The Felten's myotis (Myotis punicus) is a species of vesper bat. Myotis blythii punicus was first described by Felten in 1977 as a subspecies of Myotis blythii based on differences in the teeth. Later genetic and geometric morphometric analyses elevated it to a full species based on genetic differences and skull shape. Genetic analysis suggests that the two species diverged over 3 million years ago, in the Pliocene.
It is found in Northern Africa in Algeria, Libya, Malta, Morocco, Tunisia; and the islands of Corsica, Sardinia, and Malta. The north African population is genetically and morphologically distinct from the island population, and the east African population genetically distinct from the west African. Genetic data suggests that it colonized the islands from mainland Africa.
The total population is over 10,000 individuals, but the precise number is unclear, and it is listed as a data deficient species by the IUCN. The Sardinian population consisted of an estimated 19 large colonies in 1999, while the Corsican one is 4 colonies (an estimated 3000 individual bats). The Maltese population was estimated at only 200 individuals in...
