Kerivoula myrella Thomas 1914

316.

Bismarck Woolly Bat

Kerivoula myrella

French: Kérivoule des Bismarck / German: Bismarck-Archipel-Wollfledermaus / Spanish: Querivoula de Bismarck

Other common names: Bismarck Trumpet-eared Bat, Manus Island Woolly Bat

Taxonomy. Kerivoula myrella Thomas, 1914,

“ Manus Island,” Admiralty Islands, northern Papua New Guinea.

Phylogenetic position of K. myrella is uncertain because has not been included in any genetic studies. Monotypic.

Distribution. Manus, New Britain, Duke of York, and Umboi Is; a specimen from Wetar I was identified as this species, but specific status of this specimen needs to be confirmed.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 33- 3-40 mm,tail 34- 3—46 mm,ear 11-3-13- 9 mm, hindfoot 7-9- 8 mm, forearm 31-5-38- 5 mm; weight 3-5-6- 5 g. Fur is dense and woolly. Dorsal pelage is grayish brown (hairs with dark brown bases, pale grayish brown middles, and medium grayish brown tips); venter is about the same. Ears are large and virtually naked, with convex anterior margins, rounded tips, and concavity just below tips on posterior borders; tragus is narrow and tall, with virtually straight anterior margin except for very slight convexity near tip, and has concave posterior margin with small hooked basal lobe. Wings are attached at base of outer toes, and sparse fringe of hairs occurs on posterior margin of uropatagium. Braincase is more inflated anteriorly, similarly to Phoniscus. C' is more massive than in other New Guinean Kerwoula.

Habitat. Wet lowland and hill forests and also along watercourses in disturbed environments and secondary regrowth, including plantations, from sea level to up elevations of ¢. 500 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. No information.

Activity patterns. No information.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. No information.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. Virtually nothing is known about the Bismarck Woolly Bat’s ecology and threats, and additional research is needed.

Bibliography. Bonaccorso (1998), Flannery (1995a), Hill & Rozendaal (1989), Hutson, Schlitter, Csorba, Kingston et al. (2008), Thomas (1914b).