Desert long-eared bat
species of mammal
The desert long-eared bat (Otonycteris hemprichii) is a species of vesper bat found in North Africa and the Middle East.
Taxonomy
The taxonomic classification of Otonycteris is unclear, however their chromosomes suggest that this genus is closely related to the Barbastella and Plecotus genera.
Description
It has a body and head length of about 73–81 mm (2.9-3.2 in); a forearm length of about 57–67 mm (2.2–2.6 in), and a tail length of about 47–70 mm (1.9–2.8 in). Male desert long-eared bats weigh 18–20 g (0.63–0.71 oz). They have nearly horizontally directed ears, which use a band of skin to connect across the forehead and are about 40 mm in length. The desert long-eared bat has a pale sandy and dark brown upper part, with a whitish bottom. It has a similar skull and similar teeth to the Eptesicus. Some specimens of this species have two sets of mammae in their pectoral muscles, which is unique for mammals. These mammae may not be functional.
Ecology and behavior
This species normally inhabits dry, arid, rocky, and barren regions.
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This entry incorporates text from “Desert long-eared bat” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.