Savi's pipistrelle (''Hypsugo savii'' sometimes classified as ''Pipistrellus savii'') 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 famili ...

found across North West Africa, the Mediterranean region and the Middle East. It feeds at night on flying insects. In the summer it roosts under bark, in holes in trees, in old buildings and in rock crevices but in winter it prefers roosts where the temperature is more even such as caves, underground vaults and deep rock cracks.

Taxonomy

Based on

mitochondrial DNA Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA and mDNA) is the DNA located in the mitochondrion, mitochondria organelles in a eukaryotic cell that converts chemical energy from food into adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Mitochondrial DNA is a small portion of the D ...

, specifically the regions that encode

cytochrome c oxidase The enzyme cytochrome c oxidase or Complex IV (was , now reclassified as a translocasEC 7.1.1.9 is a large transmembrane protein complex found in bacteria, archaea, and the mitochondria of eukaryotes. It is the last enzyme in the Cellular respir ...

and

cytochrome b Cytochrome b is a protein found in the membranes of aerobic cells. In eukaryotic mitochondria (inner membrane) and in aerobic prokaryotes, cytochrome b is a component of respiratory chain complex III () — also known as the bc1 complex or ubiq ...

, Savi's pipistrelle is most closely related to ''

Hypsugo alaschanicus The Alashanian pipistrelle (''Hypsugo alaschanicus'') is a species of bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in China, South Korea, Mongolia, Japan, and Russia. It is assessed as Least-concern species, least-concern by the International ...

''.

Description

Savi's pipistrelle is a small species of bat with a head and body length of between and a forearm (elbow to wrist) length between . It weighs between . It has broad, rounded ears each with a short tragus that is widest in the middle and narrows towards the rounded tip. The face, ears and wing membranes are black. The short fur on the upperside of the head and body is dark brown and that on the underside is pale, with the chin, throat and chest contrasting sharply with the animal's back. The tail is rounded and is rather longer than is the case in other closely related species.

Distribution

Savi's pipistrelle is native to the Mediterranean region of southern Europe, North West Africa, the Middle East, central Asia, Mongolia and northern Japan. It also occurs in the Canary Islands, Switzerland and Austria and has been recorded from Slovakia. It mainly occurs in mountainous regions where it is found at altitudes of up to . It favours bushy slopes with clumps of trees, scrubland, cliffs, gorges and ruins. In the summer it hides by day under the bark of trees, in rock clefts, in hollow trees, in holes in walls, in buildings under rafters and roof tiles. In winter it seeks more protected places to roost such as near the entrances of caves, in underground vaults and in deep rock crevices, where it normally hides alone.

Biology

Savi's pipistrelle feeds on flying

insect Insects (from Latin ') are Hexapoda, hexapod invertebrates of the class (biology), class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (Insect morphology#Head, head, ...

s which it catches on the wing using echolocation to locate its

prey Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not ki ...

. It has been found that it synchronises the emittance of the ultrasonic sounds used for this purpose with its wing beats, in order to maximise detection distances. It drinks by making repeated low flights over water, raising its wings and scooping up water with its tongue. It may forage over pastureland, in villages and round streetlights. Savi's pipistrelle breeds in the summer, and up to 70 female bats may roost together in "maternity" communities.

Status

Savi's pipistrelle is listed as being of "

Least Concern A least-concern species is a species that has been evaluated and categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as not being a focus of wildlife conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wil ...

" in the

IUCN Red List of Threatened Species The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is an inventory of the global conservation status and extinction risk of biological spe ...

. This is because its population is believed to be stable and there are no particular threats that affect it. Many nations protect all their bats, and Savi's pipistrelle is also protected through the

Bonn Convention The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, also known as the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) or the Bonn Convention, is an international agreement that aims to conserve migratory species throughout their r ...

(Eurobats) in the countries that have ratified that treaty. It is also protected in Europe by its inclusion in Annex IV of the EU Habitats and Species Directive.

References

External links

Hypsugo savii - Science for Nature Foundation
{{Taxonbar, from=Q660139 Hypsugo Mammals of Cape Verde Mammals described in 1837 Cave mammals Taxa named by Charles Lucien Bonaparte