Botta's serotine (Eptesicus bottae) is a species of vesper bat, one of 25 in the genus Eptesicus.
It is found in rocky areas and temperate desert.
Taxonomy and etymology
It was described as a new species in 1869 by German naturalist Wilhelm Peters. Peters placed it in the now-defunct bat genus Vesperus with a binomial of V. bottae. The holotype was collected in southwestern Yemen.by Paul-Émile Botta in 1837.[2] Botta is the eponym for the species name "bottae".[3] In 1878, George Edward Dobson wrote that he considered it synonymous with the serotine bat, Vesperugo (=Eptesicus) serotinus.[4] By 1967, it was referred to as its present name combination, Eptesicus bottae.[5]
From 1976 until 2006, the closely related species Eptesicus anatolicus was widely considered a part of E. bottae, despite E. anatolicus being separately identified in 1971. This conception was largely overturned by Benda and colleagues in 2006.[6] Until 2013, Ognev's serotine (E. ognevi) was also considered a part of E. bottae, until genetic analyses confirmed both as distinct species.[7]
Description
Individuals weigh 8–9 g (0.28–0.32 oz) and have wingspans of 28.2 cm (11.1 in).[8] It has a forearm length of 38–47 mm (1.5–1.9 in).[9] It has an average flight speed of 5.7 m/s (13 mph).[8]
As of 2021, it is evaluated as a least-concern species by the IUCN. Within Egypt, it is considered locally common, though it is less common in other parts of its range.[1]
^Kingdon, J.; Happold, D.; Butynski, T.; Hoffmann, M.; Happold, M.; Kalina, J. (2013). Mammals of Africa. Vol. 4. A&C Black. pp. 552–553. ISBN9781408189962.
