Maluku myotis
The Maluku myotis, also known as the Arafura large-footed bat, is a small bat found mainly in Indonesia. It may also live in New Guinea and northern Australia, but some records there could be misidentified with Myotis macropus.
Description: It has large ears and large feet. Its back fur ranges from gray-brown to rust, its belly is cinnamon-brown, and its wing membranes are light brown. The forearm is about 4 cm long and it weighs 8–15 g.
Habitat and range: It lives in lowland wetlands, around lakes and streams, up to 1,200 m in elevation but usually below 300 m. It is found on Halmahera, Seram, Ambon, Peleng and Kai Islands in Indonesia, and has been reported from New Guinea and Australia (though some of these records may be misidentifications).
Behavior: It is nocturnal and flies low over water to scoop up small fish and aquatic insects with its large feet. It roosts during the day in caves, tunnels, mines, old buildings, under bridges and overhangs, and in hollow trees.
Reproduction: Females usually give birth to a single youngster, sometimes twins, up to three times a year.
Conservation: The species is listed as Least Concern by the IUCN. It does not appear rare across its range and can tolerate some habitat changes, but protecting roosting sites is important.
Taxonomy: Scientific name Myotis moluccarum. It belongs to genus Myotis, family Vespertilionidae, order Chiroptera, class Mammalia, phylum Chordata, kingdom Animalia. It was described by Thomas in 1915.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 19:14 (CET).