The desert long-eared bat (Otonycteris hemprichii ) is a species of vesper bat found in North Africa and the Middle East.
The bat's head and body length is about 73–81 mm (2.9–3.2 in); tail length is about 47–70 mm (1.9–2.8 in), and forearm length is 57–67 mm (2.2–2.6 in). Desert long-eared bats weigh 18–20 g (0.63–0.71 oz). The large ears, about 40 mm in length, are directed nearly horizontally, and are connected across the forehead by a low band of skin. Five female specimens revealed two pairs of pectoral mammae, a unique condition in mammals. It is not known if both pairs are functional.
The coloration above is pale sandy to dark brown, and the underparts are usually whitish. The skull and teeth of the genus Otonycteris resemble those of bats of the genus Eptesicus.
When the desert long-eared bat included the species now recognized as the Turkestani long-eared bat, its range included Morocco, northern Niger, Egypt, the Arabian peninsula, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, and northwest India.However, when the recognition of the Turkestani long-eared bat split the genus Otonycteris into two species, the range of the desert long-eared bat was reevaluated.Its range is now recognized to include Afghanistan; Algeria; Egypt; India; Iran, Islamic Republic of; Israel; Jordan; Kazakhstan; Libya; Morocco; Niger; Oman; Pakistan; Qatar; Saudi Arabia; Sudan; Syrian Arab Republic; Tajikistan; Tunisia; Turkey; Turkmenistan; United Arab Emirates; and Uzbekistan.
This bat normally inhabits extremely barren and arid regions. Its habitat is xeric, sparsely vegetated, and rocky. In the Negev Desert, a pair was found roosting in a rocky crevice on a hill. This bat has also been found in buildings.
Otonycteris hemprichii has a flight pattern described as "floppy and slow".
Based on an analysis of its body mass, low aspect ratio, and low relative wing loading, the species is assumed to be carnivorous. Observations in Kyrgyzstan indicate that the bat forages close to the ground, using echolocation to detect large flying or surface-dwelling invertebrates. They feed mostly on arachnids and orthopterans that are seized directly from the ground. Through echolocation, the bats can detect scorpions as they walk. A study in Israel found that up to 70% of the bat droppings contained scorpion fragments, including the highly venomous Palestine yellow scorpion along with other less venomous species. The bat catches the scorpion, biting its head off. The bats are often stung in the face with the scorpion’s stinger with no recorded signs of toxicity, suggesting that the bats are immune to the venom. Despite the immunity, the painful stinger will still cause the bat to contort in pain.
Breeding colonies of 3–15 females have been found, and seven pregnant females, most with two embryos, have been collected in central Asia. Three pregnant females, each with two embryos, were found in a deserted hut in Jordan.
