Barbastella barbastellus (Schreber, 1774)

Godlevska, L., Rebrov, S., Vorobei, P., Savchenko, M. & Panchenko, P., 2022, Bats Of Central Ukraine: A Synopsis, Zoodiversity 56 (3), pp. 203-232 : 207

Barbastella barbastellus (Schreber, 1774)

Within the study region, the species has quite patchy distribution ( fig. 3 ). At present, it is rather frequently found in the northwestern part of the region and in the Dniester subregion. The Dnipro distribution patch of the species is relatively isolated from its other record localities. In Kyiv and outskirts, the species was regularly found in the middle of the 20th century ( Abelentsev & Popov, 1956; Abelentsev et al., 1969; Godlevska, 2013 b). However, during the last two decades, the species was recorded only in two localities in the vicinities of Kyiv (Annex).

The breeding was recently first revealed in nine study localities (Annex). Maternity roosts are not known. During the breeding period, males were netted at entrances and inside abandoned banked military structures, up to 20 individuals per object (Annex). That allows considering such structures as roosts for the barbastelle males in the warm season of the year.

In winter, the species was recorded hibernating in underground cavities: mines, military objects, cellars, drainage tunnels; earlier, in monastery artificial caves (e. g. Abelentsev & Popov, 1956; Sologor, 1973; Godlevska et al., 2010; 2012; 2016; Annex). The exception is two winter records of single individuals in overground parts of buildings: in a cavity of a stable ceiling and in a greenhouse ( Sologor, 1973; Ruzhilenko et al., 1998).

The number of hibernating individuals per one object is, usually, up to 10 individuals. There are only few hibernacula, where more barbastelles were recorded, with a maximum of 194 individuals (Annex).

Figures

Fig. 3. Record localities of Barbastella barbastellus. Here and further, if no other description is given: A — data of other authors, 1848–2020; B — own data, 1999–2021.