Variation in Hipposideros pratti in China based on morphology and mitochondrial genes

Hipposideros pratti is mainly distributed in mainland China. Many geographical barriers, which might cause different populations of H. pratti to appear differentiation, exist in its distribution areas. Whether the differentiation having reached the levels for subspecies classification requires further study. Currently, there is not a comprehensive study for the external measurements and molecular sequences of H. pratti. The taxonomic status of H. pratti subspecies remains uncertain. To explore the differences and taxonomic status of H. pratti, we conducted a series of surveys on bats in four different areas of China from 2012 to 2015. We performed multivariate morphometric analyses using 16 external and 25 skull measurements and analysed sequence data of two mitochondrial genes (Cytb and COI). Scatter plots indicated that both external and cranial measurements of samples from the four geographical regions separated into two groups: specimens from Western mountain and plateau subregion in Central China (CW) and Southwest mountainous subregion in Southwest China (WS) gathered into a CW-WS group, and specimens from Eastern hilly and plain subregion in Central China (CE) and Min-Guang coastal subregion in Southern China (SM) gathered into a CE-SM group. The divergence between the CW-WS and CE-SM groups for the Cytb and COI genes were 1.6–2.4% and 1.9–2.3%, respectively, which reached the levels required for identifying subspecies classification according to previous studies. Moreover, in the phylogenetic tree based on Cytb and COI sequences, specimens from the regions CW and WS formed a clade, and specimens from the regions CE and SM formed another clade. Both the morphological and molecular results support the conclusion that H. pratti from the CW-WS group represents H. p. pratti, and the CE-SM populations should be termed H. p. sinicus.