Bechstein's bat
| Bechstein's bat | ||||||||||||
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Bechstein's bat ( Myotis bechsteinii ) |
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| Myotis bechsteinii | ||||||||||||
| ( Kuhl , 1817) |
The Bechstein's bat ( Myotis bechsteinii ) is a species of bat that belongs to the genus of mouse ears ( Myotis ). The mouse ears are assigned to the smooth-nosed family (Vespertilionidae). It is named after Johann Matthäus Bechstein , who campaigned for the protection of bats as early as the early 19th century. Like all bats, the Bechstein bat orients itself less with its eyes and mainly with its ears. It emits ultrasonic waves and recognizes its surroundings from the returning echo. The assumption that the visual sense of bats is greatly reduced due to the development of echolocation has been refuted by behavioral experiments.
features
The relatively long and wide ears of the Bechstein bat have a pointed ear cover ( tragus ), as is typical for all types of mouse ears ( myotis ). The animals have a wingspan between 25 and 29 centimeters and weigh between 7 and 14 grams. This makes them one of the medium-sized species in Europe.
nutrition
Like other bats, the Bechstein's bat feeds on small insects such as flies , mosquitoes and moths . Since this species masters the shaking flight and can perceive the crawling noises of its prey, it also picks up spiders and caterpillars , for example, directly from the vegetation. The forest is one of their hunting grounds , especially the near-ground, insect-rich forest layers.
Resting places
This forest-dwelling species prefers tree hollows as summer quarters. As a substitute, however, nesting boxes for birds are always accepted. The bird nest boxes are not a sufficient alternative, however, as the Bechstein bat often changes its roost and is therefore dependent on a roost system, as is the case in a cave-rich forest with many old trees and a corresponding proportion of dead wood . One of the most important protection options is therefore the preservation and promotion of deciduous and mixed forests with many old and cave-rich trees. Summer roosts in or on buildings are very rarely visited by this species.
As winter quarters, the Bechstein bats seek out underground cavities such as caves, bunkers , tunnels or old cellars. Since Bechstein's bats with frostbite on the tips of their ears are observed over and over again, it is assumed that some of the Bechstein's bats look for aboveground roosts such as tree hollows to hibernate. In the underground, frost-proof quarters, they would not get such frostbite. In the Segeberger Kalkhöhle , 200–400 animals are counted during the winter.
threat
The Bechstein bat is under nature protection . One of the main problems for the native bats is the lack of suitable day and winter sleeping quarters as well as roosts for nurseries in which the young are born and are cared for by the mother until they are independent. A massive timber use of the forests and corresponding care of the forests has led to the fact that the abundance of caves and thus the number of roosts for the Bechstein bat has rapidly decreased, which is fatal for this species, which frequently changes its location. With the protection of the Bechstein bat, the BUND justified its lawsuit before the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig against the relocation of the A4 in connection with the Hambach open-cast lignite mine , which was rejected on May 13, 2009. BUND tried to do the same when closing the gap on the A 33 between the Bielefeld and Borgholzhausen motorway junction , but in this case too the Federal Administrative Court dismissed the action. On October 5, 2018, the OVG Münster imposed a temporary clearing stop due to the occurrence of the animals in the Hambach Forest , until the legal situation regarding the European FFH protection of the animals was finally clarified. The Bechstein bat is listed in Appendix II and Appendix IV of the Habitats Directive and at the same time a type of responsibility within the National Strategy for Biodiversity of the Federal Government.
Web links
- Myotis bechsteinii in the Red List of Threatened Species of the IUCN 2008. Posted by: Hutson, AM, et al, 2008. Retrieved on January 26, 2016..
- Well illustrated page on bogon-naturfoto.de
- Bechstein's bat at NABU Schleswig-Holstein
Individual evidence
- ↑ Complaints against the expansion and relocation of the federal motorway 4 between Kerpen and Düren dismissed , press release No. 29/2009, BVerwG 9 A71.07 - 74.07, judgments of May 13, 2009 accessed on December 8, 2015
- ↑ The Bechstein bat delays the A-33 gap closure , online edition of the Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung from February 25, 2011 (accessed on October 14, 2015)
- ↑ Lawsuit dismissed - further construction of the A 33 from December 17 , online edition of the Neue Westfälische from November 6, 2012 (accessed on November 6, 2012)
- ↑ OVG Münster clearing in the Hambacher Forst stopped Tagesschau.de, accessed on October 5, 2018
- ↑ Press release of the OVG Münster from October 5, 2018 ( Memento of the original from October 5, 2018 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. accessed on October 7, 2018
