Japanese short-tailed bat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Japanese short-tailed bat
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Chiroptera
Family:	Vespertilionidae
Genus:	Eptesicus
Species:	E. japonensis
Binomial name
Eptesicus japonensis Imaizumi, 1953
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The Japanese short-tailed bat (Eptesicus japonensis) is a special kind of bat. It belongs to a family called Vespertilionidae, also known as "common bats." This bat lives only in Japan. You can find it in the northern Japanese Alps, the Chichibu Mountains, and Oze National Park. These bats usually live in places higher than 700 meters (about 2,300 feet) above sea level.

About the Japanese Short-tailed Bat

The Japanese short-tailed bat is a small creature. Its head and body together are about 58 to 68 millimeters long. That's about the length of a small paperclip! Its forearm is 38 to 41.5 millimeters long. The tail is 35 to 43 millimeters long, and its foot is about 8.7 to 11.5 millimeters long. Its ears are fairly small, measuring 13 to 16.5 millimeters.

What Does It Look Like?

This bat has soft, shiny fur. Its back is a dark blackish-brown color. Its belly is yellowish-brown. It also has a cool golden-brown collar. This collar goes from behind its ears down to its chest. The bat's nostrils stick out a bit. Its snout is wide because it has two special bumps on the sides.

The bat's wings are wide and thick. They are not see-through. The wings connect to the back of its big toe. The very tip of its tail sticks out a little past the skin that connects its legs. This skin is called the interfemoral membrane.

Where Do These Bats Live?

We don't know a lot about the Japanese short-tailed bat. Scientists have only done a few studies. They have recorded seeing these bats about 20 times. Because of this, scientists think these bats are rare. They also seem to live in small, separate areas across Japan.

Finding Their Homes

These bats have been seen living above 700 meters (2,300 feet). They live in the northern Japanese Alps. They also live in the mountains near Chichibu. Another place they are found is in Oze National Park. These bats like to make their homes, called roosts, inside hollow trees.

Protecting the Japanese Short-tailed Bat

The Japanese short-tailed bat is listed as "vulnerable" by the IUCN. This means it is at risk of becoming endangered. It has only been seen in an area smaller than 5,000 square kilometers (about 1,930 square miles).

Threats to Their Homes

These bats are facing problems because their homes are being damaged. Their natural habitat is being destroyed. They usually live in hollow trees. But when forests are cut down, these trees are lost. This means the bats lose their safe roosting spots.

Sometimes, when they lose their tree homes, bats try to live in buildings. But living near people can be dangerous for them. Human activities can disturb the bats. This makes it harder for them to survive. Protecting their forest homes is very important for these unique bats.