Great noctule bat

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Great noctule bat
Great noctule (Nyctalus noctula)

Great noctule ( Nyctalus noctula )

Systematics
Superfamily : Smooth-nosed (Vespertilionoidea)
Family : Smooth-nosed (Vespertilionidae)
Subfamily : True smooth-nosed (Vespertilioninae)
Tribe : Pipistrellini
Genre : Noctule Swift ( Nyctalus )
Type : Great noctule bat
Scientific name
Nyctalus noctula
( Schreber , 1774)
Great noctule ( Nyctalus noctula )

The noctule ( Nyctalus noctula ) is a senior living in forests bat species from the family of Myotis bats (Vespertilionidae).

Appearance

The short coat is close-fitting and shining a single color rust-brown all over the body. With a maximum body length of 8.2 cm and a wingspan of 40 cm, it is between its two relatives on the European continent in size. The clear glandular bulges in the corners of the mouth, which can be seen when the mouth is open, are very noticeable.

Occurrence

As a typical tree bat, it lives in small groups, sometimes in larger groups, in old (woodpecker) caves in trees; but he also uses buildings and sometimes nest boxes as quarters.

It can be found almost everywhere in Europe with the exception of northern Scandinavia , Scotland and Ireland . He also lives in large parts of Asia, from Asia Minor to Japan and Malaysia, and in northern Africa . Noctule swifts make long hikes between their summer and winter quarters. The longest measured distance was 1546 km. It was determined by ringing. As winter quarters, in which up to a thousand animals can sometimes be found, they prefer tree hollows for their hibernation . The largest currently known winter roost for the noctule bat in Central Europe is the old Levensau high bridge .

Subspecies

There are four subspecies of the noctule bat:

The subspecies N. n. Plancyi was raised to species status ( Nyctalus plancyi ) some time ago .

food

The animals go hunting shortly before dawn - also during the day in late autumn. The diet consists mainly of moths , crickets and beetles . The noctule bat is able to kill large beetles such as B. to eat cockchafer. It usually hunts as a long-distance flyer above the treetops and catches its prey at speeds of up to 60 km / h.

Reproduction

Young great noctule bat (shows nominate form )

The animals mate between August and October. From June, at the earliest at the end of May (Russia), the females give birth to one or two, very rarely three young (isolated case in England). In Germany, the species reproduces predominantly in the east, but nurseries are also known from West Germany. The known maximum age of a great noctule is twelve years.

literature

  • J. Gebhard, W. Bogdanowicz: Nyctalus noctula - Great Noctule. In: Handbook of Mammals in Europe, Volume 4/2: Fledertiere . Edited by Franz Krapp. Wiebelsheim.
  • DE Wilson, DM Reeder (Ed.): Mammal Species of the World. A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. 2005, 3rd edition. Baltimore.

Web links

Commons : Great Noctule  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ R. Hutterer, T. Ivanova, C. Meyer-Cordes, L. Rodriques (2005): Bat Migrations in Europe . - Nature conservation and biological diversity 28: 98 from Brunsbüttel.de
  2. ^ Wilson, DE & DM Reeder (eds.) (2005), p. 472
  3. ↑ Gebhard. J & Bogdanowicz, W. (2004), p. 622
  4. ↑ Gebhard. J & Bogdanowicz, W. (2004), p. 622
  5. ↑ Gebhard. J & Bogdanowicz, W. (2004), p. 622
  6. ↑ Gebhard. J & Bogdanowicz, W. (2004), p. 622
  7. ^ Wilson, DE & DM Reeder (eds.) (2005), p. 472
  8. ↑ Gebhard. J & Bogdanowicz, W. (2004), p. 647