Beijing barbastelle

The Beijing barbastelle (Barbastella beijingensis), also known as the Beijing wide-eared bat, is a species of vesper bat endemic to Beijing Municipality, China.^[2][3] The species was discovered by Chinese zoology students in 2001 in caves of Fangshan District in southwestern Beijing and was identified as a distinct species by zoologists Zhang Shuyi, Gareth Jones, Zhang Jingshuo and Han Naijian in 2007.^[1][4][5]

Description

The Beijing barbastelle is a relatively large member of the genus Barbastella with forearm length of 41.1-46.4 mm and body mass of 10.5-13.9 g.^[2] It has dark black dorsal fur with brown-gray tips and lighter ventral fur.^[2] The shape of its ear and the frequency of its echolocation calls are distinct from those of its closest relatives, the Asian barbastelle and western barbastelle.^[5]

Range and habitat

The Beijing barbastelle has only been found in caves and one abandoned tunnel in Fangshan District, near Yunxiaoling, in a mountainous region with riparian woodland.^[2]

Conservation

The Beijing barbastelle is believed to be rare but as of 2007, there has not been an assessment of the species in the Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN).^[2]

See also

• Beijing mouse-eared bat

References

1. 1 2 ZHANG, J.-S.; HAN, N.-J.; JONES, G.; LIN, L.-K.; ZHANG, J.-P.; ZHU, G.-J.; HUANG, D.-W.; ZHANG, S.-Y. (2007). A new species of Barbastella (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from North China. Journal of Mammalogy 88 (6): 1393-1403.
2. 1 2 3 4 5 Beijing barbastelle The Darwin Initiative Centre for Bat Research Accessed 2013-04-05
3. ↑ (Chinese) "中国哺乳动物新物种：北京宽耳蝠" 《森林与人类》 2012-10-17
4. ↑ (Chinese) "蝙蝠家族首添中国人命名新种"北京宽耳蝠"". 人民网. 2007-12-19. 
5. 1 2 张劲硕. "中国哺乳动物新物种：北京宽耳蝠". 中国野生动物保护协会.