Black Myotis
Myotis nigricans is a small bat in the Vespertilionidae family and is common in northern Argentina.
It weighs between 4-7grams, and, as its name suggests, it usually has black or dark-brown silky fur. The ears are widely spaced and pointed with a long pointed tragus and this bat feeds on insects on the wing. It is thought that it uses its long tail membrane to capture insects and to transfer them to its mouth. It is similar to Eptesicus furinalis but can be diferentiated by its dental structure and by looking at its tail membrane which is furred down to its knees. It is also smaller.
The Black Myotis bears one pup which is independent after 5 or 6 weeks.
The Myotis genus echolocate at higher frequencies than other insectivorous bats in the Ibera marshes and are easy to spot on our detectors.
This bat is common around the reserve and we tend to capture them in our Harp traps.
