Mustachioed night bat description. Mustachioed night bat: description, photos and interesting facts

boss with a big head

Registration locations:

Brest region - all

Vitebsk region - except for the extreme east

Gomel region - except for the eastern 1/3

Grodno region - all

Minsk region -all

Mogilev region - except east 1/2

Family Smooth-nosed (Vespertilionidae).

The smallest representative of the genus of night bats. A rare, sedentary, little-studied species of bats of the country. On the territory of Belarus in the east is the border of the range. Outside the range remains the extreme east of Vitebsk, eastern half Mogilev and about 1/3 of the eastern part of the Gomel regions. On the territory of Belarus it is found everywhere, but rarely, and over the past 15 years there has been a sharp decrease in the number of mustachioed bats.

The smallest representative of the genus of night bats. Body length 3.8-5 cm; tail 3-4 cm; ear height 1.4-1.5 cm; tragus 0.8 cm; forearms 3.2-3.7 cm. Body weight 4.5-10 g. The ears are long, sharp, if pressed against the head, they reach the tip of the nose. The flying membrane is attached at the base of the outer toe of the hind limb.

Among other types of bats, it is identified by the following features: the wing membrane is attached to the hind limb at the base of the outer finger, there is a rudimentary part of the epiblem on the spur.

The fur is long, thick, on the back with a silky sheen. The general color tone of the back is from fawn-red to brown-brown, on the abdomen it is gray-whitish.

At the end of March and the first half of April, the mustachioed bat appears in summer shelters: in hollows, under shutters and behind window trims, under sheathing of wooden sheds, under loose bark, in woodpiles, etc.

It flies early to hunt, in the evening twilight. It feeds without interruption all night in open glades and forest edges, in gardens and parks, along forest clearings and roads, above water bodies and in tree crowns at a height of 1.5-5 m.

The diet includes Diptera, stoneflies, caddisflies, mayflies, small butterflies and beetles.

The mustachioed night bat leads a solitary lifestyle. During birth and

rearing of cubs occurs in small groups of up to 10 individuals, less often - up to several dozen. Males and idling females lead a solitary lifestyle.

The gestation period for this species of bats is extended. Mass births are observed in the second half of June. Females give birth to one or two cubs. By the end of the third week, the young are able to fly, independent flights begin at the age of 4 weeks. In August, after the transition of the young to an independent way of life, no spatial separation of the sexes is observed.

Separate populations of the mustachioed bat make seasonal migrations and were noted in nomadic colonies of the dwarf bat. And at the end of July and in August, when in Belovezhskaya Pushcha autumn migrations of the dwarf bat are noted, several cases have been recorded when baleen bats were found in colonies of this species. Perhaps the mustachioed bat makes migrations together with the dwarf bat. AT Voronezh Reserve a large number of mustachioed bats appear in spring and autumn, while in summer they are very few.

In Belovezhskaya Pushcha, 2 cases of wintering of the bats in December and February in the cellars of buildings were recorded. It is interesting that in August 2 baleen bats were caught in the community with late leather, which leads in Belarus sedentary life. Wintering places of this species in caves are known in Latvia, Estonia, in the vicinity of St. Petersburg, in Poland.

Type of:

Class:

Squad:

Systematic position

Status

Global population endangered category on the IUCN Red List

Category according to IUCN Red List criteria

Belonging to the objects of action of international agreements and conventions ratified by the Russian Federation

Brief morphological description

Spreading

Features of biology and ecology

Numbers and trends

Limiting factors

Necessary and additional security measures

Sources of information

Mustachioed bat – Myotis mystacinus Kuhl, 1817

Order Chiroptera - Chiroptera

Family Smooth-nosed bats - Vespertilionidae

Category, status. 3- rare view. It is included in the Red Books of the Leningrad and Smolensk regions, the republics of Belarus, Estonia, Latvia. It is under the protection of the Berne Convention (Appendix II). Guarded in Western Europe, Moldova, Ukraine, Belarus, the Baltic republics under the 1991 Agreement on the Conservation of Populations of European Bats (EUROBATS).

Short description. Small bat. Body length 39-46 mm. Forearm length 30-35 mm. The wingspan is 19-23 cm. The coloration of the back is dark, brown-brown. Lower body grayish tones. The fur is thick, long. The epiblema is undeveloped. The wing membrane is attached to the base of the outer toe. By outward signs difficult to distinguish from Brandt's bat.

Range and distribution. Distributed throughout Europe, North Africa, Southwest and Central Asia east to Mongolia; in Russia - the south and east of the European part, the Caucasus, Southern Urals and Northern Caspian mountainous areas south Western and Eastern Siberia, Transbaikalia. Inhabits different landscapes from the forest zone to deserts (1).

In the Pskov region, it is known from the discovery of two females in the village of Trutnevo, Gdovsky district (2).

Habitats and features of biology. Settles in hollows of trees, human buildings. Late departure, active all night. It occurs singly or forms small colonies. Flies out to hunt in thick twilight. Feeds over forest roads, glades, park alleys, over reservoirs, along forest edges. The flight is fast, maneuverable. Mating after the end of lactation or during wintering. In late June - early July, the female brings one cub. A sedentary species that does not make long-distance migrations.

The number of species and limiting factors. There are no long-term observations of the distribution and state of the population. The limiting factors include: low reproductive ability, felling of hollow trees, disturbance in the locations of brood colonies and wintering grounds.

Security measures. Organization of specially protected natural areas on wintering grounds and in places where brood colonies are located.

Sources of information:

1. Pavlinov et al., 2002; 2. Chistyakov, 2002; author data.

Compiled by: D. V. Chistyakov.

area

Europe, except for individual extremely southern and northern regions, Asia Minor, the Caucasus. Some researchers believe that it is not the mustachioed bat that actually lives in the Crimea, but separate view bats – steppe bat (Myotis aurascens Kuzjakin, 1935),

area

Features of morphology

Small bat. Double species of Myotis brandtii. Ears ellipsoid, tragus lanceolate. gray color the abdomen contrasts with the yellow-brown color of the back. The flying membrane is attached to the base of the finger. The bases of the ears and tragus in adults are dark.

Features of biology

Shelters - dungeons (quarries, caves), hollow trees, cavities in buildings. In the Crimea, probably a sedentary species; the boundaries of distribution on the peninsula require clarification. Nutrition has not been studied enough. Maternal colonies number up to several dozen females. The birth of young occurs at the beginning of summer, females bring one cub at a time. The young become flying at the age of about a month. They hibernate in dungeons, staying singly or in small groups.

Threat factors

Reducing the number of suitable shelters, disturbance in shelters (including speleotourism).

Protection measures

The species is listed in Appendix II of the Berne Convention, Appendix II of the Bonn Convention and Appendix I of the EUROBATS agreement. The distribution zone of the species covers a number of Crimean protected areas. A more detailed study of the biology and ecology of the species is necessary, as well as educational work among the population.

Sources of information

Abelentsev et al., 1956; Konstantinov et al., 1976; Benda and Tsytsulina, 2000; Godlevskaya et al., 2009; Dietz et al., 2011.

Compiled by: Bednarskaya E. V., Dulitsky A. I. A photo: Andera M.

The mustachioed bat is a small bat distributed throughout Europe. This type was classified only in 1970 due to its significant similarity with the Mustachioed bats, often confused with water bats. Both species live in similar conditions and have common visually definable characters. How to distinguish mustachioed bats from relatives? Photos of these amazing animals, as well as their detailed description especially for you in our article.

Mustachioed night bat: photo and description of the species

This is one of eleven species of night bats found in Russia. Mustachioed bats belong to the smooth-nosed family bats order of bats. These bats are distributed throughout Europe, from Iran and North Africa to Mongolia. Sometimes there are representatives of the species in Southeast Asia. Animals of this species usually lead and only in the most northern regions habitats can move to more southern areas with the onset of cold weather. The mustachioed bat, like most of its relatives, is active at night, and rests in the shelter during the day.

Distinctive features of the species

Mustachioed bats are small. The body size of a representative of this species is 35-48 mm, and the weight is 4-9 grams, the forearm of the animal is 31-37 mm. The body of the night bat is covered with thick, disheveled fur, the color of which varies from yellowish to black on the back and sides. The abdomen of the animal is always lighter, from white to yellowish. Often the hairs are colored at the tips in a lighter shade than at the roots. Flying membranes and ears in all individuals are dark in color. This species got its name because of the long sensitive hairs visible to the naked eye on the muzzle.

Behavior and lifestyle

The mustachioed bat lives in various natural landscapes. You can meet representatives of this species in the mountains, deserts, steppes, wooded area. Often the animals settle near large reservoirs. AT wild nature bats sleep in hollows of trees, caves, abandoned buildings. These bats can equip themselves with shelters in the neighborhood of a person. Often they live in cellars, attics, behind architraves and wall cladding. The animals are active throughout the night, go hunting at dusk. Representatives of this species feed on small insects flying at a height of 1-6 meters from the ground.

The flight of mustachioed bats is always swift, with sharp turns. These bats can hunt throughout the night. At the same time, animals rarely fly long distances from their habitat. During the day, night bats sleep, clinging to the ceiling of the shelter, hanging upside down. Most often, representatives of the species live in small colonies. But sometimes the animals prefer to stay apart or 2-3 individuals together. The desire for loneliness is more characteristic of males. For females to successfully raise offspring, it is much more convenient to live “in the family”.

Reproduction and stages of growing up cubs

The breeding season for baleen bats is the beginning and middle of summer. Mating can occur immediately after the end of lactation. Pregnancy lasts about 2 months. One female usually gives birth to 1-2 cubs. AT summer period bats form small colonies, the number of which is usually no more than 12 individuals. The duration of lactation is 1.5 months. The newborn mustachioed bat does not leave the shelter. While the adults hunt, the cubs huddle together and wait for their parents to return. The bats communicate with their relatives by ordinary sound signals. Each animal has its own voice, by which others recognize it. The sounds made by night bats lie on the threshold of human perception. We can hear a subtle squeak if we listen carefully.

One of the types of bats that live next to humans is the mustachioed bat. The photo of this animal clearly demonstrates its size. Often we are not even aware of the neighborhood with these amazing animals. Representatives of the species can create shelters for themselves in residential buildings, outbuildings and other structures erected by human hands. Neighborhood with night bats is completely safe for humans, animals will never be the first to attack such a large creature. Bats are excellent at navigating in space, even in total darkness. Them main secret- echolocation. Animals use signals in the range of 43-102 kHz, the maximum amplitude is 53 kHz. How do bats not lose their orientation, moving in a small cave with a whole colony? Each individual has an individual voice and intonation. In some separate regions of Russia, the description of the mustachioed bat can be found in the local Red Books as a species in need of special protection. With a global assessment total strength animals living throughout the country, such concerns do not arise. Officially, this species is considered common, normally distributed.