtained at Tunnel Creek was the first collection of specimen, captured in a mist net in 1958 by D. Farner and D. L. Serventy. Further specimens were shot at Drysdale River National Park and at the Prince Regent River reserve.[2]
No subspecies are recognised within the population, although several specimens are noted as aberrant, possible subspecies or species, and designated as Vespadelus aff. douglasorum.[10][11]
The specific epithet "douglasi" honours the work of Marion and Athol M. Douglas, for their contributions to research of Australian bats.[2] Common names include the 'yellow-lipped' eptesicus or cave bat, yellow-lipped bat, Kimberley or yellow-lipped cave bat, and large cave eptesicus.[10][9][5]
Range and habitat
Vespadelus douglasorum is restricted to the Kimberley region and is widespread within this range.[7][10] The conservation status is of least concern, without known threatening factors and a population assumed to be stable; a listing in 1999 for the species as 'data deficient'.[10] They are poorly surveyed and studied. Anthropogenic threats to the population include disturbance while roosting by visitors to caves and loss of habitat due to agricultural practices.[12]
The species occurs in areas of higher rainfall in the north-west of the range, mostly associated with areas of rainfall greater than 800 mm per annum, and at the devonian limestone of an ancient reef in the southern Kimberley.[5][10] It is also recorded at islands of the Kimberley region: Adolphus, Augustus, Bigge, Boongaree, Middle Osborn, Storr, and Wulalam Islands.[10] The areas in which they forage are streams running through tropical woodland, riparian zones dominated by pandanus and melaleuca trees within the 800 mm isohyet.[6]
Biology
They roost in limestone and sandstone caves in colonies, smaller in number with occasional records are of up to eighty individuals.[12][11] They occur in sympatry with a bat which they resemble, the smaller and darker northern cave species Vespadelus caurinus,[a] and found cohabiting with these and other microchiropteran species.[2][11] They maintain small groups, typically foraging in tropical woodland vegetation and often observed hunting over open running water.[5] Collectors of the museum specimens noted that the species was more difficult to shoot, flying closer to the cliffs than V. caurinus.[2]
The breeding behavior is largely unrecorded, it is assumed that copulation takes place in the wet season due to an observation of lactation at a maternity colony in March. They give birth a single young.[5] The individual life expectancy is unknown, for similar species in captivity it is twelve to twenty years. The generation length of the species is approximated to be six years.[10]
V. douglasorum itself was discovered to host an unknown parasitic species, Psorergatoides australiensis (Acarina: Psorergatidae), a newly described mite of a genus that parasitizes bats. These are tiny disc shaped organisms that reside at the ears or wings, under the stratum corneum, as a low grade infestation.[13]
Footnotes
- ^ Cited as Eptesicus pumilus caurinus.
References
- ^ Armstrong, K.N.; Burbidge, A.A.; Woinarski, J.C.Z. (2021) [amended version of 2017 assessment]. "Vespadelus douglasorum". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T7923A209538760. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T7923A209538760.en. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f Kitchener, D.J. (1976). "Eptesicus douglasi, a new vespertilionid bat from Kimberley, Western Australia". Records of the Western Australian Museum. 4 (3): 295–301. ISSN 0312-3162.
- ^ "Mammal Species of the World - Synonym". www.departments.bucknell.edu.
- ^ a b Richards, G.C.; Hall, L.S.; Parish, S. (photography) (2012). A natural history of Australian bats : working the night shift. CSIRO Pub. pp. 40. 41, 159. ISBN 9780643103740.
- ^ a b c d e f g Menkhorst, P.W.; Knight, F. (2011). A field guide to the mammals of Australia (3rd ed.). Melbourne: Oxford University Press. p. 162. ISBN 9780195573954.
- ^ a b Kitchener, D.J.; Jones, B.; Caputi, N. (1987). "Revision of Australian Eptesicus (Microchiroptera: Vespertilionidae)". Records of the Western Australian Museum. 13: 427–500. ISSN 0312-3162.
- ^ a b c Simmons, N.B. (2005). "Species Vespadelus douglasorum". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 312–529. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
- ^ Hill, J.E; Harrison, D.L. (30 July 1987). "The baculum in the Vespertilioninae (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) with a systematic review, a synopsis of Pipistrellus and Eptesicus, and the descriptions of a new genus and subgenus". Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History). 52: 225–305. ISSN 0007-1498.
- ^ a b "Species Vespadelus douglasorum (Kitchener, 1976)". Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Government. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g Burbidge, Andrew; Harrison, Peter; Woinarski, John (2014). The Action Plan for Australian Mammals 2012. Csiro Publishing. p. 565. ISBN 9780643108745.
- ^ a b c Andrew, D. (2015). Complete Guide to Finding the Mammals of Australia. CSIRO Publishing. p. 335. ISBN 9780643098145.
- ^ a b "Yellow-lipped Bat, Scientific name: Vespadelus douglasorum". The Australian Museum. 2018-10-12. Retrieved 31 December 2018.
- ^ Giesen, K.M.T.; Lukoschus, F.S.; Fain, A. (1982). "Parasites of Western Australia. XV. A New Species of Psorergatoides (Acarina: Psorergatidae) from Australian Bats". Records of the Western Australian Museum. 9 (4): 315–323. ISSN 0312-3162.
- v
- t
- e
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Chordata
- Class: Mammalia
- Order: Chiroptera
- Family: Vespertilionidae
- Hoary bat (A. cinereus)
- Big red bat (A. egregius)
- Hawaiian hoary bat (A. semotus)
- A. villosissimus
- Banana serotine(A. nanus)
- Collared pipistrelle (A. aureocollaris)
- Black-gilded pipistrelle (A. circumdatus)
- Coppery pipistrelle (A. cuprosus)
- Social pipistrelle (A. societatis)
- Necklace pipistrelle (A. torquatus)
- Western barbastelle (B. barbastellus)
- Beijing barbastelle (B. beijingensis)
- Eastern barbastelle (B. darjelingensis)
- Asian barbastelle (B. leucomelas)
- Van Gelder's bat (B. dubiaquercus)
- Large-eared pied bat (C. dwyeri)
- Gould's wattled bat (C. gouldii)
- Chocolate wattled bat (C. morio)
- New Caledonia wattled bat (C. neocaledonicus)
- Hoary wattled bat (C. nigrogriseus)
- Little pied bat (C. picatus)
- New Zealand long-tailed bat (C. tuberculatus)
- Mexican big-eared bat (C. mexicanus)
- Rafinesque's big-eared bat (C. rafinesquii)
- Townsend's big-eared bat (C. townsendii)
- Southern yellow bat (D. ega)
- Cuban yellow bat (D. insularis)
- Northern yellow bat (D. intermedius)
- Western yellow bat (D. xanthinus)
- E. anatolicus
- Little black serotine (E. andinus)
- Bobrinski's serotine (E. bobrinskoi)
- Botta's serotine (E. bottae)
- Brazilian brown bat (E. brasiliensis)
- E. chiriquinus
- Diminutive serotine (E. diminutus)
- Surat serotine (E. dimissus)
- Horn-skinned bat (E. floweri)
- Argentine brown bat (E. furinalis)
- Big brown bat (E. fuscus)
- Gobi big brown bat (E. gobiensis)
- Guadeloupe big brown bat (E. guadeloupensis)
- Long-tailed house bat (E. hottentotus)
- Harmless serotine (E. innoxius)
- E. isabellinus
- E. japonensis
- Kobayashi's bat (E. kobayashii)
- E. lobatus
- Sind bat (E. nasutus)
- Northern bat (E. nilssonii)
- E. ognevi
- E. pachyomus
- Thick-eared bat (E. pachyotis)
- Lagos serotine (E. platyops)
- Serotine bat (E. serotinus)
- E. taddeii
- Sombre bat (E. tatei)
- Spotted bat (E. maculatum)
- Disk-footed bat (E. denticulus)
- Chocolate pipistrelle (F. affinis)
- Western false pipistrelle (F. mackenziei)
- Pungent pipistrelle (F. mordax)
- Peters's pipistrelle (F. petersi)
- Eastern false pipistrelle (F. tasmaniensis)
- Allen's striped bat (G. alboguttata)
- Silvered bat (G. argentata)
- Beatrix's bat (G. beatrix)
- Curry's bat (G. curryae)
- Bibundi bat (G. egeria)
- Glen's wattled bat (G. gleni)
- Allen's spotted bat (G. humeralis)
- Kenyan wattled bat (G. kenyacola)
- Machado's butterfly bat (G. machadoi)
- Abo bat (G. poensis)
- Variegated butterfly bat (G. variegata)
- G. aquilus
- G. bucephalus
- Javan thick-thumbed bat (G. javanus)
- Common thick-thumbed bat (G. tylopus)
- Blanford's bat (H. blanfordi)
- False serotine bat (H. doriae)
- Gaskell's false serotine (H. gaskelli)
- Tickell's bat (H. tickelli)
- Large false serotine (H. tomesi)
- Strange big-eared brown bat (H. alienus)
- H. diaphanopterus
- Humboldt big-eared brown bat (H. humboldti)
- Thomas's big-eared brown bat (H. laephotis)
- Big-eared brown bat (H. macrotus)
- Southern big-eared brown bat (H. magellanicus)
- Small big-eared brown bat (H. montanus)
- Tropical big-eared brown bat (H. velatus)
- H. alaschanicus
- H. anthonyi
- Arabian pipistrelle (H. arabicus)
- Desert pipistrelle (H. ariel)
- H. bemainty
- Cadorna's pipistrelle (H. cadornae)
- Broad-headed pipistrelle (H. crassulus)
- Long-toothed pipistrelle (H. dolichodon)
- Eisentraut's pipistrelle (H. eisentrauti)
- Brown pipistrelle (H. imbricatus)
- Joffre's pipistrelle (H. joffrei)
- Red-brown pipistrelle (H. kitcheneri)
- Lanza's pipistrelle (H. lanzai)
- Burma pipistrelle (H. lophurus)
- Big-eared pipistrelle (H. macrotis)
- Mouselike pipistrelle (H. musciculus)
- Chinese pipistrelle (H. pulveratus)
- Savi's pipistrelle (H. savii)
- Vordermann's pipistrelle (H. vordermanni)
- Great evening bat (I. io)
- Allen's big-eared bat (I. phyllotis)
- Angolan long-eared bat (L. angolensis)
- Botswanan long-eared bat (L. botswanae)
- Namib long-eared bat (L. namibensis)
- De Winton's long-eared bat (L. wintoni)
- Silver-haired bat (L. noctivagans)
- L. arequipae
- L. atratus
- Desert red bat (L. blossevillii)
- Eastern red bat (L. borealis)
- Tacarcuna bat (L. castaneus)
- Jamaican red bat (L. degelidus)
- Hairy-tailed bat (L. ebenus)
- Western red bat (L. frantzii))
- Minor red bat (L. minor)
- Pfeiffer's red bat (L. pfeifferi)
- Saline red bat (L. salinae)
- Seminole bat (L. seminolus)
- Cinnamon red bat (L. varius)
- Moloney's mimic bat (M. moloneyi)
- Dark-brown serotine (N. brunnea)
- Cape serotine (N. capensis)
- Yellow serotine (N. flavescens)
- N. grandidieri
- Tiny serotine (N. guineensis)
- N. isabella
- Isalo serotine (N. malagasyensis)
- Malagasy serotine (N. matroka)
- Melck's house bat (N. melckorum)
- Rendall's serotine (N. rendalli)
- N. robertsi
- Rosevear's serotine (N. roseveari)
- Somali serotine (N. somalica)
- N. stanleyi
- White-winged serotine (N. tenuipinnis)
- Zulu serotine (N. zuluensis)
- Pied bat (N. superba)
- Birdlike noctule (N. aviator)
- Azores noctule (N. azoreum)
- Nyctalus furvus (N. furvus)
- Greater noctule bat (N. lasiopterus)
- Lesser noctule (N. leisleri)
- Mountain noctule (N. montanus)
- Common noctule (N. noctula)
- Chinese noctule (N. plancyi)
- Schlieffen's bat (N. schlieffeni)
- Temminck's mysterious bat (N. aenobarbus)
- Cuban evening bat (N. cubanus)
- Evening bat (N. humeralis)
- Northern long-eared bat (N. arnhemensis)
- Eastern long-eared bat (N. bifax)
- N. corbeni
- N. daedalus
- Lesser long-eared bat (N. geoffroyi)
- Gould's long-eared bat (N. gouldi)
- Sunda long-eared bat (N. heran)
- Lord Howe long-eared bat (N. howensis)
- N. major
- Small-toothed long-eared bat (N. microdon)
- New Guinea long-eared bat (N. microtis)
- New Caledonian long-eared bat (N. nebulosus)
- Tasmanian long-eared bat (N. sherrini)
- Mount Missim long-eared bat (N. shirleyae)
- Greater long-eared bat (N. timoriensis)
- Pygmy long-eared bat (N. walkeri)
- Desert long-eared bat (O. hemprichii)
- Otonycteris leucophaea (O. leucophaea)
- Western pipistrelle (P. hesperus)
- Eastern pipistrelle (P. subflavus)
- New Guinea big-eared bat (P. imogene)
- Rohu's bat (P. brachypterus)
- Japanese house bat (P. abramus)
- Forest pipistrelle (P. adamsi)
- Mount Gargues pipistrelle (P. aero)
- Anchieta's pipistrelle (P. anchietae)
- Angulate pipistrelle (P. angulatus)
- Kelaart's pipistrelle (P. ceylonicus)
- Greater Papuan pipistrelle (P. collinus)
- Indian pipistrelle (P. coromandra)
- P. dhofarensis
- Egyptian pipistrelle (P. deserti)
- Endo's pipistrelle (P. endoi)
- P. hanaki
- Dusky pipistrelle (P. hesperidus)
- Aellen's pipistrelle (P. inexspectatus)
- Java pipistrelle (P. javanicus)
- Kuhl's pipistrelle (P. kuhlii)
- Madeira pipistrelle (P. maderensis)
- Minahassa pipistrelle (P. minahassae)
- Christmas Island pipistrelle (P. murrayi)
- Tiny pipistrelle (P. nanulus)
- Nathusius's pipistrelle (P. nathusii)
- Lesser Papuan pipistrelle (P. papuanus)
- Mount Popa pipistrelle (P. paterculus)
- Dar es Salaam pipistrelle (P. permixtus)
- Common pipistrelle (P. pipistrellus)
- Soprano pipistrelle (P. pygmaeus)
- P. raceyi
- Rüppell's pipistrelle (P. rueppellii)
- Rusty pipistrelle (P. rusticus)
- Narrow-winged pipistrelle (P. stenopterus)
- Sturdee's pipistrelle (P. sturdeei)
- Least pipistrelle (P. tenuis)
- Watts's pipistrelle (P. wattsi)
- Northern pipistrelle (P. westralis)
- P. ariel
- Brown long-eared bat (P. auritus)
- Grey long-eared bat (P. austriacus)
- Ethiopian big-eared bat (P. balensis)
- P. begognae
- Christie's big-eared bat (P. christiei)
- P. gaisleri
- P. homochrous
- Kolombatovic's long-eared bat (P. kolombatovici)
- P. kozlovi
- Alpine long-eared bat (P. macrobullaris)
- Ognev's long-eared bat (P. ognevi
- Japanese long-eared bat (P. sacrimontis)
- Sardinian long-eared bat (P. sardus)
- P. strelkovi
- Taiwan big-eared bat (P. taivanus)
- Canary big-eared bat (P. teneriffae)
- P. turkmenicus
- P. wardi
- Yucatan yellow bat (R. aeneus)
- Allen's yellow bat (R. alleni)
- Bickham's little yellow bat (R. bickhami)
- Genoways's yellow bat (R. genowaysi)
- Slender yellow bat (R. gracilis)
- Husson's yellow bat (R. hussoni)
- Thomas's yellow bat (R. io
- Menchu's little yellow bat (R. menchuae)
- Tiny yellow bat (R. minutilla)
- Least yellow bat (R. mira)
- Little yellow bat (R. parvula)
- Black-winged little yellow bat (R. tumida)
- R. velilla
- Rüppell's broad-nosed bat (S. rueppellii)
- White-bellied lesser house bat (S. albigula)
- Light-winged lesser house bat (S. albofuscus)
- Hinde's lesser house bat (S. hindei)
- Dark-winged lesser house bat (S. hirundo)
- Desert yellow bat (S. pallidus)
- Harlequin bat (S. ornatus)
- S. alvenslebeni
- Andrew Rebori's house bat (S. andrewreborii)
- Lesser yellow bat (S. borbonicus)
- Sulawesi yellow bat (S. celebensis)
- Sody's yellow house bat (S. collinus)
- African yellow bat (S. dinganii)
- Ejeta's house bat (S. ejetai)
- Greater Asiatic yellow bat (S. heathii)
- Lesser Asiatic yellow bat (S. kuhlii)
- White-bellied yellow bat (S. leucogaster)
- Livingstone's house bat (S. livingstonii)
- Marovaza house bat (S. marovaza)
- Schreber's yellow bat (S. nigrita)
- S. nigritellus
- Robbins's yellow bat (S. nucella)
- Nut-colored yellow bat (S. nux)
- Robust yellow bat (S. robustus)
- S. tandrefana
- Trujillo’s house bat (S. trujilloi)
- Greenish yellow bat (S. viridis)
- Inland broad-nosed bat (S. balstoni)
- Little broad-nosed bat (S. greyii)
- Eastern broad-nosed bat (S. orion)
- Northern broad-nosed bat (S. sanborni)
- Dormer's bat (S. dormeri)
- T. fulvida
- T. malayana
- Lesser bamboo bat (T. pachypus)
- Pygmy bamboo bat (T. pygmaeus)
- Greater bamboo bat (T. robustula)
- T. tonkinensis
- Inland forest bat (V. baverstocki)
- Northern cave bat (V. caurinus)
- Large forest bat (V. darlingtoni)
- Yellow-lipped bat (V. douglasorum)
- Finlayson's cave bat (V. finlaysoni)
- Eastern forest bat (V. pumilus)
- Southern forest bat (V. regulus)
- Eastern cave bat (V. troughtoni)
- Little forest bat (V. vulturnus)
- Parti-coloured bat (V. murinus)
- Asian particolored bat (V. sinensis)