A New Subspecies of Bat (Myotis velifer) from Southeastern California and Arizona

Excerpt

The first specimens of Myotis velifer from California were taken in 1909 by C. L. Camp at Needles, San Bernardino County (Grinnell, Univ. California Publ. Zool., 12:266, March 20, 1914), and subsequently this bat was recorded from farther south in the lower Colorado River Valley at the Riverside Mountains, Riverside County (Stager, Jour. Mamm., 20:226, May 14, 1939). West of the Rocky Mountains the species is known to occur also in at least the southern two-thirds of Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and is recorded from Thistle Valley, Utah, on the basis of two young specimens in alcohol (Miller and Allen, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 144:87, May 25, 1928). Through comparisons made possible by the acquisition, in the last few years, of mammals from many parts of Mexico by the Museum of Natural History of the University of Kansas, it became evident that Myotis velifer in California and Arizona was an heretofore unnamed subspecies. It may be known as

Myotis velifer brevis new subspecies

Myotis velifer, Grinnell, Univ. California Publ. Zool., 12:266, March 20, 1914; Grinnell, H. W., Univ. California Publ. Zool., 12:259, January 31, 1918.

Myotis velifer velifer, Miller and Allen, Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus., 144:87, May 25, 1928; Burt, Jour. Mamm., 14:115, May 15, 1933; Burt, Misc. Publ. Mus. Zool. Univ. Michigan, 39:22, February 14, 1938; Hatfield, Bull. Chicago Acad. Sci., 6:146, January 12, 1942.

Type.—Male, adult, No. 22631, Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas; Madera Canyon, 5,000 ft., Santa Rita Mountains, Pima County, Arizona; obtained on March 12, 1948, by J. R. Alcorn; original number 5571.

Range.—Lower Colorado River Valley in California and Arizona, through southern two-thirds of Arizona, southwestern New Mexico, and northern Sonora; southern limits of range unknown.

Diagnosis.—Size small (see measurements). Color pale, upper parts being near (16"j) Snuff Brown (capitalized color terms are of Ridgeway, Color Standards and Color Nomenclature, Washington, D. C, 1912); underparts dull Pinkish Buff to nearly white in some specimens; ears and flight membranes near (16"l) Olive Brown; skull small.

Comparisons.—From Myotis velifer incautus (J. A. Allen), Myotis velifer brevis differs in: Size smaller; color slightly darker; skull smaller. From Myotis velifer peninsularis Miller, M. v. brevis differs in: Size larger; color darker; skull larger. From Myotis velifer velifer (J. A. Allen), M. v. brevis differs in; Size smaller; pelage paler, with less extensive basal dark portion; skull smaller.

TABLE 1.—Measurements, in Millimeters, of Myotis velifer

SexNumber
averagedAverageRangeM. v. velifer, 4 km. E Las Vigas, 8,500 ft., Veracruz, Mexico.Total length♂1597.192.0-101.0" "♀999.093.0-103.0Length of forearm♂2744.142.1-46.0" " "♀1844.743.3-46.1Condylobasal length♂1515.915.4-16.2" "♀916.015.7-16.4Interorbital breadth♂154.23.9-4.2" "♀94.13.9-4.3Mastoid breadth♂158.48.2-8.5" "♀98.48.2-8.6Zygomatic breadth♂1510.710.4-10.9" "♀910.710.4-11.2M. v. incautus, 4 mi. E Sherman, Major Co., Oklahoma.Total length♂11101.597.0-107.0Length of forearm♂945.444.6-47.3Condylobasal length♂1116.415.9-16.7Interorbital breadth♂114.24.0-4.5Mastoid breadth♂118.88.5-9.1Zygomatic breadth♂1110.910.5-11.3M. v. brevis, Riverside Mtns., 35 mi. N Blythe, Riverside Co., California.Total length♂896.691.5-99.0" "♀94.691.0-97.0Length of forearm♂4541.840.4-44.5" " "♀642.140.7-43.4Condylobasal length♂1615.515.1-15.8" "♀15.415.1-15.8Interorbital breadth♂164.03.8-4.2" "♀3.93.9-4.0Mastoid breadth♂168.27.8-8.6" "♀8.38.0-8.5Zygomatic breadth♂1510.410.2-10.7" "♀10.410.1-10.6

Remarks.—Miller and Allen (op. cit. :90) considered specimens of Myotis velifer from Roosevelt, Arizona, to be intergrades between M....