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Myotis pequinius

The Beijing mouse-eared bat, or Peking myotis (Myotis pequinius) is a species of vesper bat. It is found only in China. It was described as a new species in 1908 by British zoologist Oldfield Thomas.The holotype had been collected by Malcolm Playfair Anderson in 1907.Anderson encountered the species in a cave 30 mi (48 km) west of Beijing. It is a relatively large mouse-eared bat with a forearm length of 48–50 mm (1.9–2.0 in).Its fur is short and velvety, with the fur on its back a gray, reddish-brown.In contrast, its belly fur is off-white. It is insectivorous, consuming mostly beetles.During the day, individuals roost in caves, though they may also roost in human structures. The Beijing mouse-eared bat is endemic to China, where it is found in the provinces of Anhui, Beijing, Henan, Jiangsu, Shanxi, and Sichuan. As of 2008, it is evaluated as a least-concern species by the IUCN.It meets the criteria for this classification because its extent of occurrence exceeds 20,000 km2 (7,700 sq mi); its population is presumably large; and it is unlikely to be experiencing rapid population decline.

[ "China", "Zoology" ]
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