| Botta's serotine | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Vespertilionidae |
| Genus: | Eptesicus |
| Species: | E. bottae |
| Binomial name | |
| Eptesicus bottae (Peters, 1869) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Botta's serotine (Eptesicus bottae) is aspecies ofvesper bat, one of 25 in the genusEptesicus.It is found in rocky areas and temperatedesert.
It wasdescribed as a new species in 1869 by German naturalistWilhelm Peters. Peters placed it in the now-defunct bat genusVesperus with a binomial ofV. bottae. Theholotype was collected in southwesternYemen.byPaul-Émile Botta in 1837.[2] Botta is theeponym for thespecies name "bottae".[3] In 1878,George Edward Dobson wrote that he considered itsynonymous with theserotine bat,Vesperugo (=Eptesicus)serotinus.[4] By 1967, it was referred to as its present name combination,Eptesicus bottae.[5]
From 1976 until 2006, the closely related speciesEptesicus anatolicus was widely considered a part ofE. bottae, despiteE. anatolicus being separately identified in 1971. This conception was largely overturned by Benda and colleagues in 2006.[6] Until 2013,Ognev's serotine (E. ognevi) was also considered a part ofE. bottae, until genetic analyses confirmed both as distinct species.[7]
Individuals weigh 8–9 g (0.28–0.32 oz) and have wingspans of 28.2 cm (11.1 in).[8] It has a forearm length of 38–47 mm (1.5–1.9 in).[9] It has an average flight speed of 5.7 m/s (13 mph).[8]
It is found in several countries bordering the eastern part of theMediterranean Sea and theMiddle East. It can be found inEgypt,Iran,Iraq,Israel,Jordan,Oman,State of Palestine,Saudi Arabia,Syrian Arab Republic, theUnited Arab Emirates,Yemen, and possiblyLebanon. It has been documented at a range of elevations up to 2,100 m (6,900 ft) above sea level.[1]
As of 2021, it is evaluated as aleast-concern species by theIUCN. Within Egypt, it is considered locally common, though it is less common in other parts of its range.[1]
