The Moche big-eared brown bat (''Histiotus mochica'') is a species of

vesper bat Vespertilionidae is a family of microbats, of the order Chiroptera, flying, insect-eating mammals variously described as the common, vesper, or simple nosed bats. The vespertilionid family is the most diverse and widely distributed of bat familie ...

in the family Vespertilionidae. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to coastal

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

. It is notable for its likely depiction in Moche

ceramics A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porcelain ...

over a millennium prior to its discovery to Western science in 2012 and scientific description in 2021.

Taxonomy

It is thought to be the sister species to the

Humboldt big-eared brown bat The Humboldt big-eared brown bat (''Histiotus humboldti'') is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in Colombia and Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, Rep ...

(''H. humboldti'').

Distribution

It is restricted to the

Peruvian desert The Sechura Desert is a coastal desert located south of the Piura Region of Peru along the Pacific Ocean coast and inland to the foothills of the Andes Mountains. Its extreme aridity is caused by the upwelling of cold coastal waters and subtrop ...

, alongside several other bat species uniquely adapted to the harsh and arid habitat. This habitat also coincides with the historic extent of the

Moche culture The Moche civilization (; alternatively, the Mochica culture or the Early, Pre- or Proto-Chimú) flourished in northern Peru with its capital near present-day Moche, Trujillo, Peru from about 100 to 700 AD during the Regional Development Epoch. ...

Description

It can be distinguished from other members of the genus ''

Histiotus ''Histiotus'' (meaning "sail ears") is a genus of South American vesper bats with species that include: * Strange big-eared brown bat, ''Histiotus alienus'' * Cadena-García's big-eared brown bat, ''Histiotus cadenai'' * Colombian big-eared b ...

'' by its unique ears as well as its uniform brown

pelage Fur is a thick growth of hair that covers the skin of mammals. It consists of a combination of oily #Guard hair, guard hair on top and thick #Down hair, underfur beneath. The guard hair keeps moisture from reaching the skin; the underfur acts as ...

, in contrast to the multicolored pelage of other ''Histiotus'' species.

Discovery and significance

Bats were frequently represented in Moche artwork, and are thought to have been culturally significant, being associated with the

moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

and

ancestor worship The veneration of the dead, including one's ancestors, is based on love and respect for the deceased. In some cultures, it is related to beliefs that the dead have a continued existence, and may possess the ability to influence the fortune of t ...

. Many ceramics depicting bats (among other animals) are known, likely intended to hold daily and ritual fluids. One such vessel, currently held by the

Cleveland Museum of Art The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) is an art museum in Cleveland, Ohio, located in the Wade Park District, in the University Circle neighborhood on the city's east side. Internationally renowned for its substantial holdings of Asian and Egyptian ...

, depicts a bat with large ears connected by a band of membrane across the forehead and no

nose-leaf A nose-leaf, or leaf nose, is an often large, lance-shaped nose, found in bats of the Phyllostomidae, Hipposideridae The Hipposideridae are a family of bats commonly known as the Old World leaf-nosed bats. While it has often been seen as a su ...

, which are key traits of the genus ''

''. However, for a significant period of time, no ''Histiotus'' was known from the region formerly inhabited by the Moche. In 2012, an unknown ''Histiotus'' was documented in

Piura Department Piura () is a coastal department and region in northwestern Peru. The region's capital is Piura and its largest port cities, Paita and Talara, are also among the most important in Peru. The area is known for its tropical and dry beaches. It is ...

, with two specimens being collected. Further studies found it to represent a distinctive, previously-undescribed species, and during research it was connected to the Moche pottery of the unknown ''Histiotus''. It was ultimately described as ''Histiotus mochica'' in 2021, being named after the culture that had documented well before its discovery to Western science.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q109264797 Histiotus Bats of South America Mammals of Peru Endemic fauna of Peru Mammals described in 2021