Barbados myotis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Barbados myotis |
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|---|---|
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Myotis
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| Species: |
nyctor
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| Synonyms | |
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Myotis martiniquensis nyctor |
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The Barbados myotis (Myotis nyctor) is a small bat that lives in the Lesser Antilles, a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea. For a while, scientists thought it was a type of Schwartz's myotis bat. But in 2012, they learned it was a unique species all on its own!
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Discovering the Barbados Myotis
In 1973, a scientist named Richard K. LaVal first described a bat called Schwartz's myotis. He found these bats in Martinique. A year later, in 1974, LaVal found similar bats in Barbados. He thought they were the same species but from different places. So, he called the Barbados bats a subspecies, M. m. nyctor.
But then, in 2012, another study looked closely at the bats' DNA. They found that the Barbados bats were quite different from the Martinique bats. In fact, the Barbados myotis was more closely related to an unknown bat species in Suriname! Because of these big differences in their DNA and how they looked, scientists decided the Barbados bat should be its own species. They gave it the name Myotis nyctor. There might even be a special group of M. nyctor bats living on the island of Grenada.
What Does It Look Like?
The Barbados myotis is a small bat. Its whole body, from nose to tail, is about 84 mm (3.3 in) long. That's about the length of a small candy bar! Its forearm, which is part of its wing, is about 33.4 mm (1.31 in) long.
Its hind foot is only about 7 mm (0.28 in) long. Its ear is about 13 mm (0.51 in) long. The bat's skull, or head bone, measures about 13.5 mm (0.53 in) long.
Even though the Barbados myotis looks a lot like the Schwartz's myotis, there are small differences. The Barbados myotis has a longer lower leg bone (called the tibia). It also has a bigger body overall, but its skull is a bit smaller than the Schwartz's myotis.
Where Do They Live?
You can find the Barbados myotis on the island of Barbados. It also lives in other parts of the Lesser Antilles. As mentioned, it might even be found on Grenada.
For a long time, this bat was the only type of mouse-eared bat known on Barbados. But in 2017, scientists found another species there called Myotis attenbourghi.
The Barbados myotis usually lives in places that are between 50 m (160 ft) and 300 m (980 ft) above sea level. During the day, these bats like to rest and sleep in caves. But sometimes, you can also find them living in towns and cities.
How Are They Protected?
The IUCN says the Barbados myotis is a vulnerable animal. This means it could be in danger of disappearing if we don't protect it.
It's considered vulnerable for a few reasons:
- It only lives in 2 or 3 specific places.
- The total area where it lives is quite small, about 1,000 km2 (390 sq mi).
- It is threatened by very strong weather events, like hurricanes. These storms can destroy their homes.
- Changes in how land is used, like building new homes or farms, can also cause them to lose their habitat.
- More tourism in the area could also mean less space for these bats to live.
