Brandt’s Myotis

Brandt's bat or Brandt's myotis (Myotis brandtii) is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is native to most of Europe and parts of western Asia. == Taxonomy and etymology == The species was described in 1845 by German zoologist Eduard Friedrich Eversmann, who placed it the genus Vespertilio. For a time, the Brandt's bat was considered a subspecies of the whiskered bat Myotis mystacinus. In 1958, one author proposed that the two might be separate species, based on baculum differences; this idea gained traction in papers authored in 1970 and 1971. It is named after the German zoologist Johann Friedrich von Brandt. Formerly, populations in central and eastern Asia were classified in this species. However, more recent studies indicate that they form a distinct species, the Siberian bat (Myotis sibiricus). == Range and habitat == It is found throughout Europe and western Asia, including Great Britain, Western Europe, Central Europe, Fennoscandia, and western Russia. In the Balkans it is limited to the mountains. In 2010, Brandt's bat was documented in Ireland for the first time. Throughout its range, it has been documented from sea level up to 1,800 m (6,000 ft) altitude. It can be found…