Myotis myotis (Borkhausen, 1797)
Vespertilionidae
Least Concern
| Other names | |
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| Catalan | Rater gros |
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| Spanish | Murciélago ratonero grande |
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| English | Greater mouse-eared bat |
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| French | Grand murin |
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| Basque | Saguzar arratoi-belarri handi |
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| Galician | Morcego de orellas de rato grande |
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Description
A large bat species, with a head and body length between 65 and 84 mm (the largest mouse-eared bat in Europe), a tail length between 40 and 60 mm, a forearm length between 55 and 67 mm, a wingspan of 350 to 450 mm, and a weight ranging from 20 to 27 g. The ears are characteristically long, measuring between 24 and 27 mm, and the snout is particularly pronounced. The colouration is distinct between the dorsal part, which is brownish or reddish, and the ventral part, which is whitish or grayish. Generally, juveniles have a much grayer colouration than adults. The wings are gray or dark brown.
For identification purposes, the relatively large ears (with about 7-8 transverse folds), a dark spot at the tip of the tragus, and the elongated snout are important characteristics that distinguish it from the lesser mouse-eared bat (Myotis blythii). The latter typically has narrower ears (with about 5-6 transverse folds), a white spot of fur between the ears, and no dark spot on the tragus.
