The distribution of bats on the Adriatic islands

by

Beatrica Dulić & Nikola Tvrtković

Zoological Institute, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Institute of Biology of the University,

Zagreb, Yugoslavia

The bat fauna of the Adriatic islands is very poor- I. Bibliographical data included, 16 species of bats

ly known in comparison with that of the coastal from the Adriatic islands (north, middle, and

continental regions (Kolombatović, 1882, 1884; south) are known now.

Dulić, 1959). Although ten species of bats are REMARKS ON DIFFERENT SPECIES recorded, the data for most of the islands except

the island of Lastovo (Dulić, 1968) are scarce, and Rhinolophus ferrumequinum ferrumequinum

of an early date. (Schreber, 1774)

During the years 1966—1970, mostly in the The Greater Horseshoe Bat is widely distributed

summer (July, August), we investigated the bat on the islands. Colonies of about 80 to 150 ani-

Adriatic the mals inhabit the islands fauna of some islands, particularly of of Hvar, Vis, and Lastovo.

southern 17 each of 5 10 live in the those ones. During trips, to They caves near sea, even par-

flooded with days, to 8 islands, 200 bats were collected and tially sea-water (Hvar), but only dur-

several hundreds were examined (caught in mist ing the summer. Most are nursing colonies, though

nets or taken in caves). The investigated area is in some of them (Lastovo) we found also males.

Some isolated shown in fig. 1, the distributionof the bats in table males we found on the same island

in an abandoned church, and on the island of

Mljet in crevices in stones above the sea. The colo-

nies on the islands of Hvar and Lastovo were mix-

ed with Miniopterus schreibersi, and on the island

of Vis with Myotis emarginatus. On the island of

Vis for instance we did not find a single bat in

caves during the winter of 1970, in spite of the

careful research.

Rhinolophus hipposideros (Bechstein, 1800)

The subspecific status of the Lesser Horseshoe Bat

is not considered in this paper. This bat was found

in summer in small colonies of about 50 animals

on the attic of a church in the town Dobrinj (Is-

land of Krk), and in abandoned water pits (island

of Korcula). Isolated specimens were observed in

small caves on the island of Brat, and in rocks

above the sea (island of Mljet). It is not uncom-

mon.

Rhinolophus euryale euryale (Blasius, 1853)

The Mediterranean Horseshoe found Bat was only island once, on the of Kortula (Dulid, 1959). It

be while seems to rare on our islands, it is quite

common on the coastal mainland. Fig. 1. The area investigated.

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Table I. Distribution of bats on Adriatic islands. ferrumequinum hipposideros euryale blasii pipistrellus schreibersi serotinus kuhli savii teniotis mystacinus emarginatus myotis oxygnathus capaccinii auritus Rhinolophus Rhinolophus Rhinolophus Pipistrellus Pipistrellus Pipistrellus Miniopterus Island Rhinolophus Myotis Myotis Myotis Myotis Myotis Eptesicus Plecotus Tadarida

I

Krk + • + + •

Solta + • + • •

Brae •• + + ••+•

Hvar • + + • + +

Vis + + + +

Korcula ++• ++? •+++ +

Lastovo • •• ••••••

Mljet • + + ? ••+•

+ own record; • data from the literature.

Rhinolophus blasii (Peters, 1866) Myotis oxygnathus (Monticelli, 1885)

Some 30 Blasius Horseshoe Bats were found in a The Lesser Mouse-eared Bat was known to occur

cave on the island of Lastovo. There are no data Adriatic on the North island of Krk (Miri6, 1968).

from the other islands. It is recorded here for the first time 100 (in some

specimens) from the southern Adriatic (island of (Kuhl, 1819) Myotis mystacinus mystacinus habitat island Brae). Its on the of Krk is a marine

The common occurrence of Whiskered Bat very cave, and on Brat a tower of a high church in the

the islands is in with Kolombatovid on agreement town of Milna. It is widely distributed on coastal records the first (1882, 1884). However, our are mainland (Dulid, 1961). On the island of Krk it for islands in the southern Adriatic. Our most occurs together with Miniopterus schreibersi in the in the above the specimens were captured summer cave near Ba§ka. different drinking places (Dulid, 1970). Myotis capaccinii capaccinii (Bonaparte, 1837)

Myotis emarginatus emarginatus (Geoffroy, 1806) The single specimen of Long-fingered Bat caught the island on of Lastovo (Rata cave, Dulid, 1959) This bat is a new to the Adriatic islands. Kolom- learns about distribution be in us nothing its on the batovi£ (1882, 1884) considered it to rare

is Adriatic islands. Dalmatia, but according to our investigations it

quite common. It was captured on the island of Eptesicus serotinus serotinus (Schreber, 1774) Kortula, in mist nets above water pools near a Although the Serotine Bat is not uncommon on the of pine wood, and near a village. On the island coastal mainland, we were able to record it from Vis colonies live in summer in marine caves to- the island of Kortula only (Duli6, 1959). We ob- gether with Rh. ferrumequinum; in winter there served it in flight in the villages, and above water- are no bats in such caves. The present record sup- pools. plements the findings of Van Laar & Daan (1964)

on the islands in the eastern Mediterranean. Pipistrellus pipistrellus pipistrellus (Schreber, 1774)

Myotis myotis myotis (Borkhausen, 1797) to the two of this Contrary following species genus,

The Mouse-eared observed but not Large Bat was the Common Pipistrelle seems to be rather rare.

in the of islands of Korcula A small number caught caves and Mljet. of specimens was captured. We Data its distribution on are very scarce, the species were unable to check the material from Kolomba-

does not seem to be common. collection.

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Pipistrellus kuhli kuhli (Kuhl, 1819) and Pipi- GENERAL DISCUSSION strellus savii savii (Bonaparte, 1837) Although it is highly probable that further investi- Kuhl's Pipistrelle and Savi's Pipistrelle, in partic- gations will yield some additional bats species from ular the second one, are the most common species the Adriatic islands, the present data give us a on the islands in the southern Adriatic. For de- fairly good picture of their bat fauna. As expect- Duli6 tails on its ecology see (1958, 1970). found islands also ed, most of the species on occur

in the neighbouring coastal regions; this fact could Plecotus auritus auritus (Linnaeus, 1758) not be ascertained for Tadarida teniotis whose

distribution on the mainlandis imperfectly known. The Long-eared Bat was known from several is- The data from our investigations contribute to the lands, and is now recorded from two more: Kor- knowledge of bat fauna for islands of Korcula and £ula and Mljet. In the first of these, it inhabits (to- Vis from where almost nothing about bats was gether with Rh. ferrumequinum) a stony region of and known. For some other islands (Brafc, Hvar, ilex a peculiar physiography: old trees of Quercus Mljet) the existing informationis completed. Con- scattered stone blocks and sub- are among great trary to the earlier data for the Dalmatian coastal terranean pot-holes. It was found near the villages region (Kolombatovi<5, 1882, 1884), Myotis emar- and olive-groves too. In the small town Jelsaon the be and is here recorded ginatus seems to common, island of Hvar, 15 to 20 animals formed a nursing for the first time from the Adriatic islands. Myotis colony in July 1968 under the roof of the church. the oxygnathus, a common species in coastal re- The Long-eared Bat is common on the south Adri- gion, was also observed on the south Adriatic is- atic islands. Balcells (1963) considered it prob- lands for the first time. The scarcity of Myotis able that the Long-eared Bats from the greater part the myotis on Adriatic islands is remarkable, be- of Yugoslavia and from the Adriatic islands were cause of its abundance in caves on the Dalmatian Plecotus austriacus. Our material, except one spec- coast (Duli6, 1961). The situation is similar in imen from the island of Korfula, has the mea- Rhinolophus euryale whose colonies occur in some surements of P. auritus (see Van Bree & Dulit, parts of Dalmatian coastal mainland. The causes 1963). of this pattern are at present unknown.

It is noteworthy that on some Adriatic islands, Miniopterus schreibersi schreibersi (Kuhl, 1819) such as Lastovo, Vis, and Hvar, larger colonies of

of 50 150 Colonies Long-winged Bat, counting to some species inhabit marine caves in summer (see and more specimens, together with nursing colonies Kahmann et al., 1956, for Corsica). We did not

marine of Rh. ferrumequinum, were found in have the possibility to check whether the bats inhabit

of them the island of the the Lastovo and Hvar in winter caves, one on Lastovo, caves on on also,

found other on the island of Hvar. This bat was but we checked this on Vis, and found the caves also with in marine the M. oxygnathus a cave on in winter quite empty. The temperature of those island of Krk. According to our data the Long- caves (we visited 9 marine caves and 4 caves in

Adria- winged Bat does not seem to be rare on the inland of the island of Vis) varied in January 1970 tic islands. Earlier data mention- from 14° and is the (Klaptocz, 1908) to 16°C, nearly same as out-

OstaSevica ed the Long-winged Bat from the cave side. Thus the temperatures are higher than in the on the island of Mljet. caves of Pietrabello and Sabara on Corsica where

Kahmann et al. (1956) found winter colonies of

Miniopterus schreibersi and rhinolophid bats. It is Tadarida teniotis teniotis (Rafinesque, 1814) that highly probable high temperatures on the

The European Free-tailed Bat has been recorded one hand and small size of most of those caves on

Adriatic islands previously only once from the (is- the other cause the winter migration from such

A local- from land of Solta, Kolombatovid, 1887). new caves, or perhaps only superficial parts into ity was found near the village Cara (island of Kor- deeper crevices of the rocks. It is not known

6ula), where four males were caught on 21 and whether the bats inhabit some other habitat on the

26 July 1969 during the night in mist nets above same island. Further, we were not able to collect

known the hab- a pool. High rocks nearby are as data on microclimate of those caves, and of those itat of this bat. on Lastovo and Hvar, in summer. Some of these

caves were difficult to enter. The marine caves

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visited have the entrance open to the South. The occurrence and the situation of marine caves favor

Vis climate distribution of bat cave fauna on the island of the roost of nursing colonies. The local and

to in the coastal the absence of winds be fac- in winter is similar the situation strong may important

region with the exception that in Dalmatia (Dulid, tors for the distribution and the number of bats.

1961) some caves are inhabited by Rhinolophus In the islands exposed to winds from the mainland

blasii. (island of Brae) smaller numbers of bats were ob-

According to our opinion, one of the conditions served.

favoring the distribution of bats on Adriatic islands Further investigations of the bat fauna from the

especially the gregarious species, is the number of islands of the Adriatic Sea, and especially from its

drinking places (Duli6, 1970). Furthermore the central part, seem useful.

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