Meheley horseshoe bat
| Meheley horseshoe bat | ||||||||||||
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Meheley horseshoe bat ( Rhinolophus mehelyi ) |
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| Rhinolophus mehelyi | ||||||||||||
| Matschie , 1901 |
The Meheley horseshoe bat ( Rhinolophus mehelyi ), also known as the Mehely horseshoe bat , is a bat from the horseshoe bat family . The IUCN classifies the species as "endangered" (vulnerable) .
description
The Mehely horseshoe bat is a medium-sized bat with a wingspan of about 33 to 34 centimeters and a weight of about 10 to 18 grams. The horseshoe bat and lips are flesh-colored pale. The animal has a dense fur that is gray-brown on the top and almost white on the underside. The border between the two colors is relatively sharp. It is similar in size and color to the Mediterranean horseshoe bat and the Blasius horseshoe bat . The special feature of this species, however, is a conspicuous, gray-brown "glasses" around the eyes.
Distribution area, habitat and way of life
The Mehely horseshoe bat is only found in the Mediterranean area , very far south in Spain , Portugal , southern France , Sicily and the southern Balkans as far as Turkey .
They eat moths and other small insects , which are presumably also ingested from the ground, as the species can easily and effortlessly fly up from the ground. It lives in karst areas with water nearby. The excursion begins at dawn. The species hunts low above the ground on mountain slopes and between bushes and trees. It flies slowly, agile, very skillful and can also glide short distances.
The Mehely horseshoe bat is a gregarious cave bat and is likely to be local. The species also roosts with other horseshoe bats , lesser mouse-eared bats and long-winged bats . The animals hang individually from the ceiling in their cave, whereby they are only partially wrapped in their flight membranes. Only when the temperature drops in the summer roost do the animals hang tightly together.
Due to the disturbance and loss of the caves, the species has become rare and the size of the population is rapidly decreasing. Maintaining and securing caves and reducing the use of insecticides is necessary to protect the species.
protection
The Meheley horseshoe bat is listed by the European Union in Annexes II and IV of the Habitats Directive and is therefore a species of community interest that must be strictly protected, and special protected areas must be designated for their preservation.
literature
- Wilfried Schober, Eckhard Grimmberger: The bats of Europe - know, determine, protect. 2nd updated edition, Franckh-Kosmos , Stuttgart 1998. ISBN 3-440-07597-4
- Klaus Richarz. Observe, recognize and protect bats. Franckh-Kosmos, Stuttgart 2004 ISBN 978-3-440-09691-8
