Ethiopian long-eared bat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ethiopian long-eared bat |
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The Ethiopian long-eared bat is a special kind of bat. It's also called the Ethiopian big-eared bat. Its scientific name is Plecotus balensis. This bat belongs to a group of bats known for their long ears, and they are part of the Vespertilionidae family, which includes many common bats.
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What Does It Look Like?
The Ethiopian long-eared bat is a medium-sized animal. It's smaller than some other long-eared bats, like the grey long-eared bat. This bat has a small head and a short nose. Its fur is dark brown, and it doesn't have any yellow spots. Its long ears are a key feature, giving it its name.
Where Does It Live?
This bat lives only in one special place: the highlands of Ethiopia. When we say it's endemic to Ethiopia, it means you won't find it naturally anywhere else in the world! So far, we only know for sure that it lives in the high parts of the Harenna Forest. This forest is inside the Bale Mountains National Park. It has also been seen near Abune Yosef.
There are some older reports that suggest it might have lived in other mountain forests too. Some people even thought it might be in Eritrea. However, that bat might actually be a different species called the Christie's long-eared bat.
What Kind of Home Does It Like?
The Ethiopian long-eared bat has only been found in one type of home: humid evergreen mountain forests. These are forests that stay green all year round and get a lot of moisture. The first bat of this kind ever studied was found in a forest with many Astropanax and Hagenia trees. These bats like to fly and hunt for food in the more open parts of the forest. They also hunt along the edges of clearings, which are open spaces in the forest.
Bat Family Tree
The Ethiopian long-eared bat was first described in the year 2000. It holds a special place because it's the southernmost known bat of its kind in Africa. It lives south of two other common long-eared bats found in Europe and Asia: the brown long-eared bat and the grey long-eared bat.
This bat is closely related to the Canary long-eared bat. They form a group, or clade, which means they share a common ancestor. This group is very old within the Plecotus family. The Christie's big-eared bat lives closest to the Ethiopian long-eared bat geographically. However, there's still a lot more research needed to fully understand how all the different Plecotus bats are related to each other.
