Unknown bat species captured in Amami-Oshima, Kagoshima, Japan

Abstract

In October 2017, we conducted harp trapping based on witness information of bat species at a school in Amami-Oshima Island, Kagoshima, Japan, and captured two male bats. These bats had different morphological features from other bat species known to inhabit the island, and were considered to represent an unrecorded species. These bats were similar to H. alaschanicus; however, we could not identify the bats to specific species. Echolocation call types of captured individuals was FM-QCF pulse with a mean peak frequency of 35.35 kHz, and unknown bat species flying on the coast of southeastern Amami-Oshima Island also showed the same mean peak frequency. This result suggests that the captured bats and the unknown flying bats are the same species.