DOCSLIB.ORG

Activity Patterns of Two Syntopic and Closely Related Aerial-Hawking Bat Species During Breeding Season in Białowieża Primaeval Forest

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Activity Patterns of Two Syntopic and Closely Related Aerial-Hawking Bat Species During Breeding Season in Białowieża Primaeval Forest Mamm Res DOI 10.1007/s13364-016-0298-5 ORIGINAL PAPER Activity patterns of two syntopic and closely related aerial-hawking bat species during breeding season in Białowieża Primaeval Forest I. Ruczyński1 & P. Zahorowicz1 & T. Borowik1 & Z. Hałat1 Received: 7 July 2016 /Accepted: 14 October 2016 # The Author(s) 2016. This article is published with open access at Springerlink.com Abstract Temporal and spatial activity of bats is species specif- Keywords Nyctalus noctula . Nyctalus leisleri . ic and shaped by many factors such as energy requirements, Reproduction . Temperature . Niche segregation . Species climate conditions and food distribution. Pregnancy and lactation competition are the most energy-demanding periods throughout the female life cycle. During these periods, females have to optimize their activity patterns to maximize foraging success; however, they simultaneously need to take care of their young. In addition, daily Introduction and seasonal fluctuations of insect availability strongly affect bat foraging activity. If females, which are under strong energy con- Bats are the only mammals capable of active flight. The ability to straints, belong to closely related species, they may potentially fly allows bats, especially aerial insectivorous species, to cover suffer from competition. One of the mechanisms that allows large distances during the night and decrease risk of predation them to avoid competition is temporal and spatial niche (Rydell et al. 1996). Although flight ability is beneficial from an partitioning. Noctule and Leisler’s bats are closely related evolutionary perspective, it is also a time- and energy-consuming forest-dwelling species whose diet is similar and consists mainly process (Norberg and Rayner 1987; Muijres et al. 2012). Thus, of ephemeral insects. The aim of our study was to test if they the pattern of daily flight activity should maximize energy intake exhibit similar patterns in relation to the time and duration of their and minimize the costs of flight and predation risk (Rydell et al. nocturnal activity. In Białowieża Forest, we demonstrated that 1996; Speakman and Thomas 2003; Voigt et al. 2010). Temporal female nocturnal activity of both noctule and Leisler’sbatswas and spatial patterns of activity of bats are shaped by many factors, shaped mostly by reproductive period and ambient temperature. such as temporal and spatial changes in food distribution and the We did not observe significant differences in the activity patterns energetic demands of individuals (Neuweiler 2000; Dietz and of the two noctule species, which suggests that physiological Kalko 2007; Barclay and Jacobs 2011). Because the diet of bats constraints connected with reproduction and environmental con- occurring in the temperate zone contains mainly small flying ditions affect these species in a similar way and outweigh the invertebrates, the activity of which is known to be reliant on competition between species. ambient temperature (Abdullah 1961;Taylor1963;Baleetal. 2002), bat activity is also highly dependent on climate and weather conditions (Clare et al. 2011; Frick et al. 2012;Clare Communicated by: Karol Zub et al. 2014). Night activity of females during the breeding season Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article is mainly connected with the necessity for foraging, parental care (doi:10.1007/s13364-016-0298-5) contains supplementary material, and roost finding (Neuweiler 2000). The most energy- which is available to authorized users. demanding periods for females are pregnancy and lactation (Kunz 1974; Anthony and Kunz 1977; Racey et al. 1987; * Z. Hałat [email protected] Barclay 1989). Females need to balance their time out of the roost, which is required to get enough food, with the necessity 1 Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, for regularly returning to feed and warm their young (Rydell Waszkiewicza 1, 17-230 Białowieża, Poland 1993; Shiel and Fairley 1999; Vonhof and Betts 2010). Mamm Res Females of most bat species deal with the same constraints (Ruczyński and Bogdanowicz 2005;Ruczyński et al. 2007; relating to parental care; however, nocturnal activity patterns Ruczyński and Bogdanowicz 2008; Ruczyński and Bartoń in bats are highly species specific. Even in the same climate 2012) and foraging activity during pregnancy and lactation conditions and reproductive period, females belonging to dif- (Kronwitter 1988;Jones1995; Shiel and Fairley 1999;Shiel ferent species may exhibit different temporal activity patterns. et al. 1999;Kaňuch et al. 2005;Kaňuch 2007; Nad’o and The differences are mainly connected with the various food Kaňuch 2015) for both species, there was no comparative preferences and hunting strategies (Neuweiler 2000; Dietz study of these two species inhabiting the same forest area. et al. 2009). Bats that feed on ephemeral insects that occur Our study aims to compare the patterns of nocturnal activity in high abundance and unpredictably in space and time usu- of the two noctule bats in primaeval forest conditions. ally make only one short bout per night (Racey and Swift We hypothesized that in both species, the temporal forag- 1985; Brigham and Fenton 1991; Shiel et al. 1999; ing patterns, i.e. the duration and time of nocturnal activity Dechmann et al. 2009). Contrarily, bats whose food is contin- and number of flights, are shaped by the reproductive status of uously available throughout the whole night feed for a longer females. To test our hypotheses, we searched the bat roosts timeandmakemoreflights(Audet1990; Chruszcz and and monitored their emergences and nocturnal activity with Barclay 2003). radiotelemetry. We expected females of two Nyctalus species The theory of niche differentiation indicates that closely to (i) increase number of flights per night and their duration related sympatric species use the environment in a way that after parturitions and hasten the onset of emergence when allows them to reduce competition for resources. The separa- lactating, as well as (ii) lengthen their nocturnal activity in tion of resource utilization can be based on temporal or spatial higher ambient temperatures and (iii) exhibit similar activity partitioning (Kronfeld-Schor and Dayan 2003; Bergeson et al. patterns. 2013; Symes et al. 2013). To test if closely related insectivo- rous bat species exhibit similar patterns, we conducted re- search on two syntopic, noctule bat species: noctule bats (Nyctalus noctula) and Leisler’sbats(Nyctalus leisleri). The Study area, methods and material diets of both species consist mainly of ephemeral insects and their night activity lasts only a few hours. Majority of noctule Study area bat prey consists of swarm insects, i.e. Trichoptera, Diptera (mostly Chironomidae) and Lepidoptera. In spring and au- Our study was conducted in the Białowieża Primaeval Forest tumn, they also forage on mass emergences of large insects (BPF). This large temperate mixed lowland forest covers an from Hemiptera and Coleoptera (Beck 1995; Gloor et al. area of 1450 km2, partially in Poland (600 km2) and partially 1995; Mackenzie and Oxford 1995). Leisler’sbatshavesim- in Belarus. BPF in Poland (52° 45′ N, 23° 50′ E) is divided ilar food preferences and they forage predominantly on small- into BiałowieżaNationalPark(105km2) and managed forest. and medium-sized insects forming swarms. Their diet consists The study area (100 km2) covered well-preserved stands of primarily of Lepidoptera, Diptera (mainly Tipulidae), Białowieża National Park (BNP), as well as parts of the man- Trichoptera (Beck 1995; Shiel et al. 1998) and Hymenoptera aged forest with old-growth remnants (over 80–100 years). (Kaňuch et al. 2005). These two bat species are dependent on The climate is continental (Olszewski 1986), with the highest forest as they roost mainly in trees (Bihari 2004; Bogdanowicz average temperature in July (17.8 °C) and lowest in January and Ruprecht 2004; Gebhard and Bogdanowicz 2004). The (−4.7 °C). The daily temperature amplitude is high in spring noctule bat is widespread across its range and known to be one and summer. During the study period, the night’s duration of the most common forest-dwelling bats in Europe, unlike varied from 7:05–9:25 h. The five main forest types in this Leisler’s bat, which is rather rare apart from in Spain, southern area are deciduous forest (Quercus robur, Tilia cordata and France, Germany and the Balkans (Horàcek et al. 2000;Dietz Carpinus betulus), mixed deciduous forest (Picea abies, et al. 2009). Both species migrate seasonally from the south or Q. robur, T. cordata and C. betulus), black alder bog forest southwest to Białowieża Primaeval Forest, which is one of and streamside alder-ash forest (Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus their important breeding sites (Bogdanowicz and Ruprecht excelsior), mixed coniferous forest (Pinus sylvestris, P. abies 2004; Gebhard and Bogdanowicz 2004;Kaňuch et al. and Q. robur) and coniferous forest (P. sylvestris and P, abies) 2004). Aggregations last from May until August (Ruczyńi sk (Faliński 1986; Bernadzki et al. 1998). The superabundance of and Bogdanowicz 2005). Breeding colonies usually comprise holes in this forest provides shelters for a wide variety of 20–60 individuals in noctule bats and 20–50 in Leisler’sbats animals; there are 16 secondary cavity nesting bird species (Bogdanowicz and Ruprecht 2004). In the study area, parturi- inhabiting BPF (Wesołowski 2007). The area is inhabited by tions in both species take place in mid-June and females wean 15
Load more

Recommended publications
  • First Records of Nyctalus Noctula Social Calls in Portugal
    Vespertilio 17: 37–44, 2014 ISSN 1213-6123 First records of Nyctalus noctula social calls in Portugal Paulo BARROS, Luís BRAZ, Hélia Marisa vale-Gonçalves & João Alexandre Cabral Laboratory of Applied Ecology, Centre for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados 5000-801, Vila Real, Portugal; [email protected] Abstract. The common noctule (Nyctalus noctula) is a large and fast flying Palaearctic migratory bat. The range of the species distribution extends in longitude from the Iberian Peninsula to Japan and in latitude from North Africa to the southern part of the Scandinavian countries. However, in the southern part of its distribution range, most of the potential maternity colonies are unknown or found only spo- radically. This note presents the first records of N. noctula social calls in Portugal. In fact, two types of N. noctula socials calls (C1 and D1) were recorded and identified at a site in the Sabor river valley in northern Portugal, which are usually associated with mating roosts. Therefore, these new data may contribute to improve and update the knowledge of the location of potential new mating, swarming and hibernation sites, as well as of the mating season length and behavioural patterns of this migratory species throughout its European range. Nyctalus noctula, social calls, bat swarming, Portugal Introduction The common noctule, Nyctalus noctula (Schreber, 1774), is a large and fast flying Palaearctic bat, with broad rounded ears, rufous-brown fur, which is slightly darker on the dorsum, and has long narrow wings covered with short hair on the underside of the membrane close to the body (Dietz et al.
    [Show full text]
  • 7 Meeting of the Parties
    Inf.EUROBATS.MoP7.45 7th Meeting of the Parties Brussels, Belgium, 15 – 17 September 2014 Report on Autecological Studies for Priority Species Convenor: Stéphane Aulagnier In accordance with Resolution 4.12, the current work being carried out on autecological studies of the Priority List of species (Rhinolophus euryale, Myotis capaccinii and Miniopterus schreibersii) should be updated by the Advisory Committee and should be made public. References of papers and reports dealing with autecological studies Rhinolophus euryale Barataud M., Jemin J., Grugier Y. & Mazaud S., 2009. Étude sur les territoires de chasse du Rhinolophe euryale, Rhinolophus euryale, en Corrèze, site Natura 2000 des Abîmes de la Fage. Le Naturaliste. Vendéen, 9 : 43-55. The cave of la Fage (Noailles, Département of Corrèze) is a major site for the Mediterranean horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus euryale Blasius 1853. However, contrary to the tendency to increase noted over the last 20 years in various other birth sites in France, numbers at la Fage have shown no change. One of the suspected causes links this to the presence of the A20 motorway, less than a kilometre away, where corpses have been collected. This article presents the results of a radio-tracking study of the space occupied by the colony, during the summers of 2006 and 2007. Voigt C.C., Schuller B.M., Greif S. & Siemers B.M., 2010. Perch-hunting in insectivorous Rhinolophus bats is related to the high energy costs of manoeuvring in flight. Journal of Comparative Physiology Biochemical Systemic and Environmental Physiology, 180(7): 1079-1088 Foraging behaviour of bats is supposedly largely influenced by the high costs of flapping flight.
    [Show full text]
  • Long-Term Changes in the Numbers of the Barbastelle Barbastella Barbastellus in Poland
    Folia Zool. – 54 (4): 351–358 (2005) Long-term changes in the numbers of the barbastelle Barbastella barbastellus in Poland Grzegorz LESIŃSKI1, Elżbieta FUSZARA2, Maciej FUSZARA2, Mirosław JURCZYSZYN3 and Zbigniew URBAŃCZYK4 1 Warsaw Agriculture University, Faculty of Human Nutrition and Consumer Science, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland; e-mail: [email protected] 2 Centre for Ecological Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Dziekanów Leśny, 05-092 Łomianki, Poland; e-mail (Elżbieta Fuszara): [email protected]; e-mail (Maciej Fuszara): maciek_fuszara@poczta. onet.pl 3 Department of Systematic Zoology, A. Mickiewicz University, Fredry 10, 61-701 Poznań, Poland; e-mail: [email protected] 4 Os. Sobieskiego 26D/142, 60-241 Poznań, Poland; e-mail: [email protected] Received 29 September 2004; Accepted 24 October 2005 A b s t r a c t . In order to identify population trends in Barbastella barbastellus in Poland we summarised results of long-term winter bat counts conducted between 1985 and 2004 in seven of the most important hibernacula of the species. The results show an upward trend in four of the sites while in the remaining four no trend was found. The numbers of barbastelles in Poland seem stable or even increasing. In Central Europe the species is not threatened as seriously as it is in Western Europe. Key words: Barbastella barbastellus, population trends, hibernation, Poland Introduction The barbastelle Barbastella barbastellus is included in the IUCN European endangered spe- cies list in the VU category (H u t s o n et al. 2001). It is also listed in the II and IV annexes of the European Council Directive on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora.
    [Show full text]
  • Brown Long-Eared Bat Roost Monitoring Scheme for Republic of Ireland: Synthesis Report 2007-2010
    Brown long‐eared bat roost monitoring scheme for Republic of Ireland: synthesis report 2007‐2010 Irish Wildlife Manuals No. 56 Brown long‐eared bat roost monitoring scheme for the Republic of Ireland: synthesis report 2007‐2010 Tina Aughney1, Steve Langton2 and Niamh Roche1 1. www.batconservationireland.org 2. [email protected] Citation: Aughney, T., Langton, S. & Roche, N. (2011) Brown long‐eared bat roost monitoring scheme for the Republic of Ireland: synthesis report 2007‐2010. Irish Wildlife Manuals, No. 56. National Parks and Wildlife Service, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, Dublin, Ireland. Keywords: bats, monitoring, roosts, Plecotus auritus, volunteers, woodland, NPWS, Ireland Cover photos: Brown long‐eared bat by Frank Greenaway © NPWS The NPWS Project Officer for this report was: Dr Ferdia Marnell; [email protected] Irish Wildlife Manuals Series Editors: F. Marnell & N. Kingston © National Parks and Wildlife Service 2011 ISSN 1393 – 6670 Brown long‐eared bat monitoring 2007‐2010 __________________________________ Contents Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................................ 3 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................................ 4 Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 5 Why Monitor
    [Show full text]
  • Nutrltlonal HABITS of the NOCTULE BAT NYCTALUS NOCTULA (SCHREBER, 17I4) in SWITZERLAND
    MYOTIS BAND 32-33 S. 231-242 Bonn, Januar 1995 NUTRlTlONAL HABITS OF THE NOCTULE BAT NYCTALUS NOCTULA (SCHREBER, 17i4) IN SWITZERLAND Sandra Gloor, Hans-Peter B. Stutz, Vincent Ziswiler Abstract : During one season (from April to November 1989) faecal pellets of the Noc- tule bat Nyctalus noctula were collected in three roosts in buildings in villages. At seven roosts in trees in the town of Zürich, Noctule bats were caught every two weeks from April to November and faecal pellets are collected. The faecal pellets are analysed both in terms of quality and quantity and compared from a regional and seasonal point of view. Nyctalus noctula preferably feeds on Trichoptera and Diptera (Chironomidae, Anisopodidae, Tipulidae). These insects fly in swarms so the Noctule bat can hunt and catch a lot of prey in very short time: this can be termed filter feeding. It is surprising, that the Noctule bat with its powerful and strong theeth hunts such soft and small in- sects. In spring and autumn, though, when larger insects, such as Coleoptera (e. g. Melolontha sp. in spring, Geotrupes sp, in autumn) are frequent and swarming insects (e. g. Trichoptera) are rare, the larger insects are also hunted by the Noctule bat, a fact that points to an opportunistic hunting strategy. Key wo rds : Nyctalus noctula, faeces analysis, diet, foraging strategy. lntroduction The Noctule bat Nyctalus noctula, a rather large and fast flying vespertilionid, is one of the most common bat species, distributed all over Europe except Scotland, lreland and northern Scandinavia. It is known to migrate seasonally over large distances up to more than 1000 km (Roer 19n, Heise & Schmidt 1979).
    [Show full text]
  • Myotis Septentrionalis) Maternity Day-Roosts
    United States Department of Agriculture Internal Cavity Characteristics of Northern Long-eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis) Maternity Day-roosts Alexander Silvis Eric R. Britzke R. Edward Thomas Meryl J. Friedrich W. Mark Ford Forest Northern Research Paper Service Research StationNRS-27 January 2015 Abstract We report characteristics of seven tree cavities used as day-roosts by female northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis) during the maternity season in a deciduous forest in north-central Kentucky. Understanding the characteristics of cavities selected by bats will help us better understand the ecology of cavity roosting bats and the tree species and condition necessary for providing day-roost habitat. Cavity openings were created by either fungal decay or primary excavators. Length and volume of cavities were positively related to number of entrances. Mean area of entrances was positively related to the proportion of entrances created by primary excavators. Quality Assurance This publication conforms to the Northern Research Station’s Quality Assurance Implementation Plan which requires technical and policy review for all scientifi c publications produced or funded by the Station. The process included a blind technical review by at least two reviewers, who were selected by the Assistant Director for Research and unknown to the author. This review policy promotes the Forest Service guiding principles of using the best scientifi c knowledge, striving for quality and excellence, maintaining high ethical and professional standards, and being responsible and accountable for what we do. Cover Photo A white oak (Quercus alba) snag provides roosting opportunities for female northern long- eared bats on the Fort Knox Military Reservation, Kentucky, USA.
    [Show full text]
  • Social and Population Structure of a Gleaning Bat, Plecotus Auritus
    J. Zool., Lond. (2000) 252,11±17 # 2000 The Zoological Society of London Printed in the United Kingdom Social and population structure of a gleaning bat, Plecotus auritus A. C. Entwistle*, P. A. Racey and J. R. Speakman Department of Zoology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 2TZ, U.K. (Accepted 21 September 1999) Abstract Brown long-eared bats Plecotus auritus occupying 30 summer roosts in north-east Scotland were studied over 15 years. During this time 1365 bats were ringed, and a further 720 recaptures were made. Individual bats showed a high degree of roost ®delity, returning to one main roost site; < 1% of recaptured bats had moved among roost sites, and all recorded movements (n = 5) were < 300 m. Adults of both sexes were loyal to the roost sites at which they were ®rst captured, indicating long-term use of roosts. At least some juveniles (n = 32) of both sexes returned to the natal roost. Mark±recapture estimates indicated that colonies of this species were substantially larger (c. 30±50 individuals) than assumed in previous studies. Plecotus auritus differs from most other temperate zone, vespertilionid species in that there was no evidence of sexual segregation during summer, with males present in all colonies throughout the period of occupancy. Population structure in summer seems to be consistent with a metapopulation model, with discrete sub-populations showing minimal interchange. The group size, colony composition and population structure described in this species may be associated with the wing shape (particularly aspect ratio) and foraging behaviour of P. auritus. It is postulated that relative motility, linked to wing structure, may affect the distribution of individuals, and may have implications for the genetic structure of this species.
    [Show full text]
  • Bat Fatalities at Wind Farms in Taiwan
    Mammal Study 42: 121–124 (2017) © The Mammal Society of Japan Short communication Bat fatalities at wind farms in Taiwan Cheng-Han Chou1,2, Tsung-Yu Hsieh3, Wei-Ting Liu4, Ta-Ching Chou3, Yu-Po Huang4 and Jens Rydell5,* 1 Bat association of Taiwan, No. 25, Ln. 176, Wenxin St., Jiji Township, Nantou County 552, Taiwan (R.O.C.) 2 Endemic Species Research Institute, No. 1, Minsheng E. Rd., Jiji Township, Nantou County 552, Taiwan (R.O.C.) 3 Ming-Shiang Ecological Census Consultant Company, No. 27-12, Gongxue N. Rd., South Dist., Taichung City 402, Taiwan (R.O.C.) 4 Observer Ecological Consultant Company, 4F., No. 129, Jinjiang St., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei City 100, Taiwan (R.O.C.) 5 Biology Department, Lund University, SE-233 62 Lund, Sweden Abstract. We collected bat carcasses at three wind farms in Taiwan, located along the west coast mostly near the sea and/or in former coastal wetland habitats. We found 43 bat carcasses, mostly of common aerial-hawking species such as Pipistrellus abramus and Scotophilus kuhlii, but the island endemics Eptesicus serotinus horikawai and Myotis formosus flavus were also recovered. All bat ­species­affected­are­believed­to­remain­on­the­island­all­year.­As­far­as­we­know­this­is­the­first­report­ of bat fatalities at wind energy facilities in eastern Asia. Key words: Asia, bat conservation, endemic species, Formosa, wind energy. Wind power may help to satisfy a growing worldwide Robles 2015) are quite alarming (Arnett et al. 2016). Bats demand for energy in general and for electricity in par- are attracted to wind turbines (Cryan et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Aerial-Hawking Bats Adjust Their Use of Space to the Lunar Cycle Manuel Roeleke1,2* , Tobias Teige3, Uwe Hoffmeister4, Friederike Klingler1 and Christian C
    Roeleke et al. Movement Ecology (2018) 6:11 https://doi.org/10.1186/s40462-018-0131-7 RESEARCH Open Access Aerial-hawking bats adjust their use of space to the lunar cycle Manuel Roeleke1,2* , Tobias Teige3, Uwe Hoffmeister4, Friederike Klingler1 and Christian C. Voigt1,2 Abstract Background: Animals change their habitat use in response to spatio-temporal fluctuation of resources. Some resources may vary periodically according to the moonphase. Yet it is poorly documented how animals, particularly nocturnal mammals, adjust their use of space in response to the moonphase. Here, we asked if an obligate nocturnal mammal, the aerial-hawking common noctule bat (Nyctalus noctula), adjusts its 3-dimensional flight behaviour and habitat use to the lunar period. Using miniaturized GPS loggers, we recorded 3-dimensional flight tracks of N. noctula and related these to a canopy height model derived from aerial laser scans to investigate whether bats adjust forest strata use to moonlight intensities. Results: Noctules frequently foraged above the canopy of coniferous forest at low moonlight intensities, but switched to using open grasslands and arable fields in nights with high moonlight intensities. During the few occasions when noctules used the forest during moonlit nights, they mostly restricted their use of space to flying below the canopy level. The median overall flight altitude of N. noctula equalled 13 ± 16 m but reached up to 71 m above ground (97.5% quantile). Conclusions: Our findings argue against general lunar phobic behaviour of aerial-hawking bats. We suggest that the preferred use of open fields around full moon may be a strategy of noctules to increase the success of hunting airborne insects at night.
    [Show full text]
  • Soprano Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus Pygmaeus) Noctule (Nyctalus Noctula)
    Common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) Nathusius' pipistrelle (Pipistrellus nathusii) The Common pipistrelle is Britain’s smallest bat species The Nathusius’ pipistrelle is a rare bat in the UK. It is group and is the same weight as a 2p coin. It has a usually migratory with most bats encountered in wingspan of 20-23.5cm and head and body length of autumn, although some remain all year and breed in the 3.5-4.5 cm, these bats appear bigger in flight. It is one UK. It is similar in appearance to Common and Soprano of the most common bat species in the British Isles and pipistrelles, but slightly larger with a wingspan between can often be found in buildings. 22-25cm and a head and body length of 4.5-5.5cm. The Pipistrelles usually appear about 10 minutes after the fur on its back is longer, giving a shaggy appearance. It first Noctules appear but fly closer to the ground. They feeds on medium-sized flying insects such as aquatic will often hunt up and down a regular ‘beat’, twisting flies, midges, mosquitoes and caddis flies. and turning as they detect and pursue tiny insects. Soprano pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus) Noctule (Nyctalus noctula) The Soprano pipistrelle is a small bat which has a The Noctule bat is our largest British species and is wingspan of 19-23cm and head and body length of 3.5- usually the first bat to appear in the evening, 4.5 cm. It is like the common pipistrelle but sometimes even before sunset. it flies high in the air, distinguished by its higher frequency echolocation call.
    [Show full text]
  • Sex Differences in Population Genetics, Home Range Size and Habitat Use
    Safi, K; König, B; Kerth, G. Sex differences in population genetics, home range size and habitat use of the parti-coloured bat (Vespertilio murinus, Linnaeus 1758) in Switzerland and their consequences for conservation. Biological Conservation 2007, 137:28-36. Postprint available at: http://www.zora.unizh.ch University of Zurich Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich. Zurich Open Repository and Archive http://www.zora.unizh.ch Originally published at: Winterthurerstr. 190 Biological Conservation 2007, 137:28-36 CH-8057 Zurich http://www.zora.unizh.ch Year: 2007 Sex differences in population genetics, home range size and habitat use of the parti-coloured bat (Vespertilio murinus, Linnaeus 1758) in Switzerland and their consequences for conservation Safi, K; König, B; Kerth, G Safi, K; König, B; Kerth, G. Sex differences in population genetics, home range size and habitat use of the parti-coloured bat (Vespertilio murinus, Linnaeus 1758) in Switzerland and their consequences for conservation. Biological Conservation 2007, 137:28-36. Postprint available at: http://www.zora.unizh.ch Posted at the Zurich Open Repository and Archive, University of Zurich. http://www.zora.unizh.ch Originally published at: Biological Conservation 2007, 137:28-36 Sex differences in population genetics, home range size and habitat use of the parti-coloured bat (Vespertilio murinus, Linnaeus 1758) in Switzerland and their consequences for conservation Abstract When habitats are declining, niche segregation by demographic groups, such as the two sexes, can have a profound impact on the extinction risk of a species as a whole. Thus, differences in the requirements of demographic groups are of importance in conservation.
    [Show full text]
  • Observation of a Western Barbastelle Barbastella Barbastellus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in New ‘Crevice’ Boxes for Bats
    DOI: 10.1515/frp-2017-0037 Leśne Prace Badawcze / Forest Research Papers Available online: www.lesne-prace-badawcze.pl Grudzień / December 2017, Vol. 78 (4): 333–336 ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE e-ISSN 2082-8926 Observation of a Western Barbastelle Barbastella barbastellus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in new ‘crevice’ boxes for bats Alek Rachwald1*, Iwona Gottfried2, Katarzyna Tołkacz3 1Forest Research Institute, Department of Forest Ecology, Sękocin Stary, ul. Braci Leśnej 3, 05–090 Raszyn, Poland; 2University of Wrocław, Zakład Ekologii Behawioralnej, ul. Sienkiewicza 21, 50–335 Wrocław, Poland; 3University of Warsaw, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Zoology, Department of Parasitology, ul. Miecznikowa 1, 02–096 Warszawa, Poland *Tel. +48 22 7150416, fax +48 22 7150507, e-mail: [email protected] Abstract. A Western Barbastelle, Barbastella barbastellus (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae, Schreber, 1774), was observed to inhabit ‘crevice’ bat boxes very late in the year. In November 2016, in two out of three study areas, a small number of Western Barbastelle specimens, five individuals and one individual respectively, were observed inhabiting bat boxes at night temperatures below zero and with snow cover. The occurrence of this species in summer-type hiding places during winter weather conditions has not been reported previously in Poland. Keywords: bats, Western Barbastelle, Barbastella, forest, November 1. Introduction 1994, Spitzenberger 1993). It usually does not use typical tree hollows, but rather the natural fractures of deciduous The Western Barbastelle Barbastella barbastellus is a fo- tree trunks, lobes of the protruding bark of dying trees with rest bat occurring throughout Poland. This species is under a diameter of 20–40 cm, or crevices formed in the fork of strict protection and requires active protection.
    [Show full text]