The least pipistrelle (Alionoctula tenuis) is a species of vesper bat.
Distribution The bat is native to South Asia, Southeast Asia, Maritime Southeast Asia, Malaysia , and southwestern Oceania. It has been recorded from sea level to in elevation.
Countries and islands it can be found in include: Laos, southeastern China and Hainan island, the Philippines, Borneo, Indonesia, East Timor, Malaysia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
Description The head and body length of the least pipistrelle is , the forearm measures and the wingspan is . The bat weighs . Females are larger than males. They are dark brown to black above, and lighter below. The wing membrane, face, and ears are black. with no pale margins like those of Indian pipistrelle. The muzzle is short and broad and the nostrils are small, rounded, and placed between facial swellings. The small ears have prominent tragi and antitragi. The fur is dense, short, silky, and covers the entire body.
Subspecies Subspecies include:Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (editors). (2005). "Pipistrellus (Pipistrellus) tenuis". Mammal Species of the World. 3rd ed., Johns Hopkins University Press, 2,142 pp. accessed 11 Amarch 2009. Pipistrellus tenuis tenuis Pipistrellus tenuis mimus Pipistrellus tenuis murrayi Pipistrellus tenuis nitidus Pipistrellus tenuis ponceleti Pipistrellus tenuis portensis Pipistrellus tenuis sewelanus Pipistrellus tenuis subulidens
References
Further reading John O. Whitaker J. O. Jr., Suthakar Issac S., Marimuthu G. & Kunz (1999). "Seasonal Variation in the Diet of the Indian Pygmy Bat, Pipistrellus mimus, in Southern India". Journal of Mammalogy 80(1): 60-70. JSTOR