{{Short description|Species of foliage-roosting bat}} {{about|the bat species found in North America|the species with the same name found in Madagascar|Malagasy yellow bat}} {{Speciesbox | name = Western yellow bat | image = Lasiurus xanthinus.jpg | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref=<ref name="iucn 2017">{{cite iucn|last1=Arroyo-Cabrales| first1= J.| last2= Álvarez-Castañeda| first2= S.T.| year= 2017| title= ''Lasiurus xanthinus''| article-number= e.T41532A22004260| doi= 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2017-2.RLTS.T41532A22004260.en| access-date= 19 June 2022}}</ref> | genus = Lasiurus | species = xanthinus | authority = Thomas, 1897 | range_map = Distribution of Lasiurus xanthinus.png | range_map_caption = Geographic range of the western yellow bat | synonyms = {{Species list | Dasypterus ega xanthinus|Thomas, 1897 |Lasiurus xanthinus|Thomas, 1897}} }}
The '''western yellow bat''' ('''''Lasiurus xanthinus''''') is a species of vesper bat found in Mexico and the southwestern United States. This species roosts in trees such as ''Populus fremontii'', ''Platanus wrightii'', and ''Quercus arizonica''.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.103577/Lasiurus_xanthinus |title=''Lasiurus xanthinus'' - Western Yellow Bat |work=InfoNatura |publisher=NatureServe |access-date=2009-07-04}}</ref> If available, the western yellow bat will use the dead fronds that encircle palm trees as a roosting site.<ref>{{cite book |first=Donald F. |last=Hoffmeister |year=1986 |title=Mammals of Arizona |publisher=Arizona Game and Fish Department |isbn=978-0-8165-0873-0 |pages=100–101}}</ref> thumb|At a bat rescue center in Arizona.
==Taxonomy and etymology== It was described as a new subspecies of bat in 1897 by British zoologist Oldfield Thomas. He listed it as a subspecies of the southern yellow bat, with a trinomen of ''Dasypterus ega xanthinus''.<ref name="Thomas 1897">{{cite journal|last1=Thomas|first1=O.|year=1901| title=LXVI.—Descriptions of new bats and rodents from America| journal=The Annals and Magazine of Natural History; Zoology, Botany, and Geology|series=6|volume=20|issue=120|page=544|url=https://biodiversitylibrary.org/page/27415536|doi=10.1080/00222939709487398}}</ref> In 2015, Baird et al. argued that this species and other yellow bats should be in the genus ''Dasypterus'',<ref name="Baird 2015">{{cite journal|doi=10.1093/jmammal/gyv135|title=Molecular systematic revision of tree bats (Lasiurini): Doubling the native mammals of the Hawaiian Islands|journal=Journal of Mammalogy|volume=96|issue=6|pages=1255–1274|year=2015|last1=Baird|first1=Amy B|last2=Braun|first2=Janet K|last3=Mares|first3=Michael A|last4=Morales|first4=Juan Carlos|last5=Patton|first5=John C|last6=Tran|first6=Christina Q|last7=Bickham|first7=John W|doi-access=free}}</ref> though others have since argued that ''Dasypterus'' should remain a subgenus of ''Lasiurus''.<ref name="Novaes 2018">{{cite journal|doi=10.11646/zootaxa.4379.3.8|pmid=29689956|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/323182582|title=Separation of monophyletic groups into distinct genera should consider phenotypic discontinuities: The case of Lasiurini (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)|journal=Zootaxa|volume=4379|issue=3|pages=439–440|year=2018|last1=Novaes|first1=Roberto Leonan M|last2=Garbino|first2=Guilherme S. T|last3=Cláudio|first3=Vinícius C|last4=Moratelli|first4=Ricardo}}</ref> In 1988, Baker et al. argued that it should be considered a full species based on its genetics.<ref name="Baker 1988">{{cite journal|last1=Baker| first1= R. J.| last2= Patton| first2= J. C.| last3= Genoways| first3= H. H.| last4= Bickham| first4= J. W.| year=1988| title=Genic studies of Lasiurus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)| journal= Occasional Papers, the Museum, Texas Tech University| issue= 117| url=https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1096&context=museummammalogy}}</ref> In a 2017 follow-up to their 2015 study, Baird et al. again expressed that ''Aeorestes'', ''Dasypterus'', and ''Lasiurus'' should be separate genera comprising the tribe Lasiurini. They stated that the genetic distance of the three genera was much greater than observed between other bat genera, on average. In contrast to the average of 12.0% inter-generic divergence reported from another study on bats, ''Aeorestes'' and ''Dasypterus'' varied 18.79%; ''Aeorestes'' and ''Lasiurus'' varied 19.05%; and ''Dasypterus'' and ''Lasiurus'' varied 19.79%.<ref name="Baird 2017">{{cite journal|doi=10.1371/journal.pone.0186085|pmid=29020097|pmc=5636129|title=Nuclear and mtDNA phylogenetic analyses clarify the evolutionary history of two species of native Hawaiian bats and the taxonomy of Lasiurini (Mammalia: Chiroptera)|journal=PLOS ONE|volume=12|issue=10|article-number=e0186085|year=2017|last1=Baird|first1=Amy B.|last2=Braun|first2=Janet K.|last3=Engstrom|first3=Mark D.|last4=Holbert|first4=Ashlyn C.|last5=Huerta|first5=Maritza G.|last6=Lim|first6=Burton K.|last7=Mares|first7=Michael A.|last8=Patton|first8=John C.|last9=Bickham|first9=John W.|bibcode=2017PLoSO..1286085B|doi-access=free}}</ref> Its species name "''xanthinus''" is from Ancient Greek ''xanthos'', meaning "pertaining to yellow."<ref name="Stangl 1993">{{cite journal| last1= Stangl| first1= F. B.| last2= Christiansen| first2= P. G.| last3= Galbraith| first3= E. J.| year= 1993| title= Abbreviated guide to pronunciation and etymology of scientific names for North American land mammals north of Mexico| journal= Occasional Papers, the Museum, Texas Tech University| issue= 154| pages= 1–28| url= http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/publications/opapers/ops/OP154.pdf| archive-date= 2019-08-01| access-date= 2018-08-03| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190801195159/http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/publications/opapers/ops/OP154.pdf}}</ref>
==Description== thumb|left|The cranial anatomy of the western yellow bat.
The western yellow bat is a small species, though it is larger than the southern yellow bat. Its fur is bright yellow. Individuals weigh approximately {{cvt|16|g|oz}}. Its forearm length is {{cvt|42-47|mm|in}}. Its dental formula is {{DentalFormula|upper=1.1.2.3|lower=3.1.2.3}} for a total of 32 teeth.<ref name="Ceballos 2014">{{cite book| editor-last=Ceballos| editor-first1= G.| last1=Aguilar| first1=S.| last2=Leon P.| first2=Livia| last3=Morales| first3=J.C.| year=2014| title=Mammals of Mexico| publisher= JHU Press| isbn=978-1-4214-0843-9| pages=822–824}}</ref>
==Range and habitat== Its range includes the Southwestern United States of Arizona, California, and New Mexico, in addition to parts of Mexico. It is found in West and Central Mexico, as well as Baja California.<ref name="iucn 2017"/>
==Conservation== As of 2017, it is evaluated as a least-concern species by the IUCN.<ref name="iucn 2017"/>
==References== {{Reflist|30em}}
{{Vespertilionidae|V.|L.}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q606219}}
Category:Bats of Mexico Category:Bats of the United States Bat, Western Yellow Category:Mammals described in 1897 Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Category:Taxa named by Oldfield Thomas Category:Lasiurus