Myotis alcathoe, the Alcathoe bat, is a small European bat. First described in 2001 from specimens taken from Greece and Hungary, its known distribution has expanded to include parts of Western and Central Europe, Spain, Italy, the Balkans, Sweden, and Azerbaijan. It is similar to the whiskered bat (M. mystacinus), but its brown fur is distinctive, and DNA sequencing has shown it to be a separate species. M. alcathoe has a forearm length of 30.8 to 34.6 mm (1.21 to 1.36 in) and a body mass of 3.5 to 5.5 g (0.12 to 0.19 oz). The fur is brown on the wings, usually reddish-brown on the upperparts, and brown below, but more grayish in juveniles. It has a very high-pitched echolocation call, with a frequency that falls from 120 kHz to about 43 kHz at the end of the call. Usually found in old-growth deciduous forest near water, it forages high in the canopy and above water, mostly for flies. It roosts in cavities high in trees. The species is considered at risk in Catalonia, Germany and parts of Switzerland due to its rarity and vulnerability to habitat loss.
Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myotis_alcathoe
_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1496:
King Henry VII of England issued letters patent to John Cabot and his sons, authorising them to explore unknown lands. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Cabot
1770:
British soldiers fired into a crowd in Boston, Massachusetts, killing five civilians (engraving pictured). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Massacre
1943:
The Gloster Meteor, the first operational jet fighter for the Allied Powers, made its maiden flight. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloster_Meteor
1960:
Cuban photographer Alberto Korda took his iconic photograph of Marxist revolutionary Che Guevara. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guerrillero_Heroico
1999:
Paul Okalik was elected as the first premier of the Canadian territory of Nunavut. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Okalik
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
firebase: (military) An encampment designed to provide indirect artillery support to infantry troops operating beyond the normal range of fire support from their own base camps; a fire support base. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/firebase
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
I can read ideas from all different people from all different cultures. Without God, we can agree on reality, and I can keep learning where I'm wrong. We can all keep adjusting, so we can really communicate. I don't travel in circles where people say, "I have faith, I believe this in my heart and nothing you can say or do can shake my faith." That's just a long-winded religious way to say, "shut up," or another two words that the FCC likes less. --Penn Jillette https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Penn_Jillette
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