Ward's Long-eared Bat

About the Ward's Long-eared Bat

Ward's long-eared bat (Plecotus wardi) is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in mountainous regions of South Asia and adjoining regions. It was described in 1911 by Oldfield Thomas, but was later reclassified as conspecific with the grey long-eared bat (P. austriacus). However, a 2006 study confirmed it as a distinct species using genetic and morphological evidence, and revived it as such. The results of this study have been followed by the American Society of Mammalogists, the IUCN Red List, and the ITIS. It was named after Colonel A. E. Ward, an amateur naturalist and member of the Bombay Natural History Society.

Plecotus ariel was described as a new species in 1911 by Oldfield Thomas. The holotype is the only individual that has ever been documented. It had been collected in Kangding, China at an elevation of 2,600 m (8,400 ft) above sea level, as part of the Duke of Bedford's Zoological Expedition, led by Malcolm Playfair Anderson. It was similar in appearance to Ognev's long-eared bat. It was sometimes included as a subspecies of the grey long-eared bat (Plecotus austriacus). However, the same study that revived P. wardi found P.... Wikipedia →