It was first described by Cabrera in 1904 using morphological characters. It was then synonymized with Myotis nattereri until recently when the use of mitochondrial and nuclear markers has supported its total differentiation as a valid species (Ibáñez et al ., 2006, Salicini et al ., 2011, 2013) within the group of species that conform the ‘nattereri species complex’.
; [batnames2023] Distinct from nattereri; see Ibanez et al. (2006).; [MDD2023] split from M. nattereri; [MDD2025_2.0] split from M. nattereri; [batnames2025_1.7] Distinct from nattereri; see Ibanez et al. (2006).; [MDD2025_2.2] split from M. nattereri escaleraiIt was first described by Cabrera in 1904 using morphological characters. It was then synonymized with Myotis nattereri until recently when the use of mitochondrial and nuclear markers has supported its total differentiation as a valid species (Ibáñez et al ., 2006, Salicini et al ., 2011, 2013) within the group of species that conform the ‘nattereri species complex’.
escalerai escalerai, escalerae escalerai Cabrera, 1904|escalerae Simmons, 2005 [incorrect subsequent spelling | not used as valid] N/A NA 4C3D87E8FF216A9EFF4A91C916D5BF1C Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions 978-84-16728-19-0 hbmw_9_Vespertilionidae_716.pdf.imf hash://md5/b004ff90fffb6a44fffc96591e00bb32 980 zip:hash://sha256/ec5fd314a06aba1a7b0b72f23e54ac625ae272bd98f82f1d01f4c09627d9e8e0!/treatments-xml-main/data/4C/3D/87/4C3D87E8FF216A9EFF4A91C916D5BF1C.xml Myotis escalerai Vespertilionidae Myotis escalerai Cabrera 1904 Murin d'Escalera @fr | German @en | berische Fransenfledermaus @en | Ratonero ibérico @es | Other common names @en | berian Natterer's Bat @en | @en | berian Natterer's Myotis @en Myotis escalerai Cabrera, 1904 , Valencia , Spain . Subgenus Myotis ; myotis species group. See M. nattereri . Monotypic. Iberian Peninsula N to the French Pyrenees and Balearic Is. Head-body 42-50 mm , tail 42-50 mm , ear 15- 1-18 mm , hindfoot 6-7-10, forearm 37- 1-42 mm ; weight 4.5-6- 3 g . Escalera’s Myotis is extremely similar to Natterer’s Myotis (M. natterer ), the Cryptic Myotis (M. crypticus), and the Zenati Myotis (M. zenatius). Its dorsum is brownish to grayish, and venteris pale grayish to whitish. Young are much darker than adults. Edge of uropatagium hasdistinct line of bristles, typical of the nattereri species complex. It is clearly different from the Cryptic Myotis because it has noticeably line of hair pointing inward and another line of hair, shorter, pointing outward. Wings are clearly attached to metatarsus, a characteristic that differentiates it from sympatric Cryptic Myotis whose wing membrane starts at base of the foot. Calcaris clearly S-shaped. It has a naked face, pinkish (especially area surrounding eyes), with long muzzle and relatively long ears that surpass tip of nose when flattened horizontally, which are also foldable due to multiple folds presentin the outside edge. Skull is small and delicate with high braincase and strongly concave forehead regions; there are no sagittal or occipital crests. P* is more than one-half height and about three-quarters crown area of P? and is within tooth row; lower molars are myotodont. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 44 and FNa = 50 ( Spain ). Wide variety of habitats from dry areas (e.g. Ebro Basin) to montane deciduous and coniferous forests, oak woodlands, parks, and orchards (e.g. olive and almond trees), usually at lower elevations but up to ¢. 1400 m . Escalera’s Myotis probably has similar foraging behavior and feeding preferences to Natterer’s Myotis and is able to glean prey from surfaces of leaves and directly from the ground with its tail membrane. It can be seen foraging close to vegetation, branches, and leaves searching for potential prey. Maternity colonies of Escalera’s Myotis can contain from tens to 800 females and young. Temperature in summer roosts is 17-21°C. Mating activities take place in autumn (September—November) during swarming period when numbers of males increase significantly in cave-rich areas. Young are usually born in May. Young are completely independent at less than two months old in July and leave maternity colonies. Escalera’s Myotis readily switch roosts. Escalera’s Myotis is cave dwelling and can be found in natural and artificial caves, mines, tunnels, and other undergroundsites, generally hidden in cracks and crevices. There are isolated reports of roosts in tree holes or even bridges. Echolocation calls are very similar to those from Natterer’s Myotis , with short and highly modulated pulses,starting at 120-140 kHz and ending at 15-20 kHz (broad frequency range of ¢.130 kHz). Discrimination of its calls from other species of Myotis is difficult and controversial. Escalera’s Myotisis considered sedentary. It will share roosts with other species such as the Long-fingered Myotis (M. capaccicnii) and Geoffroy’s Myotis ( M. emarginatus ). Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Disturbance, vandalism, and destruction of caves are major threats to Escalera’s Myotis and can affect large colonies. Two ofthe largest colonies of Escalera’s Myotis have recently disappeared due to inappropriate fencing. It might be more common than expected, especially in the most humid and coldest regions in its distribution. Cabrera (1904) | Coraman et al. (2019) | Evin et al. (2009) | Ibanez et al. (2006) | Juste etal. (2019) | Puechmaille, Allegrini et al. (2012) | Ruedi et al. (2019) | Salicini et al. (2013) https://zenodo.org/record/6399009/files/figure.png 492. Escalera’s Myotis Myotis escalerai French: Murin d'Escalera / German: Iberische Fransenfledermaus / Spanish: Ratonero ibérico Other common names: Iberian Natterer's Bat , Iberian Natterer's Myotis Taxonomy. Myotis escalerai Cabrera, 1904 , Valencia , Spain . Subgenus Myotis ; myotis species group. See M. nattereri . Monotypic. Distribution. Iberian Peninsula N to the French Pyrenees and Balearic Is. Descriptive notes. Head-body 42-50 mm , tail 42-50 mm , ear 15- 1-18 mm , hindfoot 6-7-10, forearm 37- 1-42 mm ; weight 4.5-6- 3 g . Escalera’s Myotis is extremely similar to Natterer’s Myotis (M. natterer ), the Cryptic Myotis (M. crypticus), and the Zenati Myotis (M. zenatius). Its dorsum is brownish to grayish, and venteris pale grayish to whitish. Young are much darker than adults. Edge of uropatagium hasdistinct line of bristles, typical of the nattereri species complex. It is clearly different from the Cryptic Myotis because it has noticeably line of hair pointing inward and another line of hair, shorter, pointing outward. Wings are clearly attached to metatarsus, a characteristic that differentiates it from sympatric Cryptic Myotis whose wing membrane starts at base of the foot. Calcaris clearly S-shaped. It has a naked face, pinkish (especially area surrounding eyes), with long muzzle and relatively long ears that surpass tip of nose when flattened horizontally, which are also foldable due to multiple folds presentin the outside edge. Skull is small and delicate with high braincase and strongly concave forehead regions; there are no sagittal or occipital crests. P* is more than one-half height and about three-quarters crown area of P? and is within tooth row; lower molars are myotodont. Chromosomal complement has 2n = 44 and FNa = 50 ( Spain ). Habitat. Wide variety of habitats from dry areas (e.g. Ebro Basin) to montane deciduous and coniferous forests, oak woodlands, parks, and orchards (e.g. olive and almond trees), usually at lower elevations but up to ¢. 1400 m . Food and Feeding. Escalera’s Myotis probably has similar foraging behavior and feeding preferences to Natterer’s Myotis and is able to glean prey from surfaces of leaves and directly from the ground with its tail membrane. It can be seen foraging close to vegetation, branches, and leaves searching for potential prey. Breeding. Maternity colonies of Escalera’s Myotis can contain from tens to 800 females and young. Temperature in summer roosts is 17-21°C. Mating activities take place in autumn (September—November) during swarming period when numbers of males increase significantly in cave-rich areas. Young are usually born in May. Young are completely independent at less than two months old in July and leave maternity colonies. Escalera’s Myotis readily switch roosts. Activity patterns. Escalera’s Myotis is cave dwelling and can be found in natural and artificial caves, mines, tunnels, and other undergroundsites, generally hidden in cracks and crevices. There are isolated reports of roosts in tree holes or even bridges. Echolocation calls are very similar to those from Natterer’s Myotis , with short and highly modulated pulses,starting at 120-140 kHz and ending at 15-20 kHz (broad frequency range of ¢.130 kHz). Discrimination of its calls from other species of Myotis is difficult and controversial. Movements, Home range and Social organization. Escalera’s Myotisis considered sedentary. It will share roosts with other species such as the Long-fingered Myotis (M. capaccicnii) and Geoffroy’s Myotis ( M. emarginatus ). Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. Disturbance, vandalism, and destruction of caves are major threats to Escalera’s Myotis and can affect large colonies. Two ofthe largest colonies of Escalera’s Myotis have recently disappeared due to inappropriate fencing. It might be more common than expected, especially in the most humid and coldest regions in its distribution. Bibliography. Cabrera (1904), Coraman et al. (2019), Evin et al. (2009), Ibanez et al. (2006), Juste etal. (2019), Puechmaille, Allegrini et al. (2012), Ruedi et al. (2019), Salicini et al. (2013). Simmons, N.B. and A.L. Cirranello. 2022B. Bat Species of the World: A taxonomic and geographic database. Accessed on 10/11/2022. Vespertilionidae Myotis escalerai Myotis Unassigned-Myotis escalerai Cabrera 1904 0 Mem. Soc. Española Hist. Nat. 2:31 Escalera's Myotis None. Spain, Valencia Iberia Not listed. Least Concern Distinct from nattereri; see Ibanez et al. (2006). Mammal Diversity Database. (2023). Mammal Diversity Database (Version 1.11) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7830771 released 15 April 2023 Myotis escalerai 23 Escalera's Myotis Iberian Natterer's Bat|Iberian Natterer's Myotis Theria Placentalia Boreoeutheria Laurasiatheria CHIROPTERA VESPERTILIONIFORMES NA NA VESPERTILIONOIDEA VESPERTILIONIDAE MYOTINAE NA Myotis Myotis escalerai Cabrera 1904 0 Valencia, Spain. escalerai Cabrera, 1904 split from M. nattereri Ibáñez, C., GarcÃa-Mudarra, J. L., Ruedi, M., Stadelmann, B., & Juste, J. (2006). The Iberian contribution to cryptic diversity in European bats. Acta Chiropterologica, 8(2), 277-297. France|Spain|Portugal Europe Palearctic LC 0 0 0 Myotis_escalerai 0 unmatched NA 1 IUCN. 2022. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2022-1. https://www.iucnredlist.org. Accessed on [28 September, 2022]. 90000000 Myotis escalerai ANIMALIA CHORDATA MAMMALIA CHIROPTERA VESPERTILIONIDAE Myotis escalerai Cabrera, 1904It was first described by Cabrera in 1904 using morphological characters. It was then synonymized with Myotis nattereri until recently when the use of mitochondrial and nuclear markers has supported its total differentiation as a valid species (Ibáñez et al ., 2006, Salicini et al ., 2011, 2013) within the group of species that conform the ‘nattereri species complex’.
90000000 Myotis escalerai Least Concern 2017 2016-05-24 00:00:00 UTC 3.1 EnglishThe Least Concern category is based on the estimated population and the absence of specific threats. Nevertheless, it shows one of the most restricted distribution areas among continental bats in the Palearctic and as a cave-dweller species, the populations are concentrated in no many roosts which put the population on constant risk since they are highly sensitive to disturbances such as diseases or vandalisms. Therefore, its conservation status could relatively quickly change in the future.
During the activity period (spring to fall), this species uses mainly both natural caves and similar man-made roosts such as mines and tunnels, although it has been found also in small holes in trees or even bridges. During the mating season (fall) it makes swarming at the entrance of caves together with other Myotis species. Hibernacula are not known yet but they may use inaccessible crevices in caves for wintering. Suitable habitats can vary from Mediterranean shrubs to dense forests. Foraging strategy is not known but most probably is a gleaning hunter as the rest of middle-sized Myotis and although shows a wide ecological plasticity, it seems its hunting grounds are frequently located in forested areas (Quetglas 2007).
No specific threata are known for the species but two large breeding colonies in caves have disappeared recently due to inappropriate enclosures as well as other that were located in buildings and other human constructions. ;
The Spanish population was estimated in 45,000 individuals (Quetglas 2007). Reproduction colonies can vary from several tens to hundreds of females. The largest known maternity colony has up to 1,000 females in Córdoba (Ibáñez and Nogueras 2013). ;Population trend is not known and still new colonies are being discovered. The Portuguese population seems to be increasing (Rodrigues et al . 2003).
UnknownSo far its distribution is restricted to the Iberian Peninsula, Balearic Islands (Majorca and Menorca) and sparse localities in the Northern slopes of the Pyrenees in France (Ibáñez et al . 2006, Evin et al . 2009, ; Salicini et al . 2011, 2013, Razgour et al . 2015). In Iberia has not been found only along the humid and oceanic northern strip whereas in Portugal is found in all the country (Pereira, 2013). The highest maternity colony was found in Sierra Nevada (Granada) at 1400 m Asl and sparse individuals have been found up to 2100 m Asl in Sierra de Gredos (Ãvila).
TerrestrialEffective protection of roosts and monitoring of the important colonies are suggested.
Palearctic FALSE FALSE Global Simmons, N. B., & Cirranello, A. L. (2023). Batnames.org Species List Version 1.4 (1.4). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.8136157 Vespertilionidae Myotis Unassigned - Myotis escalerai Cabrera 1904 0 Mem. Soc. Española Hist. Nat. 2:31 Escalera's Myotis None. Spain, Valencia Iberia Not listed. Least Concern Distinct from nattereri; see Ibanez et al. (2006). Myotis escalerai 1005403 23 Escalera's Myotis Iberian Natterer's Bat|Iberian Natterer's Myotis Theria Placentalia Boreoeutheria Laurasiatheria CHIROPTERA VESPERTILIONIFORMES NA NA VESPERTILIONOIDEA Vespertilionidae MYOTINAE NA Myotis Myotis escalerai Cabrera 1904 0 Valencia, Spain. escalerai Cabrera, 1904 split from M. nattereri Ibáñez, C., GarcÃa-Mudarra, J. L., Ruedi, M., Stadelmann, B., & Juste, J. (2006). The Iberian contribution to cryptic diversity in European bats. Acta Chiropterologica, 8(2), 277-297. France|Spain|Portugal Europe Palearctic LC 0 0 0 Myotis_escalerai 0 unmatched NA 1 Burgin, C. J., Zijlstra, J. S., Becker, M. A., Handika, H., Alston, J. M., Widness, J., Liphardt, S., Huckaby, D. G., and Upham, N. S. (2025). How many mammal species are there now? Updates and trends in taxonomic, nomenclatural, and geographic knowledge. Journal of Mammalogy in revision: TBD. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.02.27.640393 Myotis_escalerai 1005403 23 Escalera's Myotis Iberian Natterer's Bat|Iberian Natterer's Myotis Theria Placentalia Boreoeutheria Laurasiatheria Chiroptera Yangochiroptera NA NA Vespertilionoidea Vespertilionidae Myotinae NA Myotis Myotis escalerai Cabrera 0 Myotis Escalerai Cabrera, Ã. 1904. Ensayo monográfico sobre los quirópteros de España. Memorias de la Sociedad Española de Historia Natural 2(5):249-286. https://books.google.com/books?id=gFYrAAAAYAAJ MNCN 863 syntypes Valencia, Spain. split from M. nattereri Ibáñez, C., GarcÃa-Mudarra, J. L., Ruedi, M., Stadelmann, B., & Juste, J. (2006). The Iberian contribution to cryptic diversity in European bats. Acta Chiropterologica, 8(2), 277-297. France|Spain|Portugal Europe Palearctic NT 0 0 0 Myotis_escalerai 0 unmatched NA 1 Simmons, N. B., & Cirranello, A. L. (2025). Batnames.org Species List Version 1.7 (1.7). Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14796586 Vespertilionidae Myotis Myotis escalerai Cabrera 1904 0 Mem. Soc. Española Hist. Nat. 2:31 Escalera's Myotis None. Spain, Valencia Iberia Not Listed Near Threatened Distinct from nattereri; see Ibanez et al. (2006). Mammal Diversity Database. (2025). Mammal Diversity Database (Version 2.2) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15007505 NA Myotis escalerai; Myotis escalerai; Myotis escalerai; Myotis escalerai; Myotis escalerai; escalerai; Murin d'Escalera; German; berische Fransenfledermaus; Ratonero ibérico; Other common names; berian Natterer's Bat; berian Natterer's Myotis; Escalera's Myotis; Iberian Natterer's Bat; Iberian Natterer's Myotis; Escalera's Myotis; M. escalerai