{{Short description|Species of bat}} {{Speciesbox | name = Sardinian long-eared bat | image = Plecotus-sardus.png | status = CR | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn">{{cite iucn |author=Russo, D. |author2=Cistrone, L. |year=2023 |title=''Plecotus sardus'' |volume=2023 |article-number=e.T136503A211020578 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T136503A211020578.en |access-date=12 January 2024}}</ref> | taxon = Plecotus sardus | authority = Mucedda, Kiefer, Pidincedda and Vieth 2002 }}
The '''Sardinian long-eared bat''' ('''''Plecotus sardus''''') is a critically-endangered species of bat endemic to Sardinia, Italy.
This species was discovered in 2002 in the caves of central Sardinia, the type locality being a cave in Lanaitto's Valley in the Oliena District.<ref name=MSW>{{MSW3 Chiroptera | id = 13802170 | page = 483}}</ref> It appears to be closely related to ''Plecotus auritus'' and ''Plecotus macrobullaris''.<ref name=MSW/> It was identified as a new species by a study clearly showing divergence from other ''Plecotus'' species in its mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene.<ref name=Spitzenberger>{{cite journal|author1=Mucceda, M. |author2=Kiefer, A. |author3=Pidincedda, E. |author4=Veith, M. |year=2002| title=A new species of long-eared bat (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) from Sardinia (Italy) |journal=Acta Chiropterologica |volume=4 |issue=2 |pages=121–135|doi= 10.3161/001.004.0202|url=http://eprints.uniss.it/5997/1/Mucedda_M_Articolo_2002_A.pdf |doi-access=free }}</ref>
==Description== ''P. sardus'' is a small bat with a head-and-body length of about {{convert|45|mm|1|abbr=on}}, ears of about {{convert|38|mm|1|abbr=on}} and a weight of up to {{convert|9|g|2|abbr=on}}. The snout is cone-shaped with a fleshy knob on the chin. The ears are oval and joined above the forehead by a fine membrane. The tragus is tapered with a blunt tip and is half as long as the ear. The wing membranes are attached to the rear part of the base of the fifth toe. The tail is long and extends a short way beyond the interfemoral membrane. The fur is fine, long and woolly and is greyish-brown dorsally and whitish or pale brown ventrally. The wing membranes are brown. Two features which distinguish this bat from related species are the cylindrical penis in males and the short, Y-shaped penile bone.<ref name=Spitzenberger/>
==Ecology and distribution== The Sardinian long-eared bat is only known from three caves where it roosts. Two of these are in the Gennargentu National Park and one near the coast.<ref name="iucn"/> Its distribution is highly localized, mainly in central and north coastal areas of Sardinia, and includes the municipalities of Baunei, Busachi, Dorgali, Lula, Oliena, Orgosolo, Ula Tirso, Urzulei, and Gavoi.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Bosso |first=Luciano |last2=Fichera |first2=Gaetano |last3=Mucedda |first3=Mauro |last4=Pidinchedda |first4=Ermanno |last5=Veith |first5=Michael |last6=Smeraldo |first6=Sonia |last7=De Pasquale |first7=Pier Paolo |last8=Mori |first8=Emiliano |last9=Ancillotto |first9=Leonardo |title=Island Life and Interspecific Dynamics Influence Body Size, Distribution and Ecological Niche of Long-Eared Bats |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jbi.70071 |journal=Journal of Biogeography |language=en |volume=n/a |issue=n/a |article-number=e70071 |doi=10.1111/jbi.70071 |issn=1365-2699}}</ref> It hunts in forests at low elevation and favors calcareous terrain.<ref name="SardegnaForeste">{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=<!-- not stated --> |title=Orecchione Sardo |url=https://www.sardegnaforeste.it/fauna/orecchione-sardo |website=SardegnaForeste |publisher=Autonomous Region of Sardinia |access-date=18 July 2025}}</ref>
==Conservation and threats== The primary threat to the Sardinian long-eared is climate change, which has resulted in recurring wildfires around its reproductive areas and in precipitation and temperature extremes during the summer.<ref name="Ancillotto2021">{{cite journal |last1=Ancillotto |first1=L. |last2=Fichera |first2=G. |last3=Pidinchedda |first3=E. |last4=Veith |first4=M. |last5=Kiefer |first5=A. |last6=Mucedda |first6=M. |last7=Russo |first7=D. |date=22 October 2021 |title=Wildfires, Heatwaves and Human Disturbance Threaten Insular Endemic Bats |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10531-021-02313-5 |journal=Biodiversity and Conservation |volume=30 |issue=<!-- not stated --> |publisher=Springer Science+Business Media |pages=4401–4416 |doi=10.1007/s10531-021-02313-5 |bibcode=2021BiCon..30.4401A |access-date=18 July 2025}}</ref><ref name="Riduzione">{{cite web |author=<!-- not stated --> |date=1 February 2022 |title=Drastica riduzione della popolazione del Pipistrello endemico di Sardegna |url=https://www.sardegnaforeste.it/notizia/drastica-riduzione-della-popolazione-del-pipistrello-endemico-di-sardegna |website=SardegnaForeste |location= |publisher=Autonomous Region of Sardinia |access-date=18 July 2025}}</ref> Secondary threats include direct human interference and competition with invasive feral pigeons for nesting sites.<ref name=Riduzione/>
Between 2003 and 2020, the total population of the long-eared bat dropped from 950 to 340 individuals, resulting in a population loss of around 63,4%.<ref name="Ancillotto2021"/><ref name=Riduzione/> With a small total population and a decreasing population trend, the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists it as being a "critically endangered species".<ref name="iucn"/> This bat is the sole surviving endemic mammal found on the Island of Sardinia, the others all having become extinct since the arrival of humans some 8,500 years ago.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Amori, Giovanni |author2=Gippoliti, Spartaco |author3=Luiselli, Luca |year=2013 |title=A short review of the roles of climate and man in mammal extinctions during the Anthropocene |journal=Anthropocene—Natural and Man-made Alterations of the Earth's Fragile Equilibrium |volume=25 |pages=95–99 |doi=10.1007/s12210-013-0240-6 |s2cid=84651348 }}</ref> Due to its uniqueness and restricted range ''P. sardus'' requires a very specific management strategy for its protection to be successful.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Bosso |first1=Luciano |last2=Mucedda |first2=Mauro |last3=Fichera |first3=Gaetano |last4=Kiefer |first4=Andreas |last5=Russo |first5=Danilo |date=2016-12-29 |title=A gap analysis for threatened bat populations on Sardinia |url=http://www.italian-journal-of-mammalogy.it/A-gap-analysis-for-threatened-bat-populations-on-Sardinia,77157,0,2.html |journal=Hystrix: The Italian Journal of Mammalogy |language=english |volume=27 |issue=2 |pages=212–214 |doi=10.4404/hystrix-27.2-11788 |issn=0394-1914}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}} *{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1111/j.1463-6409.2006.00224.x | last1 = Spitzenberger | first1 = F. | last2 = Strelkov | first2 = P. P. | last3 = Winkler | first3 = H. | last4 = Haring | first4 = E. | title = A preliminary revision of the genus ''Plecotus'' (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) based on genetic and morphological results | journal = Zoologica Scripta | volume = 35 | issue = 3 | pages = 187–230 | date = 2006-05-16| s2cid = 86065200 }}
==External links== *[http://www.sardegnaforeste.it/j/v/159?s=29181&v=2&c=1581&t=1 Sardegna Foreste] {{Vespertilionidae|V.|Pl.}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q1455589}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sardinian Long-Eared Bat}} Category:Plecotus Category:Bats of Europe Category:Fauna of Sardinia Category:Endemic fauna of Italy Category:Critically endangered animals Category:Critically endangered biota of Europe Category:Mammals described in 2002