About Myotis chiloensis (Waterhouse, 1840)
Myotis chiloensis, commonly called the Chilean myotis, is a small bat species. Adults measure 7 to 9 cm (2.8 to 3.5 in) in total length including the tail, and weigh approximately 7 g (0.25 oz). Fur color varies with latitude: individuals in the northern part of the range are pale ochraceous, while those in the southern range are coffee-brown. This species has a wing aspect ratio of 5.8, indicating it flies slowly but is highly maneuverable in flight. Its tail is completely enclosed within the uropatagium. Among all bat species in the world, the Chilean myotis lives further south than any other, with the exception of the southern big-eared brown bat which shares the same general local range. The species is primarily found in Chile, south of roughly 30°S. It also occurs in the westernmost areas of the Argentinian provinces of Neuquén, Río Negro, and Chubut. At the southernmost extreme of its range, it can be found across Tierra del Fuego, in both the Chilean and Argentine portions of the island. Across this broad range, it occupies habitats from the semi-arid Chilean Matorral in the north to temperate evergreen forests in the south. No subspecies of the Chilean myotis are currently recognized. The montane myotis and Atacama myotis, which live further north in western South America and are now classified as separate full species, were formerly considered subspecies of M. chiloensis.
