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Oriental Serotine

Cnephaeus pachyomus
LC · Least concern Chiroptera Vespertilionidae
Oriental Serotine (Cnephaeus pachyomus)
Photo: © Kim, Hyun-tae, some rights reserved (CC BY)
Size
wingspan of 28-32 cm
Weight
10-18 g
Activity
Nocturnal

Description

A widespread Asian bat that until recently was considered merely a race of the Serotine, until genetic studies in 2013 confirmed it to be a distinct species, with a completely new genus assigned to it in 2023.

How to identify it

Medium-sized, with a wingspan of 28 to 32 cm, a body 5 to 7 cm long and a weight of 10 to 18 g; its general appearance resembles the Serotine, from which it was recently separated as a distinct species after confirmation of marked genetic divergence between the two.

Habitat and range

A wide variety of habitats across much of Asia, including areas of Russia recently confirmed to fall within its distribution.

Diet

Insectivorous; hunts on the wing using echolocation.

Behaviour

Poorly documented in detail; presumably roosts in tree cavities, crevices or buildings, like other serotines.

Conservation

A species with a wide distribution in Asia, with no indication of significant decline.

Threats

No major threats have been identified on a global scale.

Other accounts in Vespertilionidae

See all species accounts for bats · Full species index

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