Noctule bat
| Noctule bat | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Great noctule (Nyctalus noctula) |
||||||||||||
| Systematics | ||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||
| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Nyctalus | ||||||||||||
| Bowdich , 1825 |
The noctule bat ( Nyctalus ) is a species of bat from the smooth-nosed family (Vespertilionidae). There are eight species of this taxon in Eurasia and northern Africa , three of which are also in Europe and one is endemic to the Azores .
description
The noctule bat is characterized by its short, triangular ears with the mushroom-shaped widened ear cover ( tragus ) and the wings that are hairy at the base. Their fur is yellow-brown to dark brown on the top, the underside is a little lighter.
These bats are the largest bats in Europe, they reach a head body length of 50 to 100 millimeters, a tail length of 35 to 65 millimeters, a wingspan of up to 46 centimeters and a weight of up to 50 grams.
Way of life
The habitat of these bats is primarily forests, but they are sometimes found in open areas or near human settlements. During the day they sleep in tree hollows, buildings or caves, in the early evening they fly in search of food. They owe their name to this early appearance, although the Azores noctule bat can sometimes be observed during the day. In winter they go to warmer regions, a flight distance of more than 2000 kilometers has been recorded for the noctule bat.
The noctule bat, like most bats, feed almost exclusively on insects, especially beetles , dragonflies and moths . For the giant noctule bat, however, carnivory was also detected in Tuscany by means of fecal analyzes . Especially in late summer to autumn, these animals regularly prey on small songbirds such as robins ( Erithacus rubecula ) and blue tits ( Cyanistes caeruleus ).
Once a year, the females give birth to a single young after a gestation period of 70 to 75 days. They gather in nurseries with up to 400 animals in tree hollows or buildings. The young are fully grown at six to seven weeks and are weaned around the same age.
Systematics
|
Phylogenetic system of the genus Nyctalus
|
The genus includes eight species:
- Nyctalus aviator is native to Japan , Korea, and eastern China .
- The Azores noctule bat ( Nyctalus azoreum ) is endemic to the Azores .
- Nyctalus furvus
- The Giant Noctule Bat ( Nyctalus lasiopterus ) is the largest European bat species.
- The noctule bat ( Nyctalus leisleri ) is widespread from Europe to India .
- The mountain noctule ( Nyctalus montanus ) lives in Afghanistan , Pakistan and northern India .
- The noctule bat ( Nyctalus noctula ) is the most common and widespread species. Its range extends from Western Europe to Southeast Asia .
- The Chinese noctule bat ( Nyctalus plancyi ) is endemic to the People's Republic of China with a comparatively large distribution area in the southeast of the country and on Taiwan.
According to a study by Salgueiro et al. In 2007, the Chinese noctule ( Nyctalus plancyi ) is the most basal species and thus the sister species of the remaining noctule species. The remaining species are divided into two groups, one of which is the great noctule ( Nyctalus noctula ), the giant noctule ( Nyctalus lasiopterus ) and the Asian style Nyctalus aviator and the other from the small noctule ( Nyctalus leisleri ) and in the Azores endemic Azores noctule ( Nyctalus azoreum ) is formed. The common noctule bat ( Nyctalus montanus ), which was also previously considered a subspecies of the noctule bat , and Nyctalus furvus were not considered in this study.
supporting documents
- ↑ G. Dondini, p Vergari: Carnivory in the greater noctule bat (Nyctalus lasiopterus) in Italy. Journal of Zoology 251 (2), 2000: pp. 233-236. ( Full text ( memento of February 1, 2014 in the Internet Archive ); PDF; 107 kB)
- ↑ AG Popa Lisseanu, A. Delgado-Huertas, MG Forero, A. Rodriguez, R. Arlettaz, C. Ibanez: Bats' conquest of a formidable foraging niche: the myriads of nocturnally migrating songbirds . In: PLoS ONE 2 (2), 2007, e205. (engl.)
- ↑ a b P. Salgueiro, M. Ruedi, MM Coelho, JM Palmeirim: Genetic divergence and phylogeography in the genus Nyctalus (Mammalia, Chiroptera): implications for population history of the insular bat Nyctalus azoreum. Genetica 130 (2), 2007: pp. 169-181.
- ↑ Don E. Wilson & DeeAnn M. Reeder (eds.): Nyctalus ( Memento of February 3, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) in Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed).
literature
- Ronald M. Nowak: Walker's Mammals of the World . Johns Hopkins University Press, 1999, ISBN 0-8018-5789-9
