Miniopterus fraterculus Thomas & Schwann 1906
Creators: name: Don E. Wilson
name: Russell A. Mittermeier
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2019
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Chiroptera
Miniopteridae
Miniopterus
Miniopterus fraterculus

description: 26.
Lesser Long-fingered Bat
Miniopterus fraterculus
French: Petit Minioptere / German: Kleine Langfllgelfledermaus / Spanish: Minidptero pequeno
Other common names: Lesser Bent-winged Bat
Taxonomy. Miniopterus fraterculus Thomas & Schwann, 1906,
“in cave on sea-coast, Knysna,” Western Cape, South Africa.
Populations of M. fraterculus in Madagascar are now considered to be two endemic species: M. sororculus and M. peterson. Similarly, populations of central Zambia, Malawi, northern and central Mozambique, and Zimbabwe are also genetically differentiated and included in M. mossambicus. Monotypic.
Distribution. With abovementioned taxonomic adjustments, distribution is now restricted to E & S South Africa and Swaziland; possibly S Mozambique.
Descriptive notes. Head—body 46-55-6 mm, tail 39-52 mm, ear 8-13 mm, hindfoot 9-11 mm, forearm 42-5-44-5 mm; weight 7-8-5 g. Dorsal pelage is dense, velvety, and usually dark brown or almost black (black morph) or reddish brown (russet morph). Ventral pelage is paler gray-brown. Mid-dorsal hairs (c. 9 mm long) are faintly bicolored, slightly paler at tips than at bases. Wing membranes and uropatagium are dark brown to black. Ears are small, and tragus is relatively long (4-8 mm), with parallelsided rounded tip. The Lesser Long-fingered Batis very similar to the Natal Long-fingered Bat (M. natalensis), with which it can share roosts. Nevertheless, the Lesser L.ongfingered Bat is smaller in overall size, especially in total length, but has larger hindfeet.
Habitat. Temperate montane grasslands of South African coastal belt and a variety of habitats from drier Valley Bushveld and Lowveld to moister Mistbelt. Lesser Long-fingered Bats seem mostly associated with majorriver valleys. They are also considered a clutter-edge foragers, but its smaller body size, lower wing loading, and shorter calls with higher peak frequency with respect to the Natal Long-fingered Bat confirm that the Lesser Long-fingered Bat is more clutter resistant and probably uses more densely vegetated foraging habitats.
Food and Feeding. The Lesser Long-fingered Bat eats insects captured in flight. In Knysna (South Africa), diet was composed almost equally of Lepidoptera, Hemiptera, and Diptera, and very low proportion of some Coleoptera. In this same locality, the Natal Long-fingered Bat consumed the same prey, but Lepidoptera was eaten in smaller amounts, and Coleoptera was as important as Hemiptera and Diptera.
Breeding. The Lesser Long-fingered Bat is seasonally monoestrous, with only one young per year per female. In the Natal Midlands (29°35’ S), mating lasts from the end of May to the middle of June, and copulation is followed by fertilization of the ovule. From that date until mid-August, there is delayed implantation of 2-5 months. Fetal growth lasts c.4 months, and births take place in December. Births occur at beginning of summer, ensuring maximum availability of insects during first months of growth of young.
Activity patterns. The Lesser Long-fingered Bat is thought to be mainly nocturnal. It becomes torpid during the day at 21-24°C and hibernates in winter. During the first one-half of winter (April-July), it loses 15% of body weight (7-1-8-4 g), although this is much less than the loss of the Natal Long-fingered Bat for the same time period. The Lesser Long-fingered Bat feeds more in winter. It mostly uses caves, disused mines, and tunnels as daytime roosts but also crevices in rocks. Availability of suitable roosting sites is a critical factor in determining its distribution. Echolocation calls have downward FM signals, with lowest frequencies of 44-57 kHz, peak frequencies of 59-8-65-8 kHz, durations of 2-6—4-5 milliseconds, and intervals of 40-160 milliseconds.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Lesser Long-fingered Bat migrates between summer and winter roosts and is suspected to make irregular movements between caves during winter, although its major winter roosts have not been found. It roosts in tightly packed groups of usually less than 100 individuals, much smaller than in the Natal Long-fingered Bat, which with it is commonly found sharing roosts. Female Lesser Long-fingered Bats congregate in nursery colonies in which births and lactation occur. Both sexes hibernate.
Status and Conservation. Classified as [Least Concern on The IUCN Red List.
Bibliography. Bernard (1980), Bernard & Happold (2013e), Goodman, Bradman et al. (2008), Goodman, Ryan et al. (2007), Herselman & Norton (1985), Mille~Butterworth et al. (2005), Monadjem, Goodman et al. (2013), Monadjem, Ranivo et al. (2017), Monadjem, Taylor et al. (2010), Schoeman & Jacobs (2008), Stoffberg et al. (2004), Thomas & Schwann (1906).
description: Published as part of Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2019, Miniopteridae, pp. 674-709 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on page 706, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5735202