Grey long-eared Bat | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Chiroptera |
Family: | Vespertilionidae |
Genus: | Plecotus |
Species: | P. austriacus |
Binomial name | |
Plecotus austriacus (J.B. Fischer, 1829) | |
Range of P. austriacus |
The grey long-eared bat (Plecotus austriacus) is a fairly large European bat. It has distinctive ears, long and with a distinctive fold. It hunts above woodland, often by day, and mostly for moths. In captivity, it has also been recorded to eat small lizards. [2] It is extremely similar to the more common brown long-eared bat, and was only distinguished in the 1960s, but has a paler belly.
Its main foraging habitats are lowland meadows and marshes. [3] It locates its insect prey via echolocation. The frequencies used by this bat species for echolocation lie between 18 and 45 kHz, have most energy at 28 kHz and have an average duration of 5.8 ms. [4]
Distributed throughout all of Europe, except for the Scandinavian Peninsula. [5]
It is currently listed as near-threatened by the IUCN. It has a large geographic range and it is considered relatively common. In most of the countries where it is found, it is protected from intentional harm by legislation. While Continental European distributions are not threatened, a 2013 study found this species was close to extinction in the United Kingdom.
One possible reason for its decline in the UK is the loss of foraging habitat. [3] It is currently a focus within the Back from the Brink conservation project which aims to increase foraging habitat around known roost sites. [6] This species may also be threatened by climate change in Southern Europe.
One researcher noted, "long-lived, slow-reproducing species with smaller population sizes are not likely to be able to adapt to future climate change fast enough through the spread of new mutations arising in the population." In the future, it may be necessary for humans to relocate bats to suitable areas as climate changes. [7]
Natterer's bat is a European vespertilionid bat with pale wings. It has brown fur tending to greyish-white on its underside. It is found across most of the continent of Europe, parts of the Near East and North Africa. It feeds on insects and other invertebrates which it catches on the wing or pursues on the ground.
The serotine bat, also known as the common serotine bat, big brown bat, or silky bat, is a fairly large Eurasian bat with quite large ears. It has a wingspan of around 37 cm (15 in) and often hunts in woodland. It sometimes roosts in buildings, hanging upside down, in small groups or individually. The name serotine is derived from the Latin serotinus, which means 'evening', while the generic name derives from Greek ἔπιεν and οίκος, which means 'house flyer'.
The greater horseshoe bat is an insectivorous bat of the genus Rhinolophus. Its distribution covers Europe, Northern Africa, Central Asia and Eastern Asia. It is the largest of the horseshoe bats in Europe and is thus easily distinguished from other species. The species is sedentary, typically travelling up to 30 kilometres (19 mi) between the winter and summer roosts, with the longest recorded movement being 180 km (110 mi). The frequencies used by this bat species for echolocation lie between 69–83 kHz, have most energy at 81 kHz and have an average duration of 37.4 ms.
The lesser horseshoe bat is a type of small European and North African insectivorous bat, related to its larger cousin, the greater horseshoe bat. As with all horseshoe bats, the species gets its name from its distinctive horseshoe-shaped noseleaf.
The brown long-eared bat or common long-eared bat is a small Eurasian insectivorous bat. It has distinctive ears, long and with a distinctive fold. It is extremely similar to the much rarer grey long-eared bat which was only validated as a distinct species in the 1960s. An adult brown long-eared bat has a body length of 4.5–4.8 cm, a tail of 4.1–4.6 cm, and a forearm length of 4–4.2 cm. The ears are 3.3–3.9 cm in length, and readily distinguish the long-eared bats from most other bat species. They are relatively slow flyers compared to other bat species.
The Alpine long-eared bat or mountain long-eared bat is a species of long-eared bat. It was originally described from Switzerland and Austria as a species intermediate between the brown long-eared bat and the grey long-eared bat in 1965. It was later described in 2002, from France and Austria, respectively. Despite its name, this species is not restricted to the Alps, being found in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and elsewhere. It differs from other European long-eared bats, such as the brown long-eared bat, by its white underparts.
The western barbastelle, also known as the barbastelle or barbastelle bat, is a European bat in the genus Barbastella. This species is found from Portugal to Azerbaijan and from Sweden to Canary Islands, where a sub-species was identified. It has a short nose, small eyes and wide ears. The conservation status of B. barbastellus is assessed as "near threatened", "vulnerable", "critically endangered" or "extinct" in various parts of its range.
The common noctule is a species of insectivorous bat common throughout Europe, Asia, and North Africa.
The greater mouse-eared bat is a European species of bat in the family Vespertilionidae.
The desert long-eared bat is a species of vesper bat found in North Africa and the Middle East.
The Ethiopian long-eared bat or Ethiopian big-eared bat is a species of long-eared bat in the family Vespertilionidae.
The south-eastern long-eared bat or Corben's long-eared bat, is a species of bat found in Australia. It occurs in the woodlands of the Murray Darling Basin and adjacent areas.
Bechstein's bat is a species of vesper bat found in Europe and western Asia, living in extensive areas of woodland.
The diadem leaf-nosed bat or diadem roundleaf bat is one of the most widespread species of bat in the family Hipposideridae. It is probably most closely related to Hipposideros demissus from Makira and to Hipposideros inornatus from the Northern Territory in Australia. Hipposideros diadema is found in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The Bahaman funnel-eared bat is a species of bat in the family Natalidae.
The Turkmen long-eared bat is a species of bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and possibly Mongolia.
Kozlov's long-eared bat is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in southern Mongolia and adjacent parts of China.
Strelkov's long-eared bat is a species of vesper bat found in mountainous regions of Central Asia.
Ward's long-eared bat is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found in mountainous regions of South Asia and adjoining regions.