The fraternal myotis, discovered by scientists in the Land of the Leopard National Park, Primorsky Territory, has not previously been seen in this protected natural area. This species of bats is poorly studied and is listed in the Red Book of Primorye.
“The find was made during an expedition dedicated to the inventory of the species composition of bats in a specially protected natural area and monitoring of their populations. The study was carried out by scientists from the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Tyumen State University. A rare fly was caught by a method that is safe for animal health - spider webs,” the Ministry of Natural Resources said on its website.
The fraternal myotis (Myotis frater) is a flying predator the size of a large moth (up to 5 cm in length) that hunts nocturnal insects and navigates in the dark using echolocation, the department noted. It inhabits the area of the south of the Far East.
According to scientists, the living conditions in the Land of the Leopard National Park are favorable for the bat, since they managed to catch three individuals at once in two different places.
According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, the species was first recorded in the vicinity of Vladivostok back in 1891. In the wild, this bat prefers mixed forests with rivers, over which it hunts at nightfall.
According to experts, the “Land of the Leopard” has a well-developed river network, so there are enough hunting grounds for the long-tailed bat.
The result of regularly conducted research and scientific expeditions is the discovery of new species, in particular the Red Book species. In 2019, scientists discovered a new species of ungulates for the Russian fauna - water deer, as well as several new species of spiders, the Ministry of Natural Resources said.
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