220.

Caspian Barbastelle

Barbastella caspica

French: Barbastelle caspienne / German: Kaspische Mopsfledermaus / Spanish: Barbastela caspiana

Taxonomy. Barbastella barbastella caspica Satunin, 1908,

Haciqabul district, Azerbaijan.

Previously included in B. leucomelas or B. darjelingensis; recently separated as a distinct species based on morphometric and genetic data. Monotypic.

Distribution. E Caucasus and N Iran E to W Kyrgyzstan. Due to recent reclassification of the species and lack of samples, current distribution is very poorly delimited.

Descriptive notes. Head-body 45-63 mm, tail 40-50 mm, ear c.15> mm, forearm 40-6-44- 5 mm; weight 6-18 g. Fur is soft and long (10-13 mm on back and 9-10 mm on belly); very distinctive, hairs with dark brown or blackish bases (onehalf of their length) and whitish or pale brown distal parts; almost white on belly. Ears lack typical rounded or circular lobe on outer margin of other barbastelles; when flattened, ears pass tip of muzzle by 2- 2-5 mm. Muzzle, ears, and limbs are brownish, but paler than body skin. Wings long and narrow. Distal vertebra oftail is free. Skull shape and size are very similar to those of European morphotypes; frontal part of skull has deeper slope with anterior part less bulbous than in closest relatives; basial pits and zygomatic arches weakly developed; greatest skull length c.15- 2 mm; condylobasal length 13- 7-15 mm; and upper tooth row length 4-8- 5 mm. P? tiny and almost entirely hidden behind cingulum of C'; I? is bicuspid; upper molars poorly developed. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 32 and FN = 50.

Habitat. No information.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. In Kyrgyzstan, the species has been reported in caves.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Solitary and sedentary.

Status and Conservation. Not assessed on The IUCN Red List. Apparently threatened by logging and wood harvesting, but due to the recent taxonomic reclassification, its conservation status and population trends have not yet been properly assessed.

Bibliography. Benda & Mlikovsky (2008), Kruskop (2015), Ognev (1927).