Myotis ikonnikovi Ognev 1912

438.

Ikonnikov’'s Myotis

Myotis ikonnikovi

French: Murin d'lkonnikov / German: Kurzohr-Bartfledermaus / Spanish: Ratonero de lkonnikov

Other common names: lkonnikov's Bat, lkonnikov's Whiskered Bat

Taxonomy. Myotis tkonnikovi Ognev, 1912,

Euseevka, Dalnerechen District, Primorsky Krai (= Ussuri Region), Russia.

Subgenus Myotis; mystacinus species group (4 species), which may besister to muricola species group. This species appears to be sister to M. altarium. Previously treated as a race of M. muricola, but split on genetic and morphological grounds. Monotypic.

Distribution. NE Kazakhstan, SC & SE Russia (including Sakhalin I), N Mongolia, NE Cin a (Nei Mongol, TE Jilin, and Liaoning), Korean Peninsula (including Jeju I), much ofJapan (Hokkaido, Honshu, Okushiri, and Rishirito Is), and S Kuril Is (Kunashir)

Descriptive notes. Head-body 36-55 mm, tail 29-41 mm, ear 8-15 mm, hindfoot 6-9- 5 mm, forearm 30-36 mm. Dorsal pelage of Ikonnikov’s Myotis is uniformly dark brown; ventral pelage slightly paler with slightly darker patch on each side of chest. Bare portions of ears, face, and membranes are dark grayish brown. Ears are relatively long and rather slender with narrowly rounded tip, shallow concavity on posterior borderjust below tip, outward-turned anterior border in middle, and are lightly furred on the inner surface; tragus is just over half ear-height and is slightly concave or straight on anterior margin and convex on posterior margin with pointed tip. Wings are attached to base of outer toe, and uropatagium lacks fringe of hairs on posterior border; calcar is keeled. Skull is small and has pointed rostrum; braincase is broad and low with abruptly rising forehead; interorbital breadth is greater than distance between canines. P? is slightly smaller than P? and is within tooth row, and not leaning inward, P,is small and within tooth row. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 44 and FNa = 52.

Habitat. Ikonnikov’s Myotis is mainly found in mountain forests at elevations of 600— 1000 m, although it has been recorded as low as 200 m in Aomori. Known from most forest types throughoutits range and also found in agricultural land.

Food and Feeding. Seen foraging for aerial insects low along forest roads or streams.

Breeding. Births are known to occur from late June to late July; lactating females and juveniles recorded from late July to early August. Females give birth to single young.

Activity patterns. Ikonnikov’s Myotis roosts by day under bark,in tree cavities, between lianas on tree trunks, in old buildings, under bridges, and in farm roofs, rarely tunnels or other subterranean habitats. During the day, it enters torpid state at its roosts, leaving in the evening to forage through the night. It hibernates through winter in holes or crevices inside caves. Calls are a steep FM sweep with an average start frequency of 90 kHz (55-2-118-1 kHz), end frequency 43-2 kHz (37-8-50-1 kHz), peak frequency 50-6 kHz (47-3-55-9 kHz), and duration 2 milliseconds (0-9-3-4 milliseconds) recorded in Hokkaido, Japan. Recordings from South Korea had average start frequencies of 83-4-132-2 kHz, end frequencies 26-6-44-2 kHz, peak frequencies 46-7-62-6 kHz, interpulse intervals 53-121-3 milliseconds, and durations 2:6—4 milliseconds.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. In summer, Ikonnikov’s Myotis forms maternity colonies ranging in size from tens to over a hundred. Ikonnikov’s Myotis shares roosts with Greater Japanese Horseshoe Bats (Rhinolophus nippon), Far Eastern Myotis (M. bombinus), and Big-footed Myotis (M. macrodactylus). While hibernating however, it usually roost alone. It switches roosts every 1-2 days and may return to a roost several times. Radio-telemetry shows thatit flies 69-360 m each night while foraging.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Tkonnikov’s Myotis is apparently widespread, with no major threats known.

Bibliography. Abe et al. (2005), Bannikov (1954), Findley (1972), Fukui, Agetsuma & Hill (2004), Fukui, Hill et al. (2015), Harada & Yoshida (1978), Jo Yeong-Seok et al. (2018), Kawai, Kondo et al. (2006), Kawai, Nikaido et al. (2003), Kondo & Sasaki (2005), Ohdachi et al. (2009), Ono & Obara (1994), Smith & Xie Yan (2008), Stubbe, Ariunbold, Buuveibaatar, Dorjderem, Monkhzul, Otgonbaatar & Tsogbadrakh (2008b), Tsytsulina (2001), Tsytsulina et al. (2012), Yasui et al. (2004).