Kerivoula depressa explained

Kerivoula depressa, commonly called Miller's flat-headed woolly bat or the flat-skulled woolly bat, is a species of vesper bat found in Southeast Asia.

Taxonomy and etymology

Kerivoula depressa was initially described by American zoologist Gerrit Smith Miller Jr. The holotype had been collected near Taungoo, Myanmar by Leonardo Fea.[1] It was long considered a subspecies of Hardwicke's woolly bat until a 2017 paper showed cryptic diversity within the species: based on genetic differentiation, the authors determined that K. depressa should be considered a species rather than a subspecies.[2]

Description

Kerivoula depressa is considered a medium-sized member of the genus Kerivoula. Its forearm length is about . It has a flattened skull lacking any sagittal crest, with the greatest length of skull around . The fur on its back is bicolored - individual hairs are black at the bases but dark brown at the tips. The fur on its belly is paler in color, also with bicolored hairs that are dark brown at the bases and brownish yellow at the tips.[3]

Range and habitat

Kerivoula depressa is found in Southeast Asia, where its range includes Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. It is found at elevations from above sea level in evergreen forest habitats.

Conservation

As of 2021, it is evaluated as a least-concern species by the IUCN. It has a large geographic range, presumably large population that is not experiencing rapid decline, its range includes protected areas, and it can persist in environments experiencing disturbance.

Notes and References

  1. Miller Jr.. G. S.. 1906. Seven New Malayan Bats. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. 19. 64–65.
  2. 10.3161/15081109ACC2017.19.1.002 . A Taxonomic Revision of the Kerivoula hardwickii Complex (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) with the Description of a New Species . 2017 . Kuo . Hao-Chih . Soisook . Pipat . Ho . Ying-Yi . Csorba . Gabor . Wang . Chun-Neng . Rossiter . Stephen J. . Acta Chiropterologica . 19 . 19 . 89954556 .
  3. 10.3897/zookeys.1149.85821 . 1149 . free . First record of the flat-skulled woolly bat Kerivoula depressa and the Indochinese woolly bat K. Dongduongana (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) in China . 2023 . Liang . Xiaoling . Xie . Huixian . Li . Yannan . Huang . Zhenglanyi . Li . Song . Wu . Yi . Yu . Wenhua . ZooKeys . 1–15 . 37250914 . 10209259 . 2023ZooK.1149....1L .