New bat species and records for the Adriatic Islands Vis and Biševo (Croatia)

Authors

  • Frederik C. De Wint Evolutionary Ecology Group, Biology Department, University of Antwerp, Antwerp and Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice and Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Department of Ecology, Ceske Budejovice https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0819-3903
  • Michiel Cornelis Evolutionary Ecology Group, Biology Department, University of Antwerp, Antwerp https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0168-2053
  • Simon Reynaert Evolutionary Ecology Group, Biology Department, University of Antwerp, Antwerp https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4690-0955
  • Pablo Albo González Evolutionary Ecology Group, Biology Department, University of Antwerp, Antwerp
  • Nils Bouillard Barbastella Echology, Deinze
  • Ralf Gyselings Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9147-5279
  • Luc De Bruyn Evolutionary Ecology Group, Biology Department, University of Antwerp, Antwerp and Research Institute for Nature and Forest (INBO), Brussels https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8968-8862

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26496/bjz.2022.101

Keywords:

Bioacoustics, islands, echolocation calls, bat species distribution, Chiroptera

Abstract

The bat fauna of the Adriatic islands is relatively poorly known. Seven species were documented so far on the remote Adriatic islands of Vis and Biševo (Croatia). This study aims to increase knowledge on the bat communities on these islands. Bat echolocations were recorded between 30 April and 11 May 2018 at seven sites showing bat presence. Calls were identified to genus and species level where possible, which confirmed the presence of eight bat taxa on the islands. Three taxa were observed for the first time: Tadarida teniotis, Myotis sp. and Nyctalus sp. Results of this study increase the number of documented bat taxa on Vis from seven to ten and on Biševo from one to six. This study highlights the importance and benefits of utilizing passive acoustic devices at remote locations. Our findings suggest that bat communities and diversity might also be understudied on other islands in the Mediterranean, which could have important implications for bat conservation.

References

Barataud M. (2015). Acoustic Ecology of European Bats: Species Identification, Study of their Habitats and Foraging Behaviour. Biotope and National Museum of Natural History, Paris.

Benda P. & Piraccini R. (2016). Tadarida teniotis. Available from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/21311/22114995 [accessed 7 April 2022].

Biollaz F., Bruyndonckx N., Beuneux G., Mucedda M., Goudet J. & Christe P. (2010). Genetic isolation of insular populations of the Maghrebian bat, Myotis punicus, in the Mediterranean Basin. Journal of Biogeography 37 (8): 1557–1569. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2010.02282.x

Bogdanowicz W., Hulva P., Černá Bolfíková B., Buś M.M., Rychlicka E., Sztencel-Jabłonka A., Cistrone L. & Russo D. (2015). Cryptic diversity of Italian bats and the role of the Apennine refugium in the phylogeography of the western Palaearctic. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 174 (3): 635–648. https://doi.org/10.1111/zoj.12248

Çoraman E., Dietz C., Hempel E., Ghazaryan A., Levin E., Presetnik P., Zagmajster M. & Mayer F. (2019). Reticulate evolutionary history of a Western Palaearctic bat complex explained by multiple mtDNA introgressions in secondary contacts. Journal of Biogeography 46 (2): 343–354. https://doi.org/10.1111/jbi.13509

Davy C.M., Russo D. & Fenton M.B. (2007). Use of native woodlands and traditional olive groves by foraging bats on a Mediterranean island: Consequences for conservation. Journal of Zoology 273 (4): 397–405. https://doi.org/ 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2007.00343.x

Dietz C. & Kiefer A. (2016). Bats of Britain and Europe. Bloomsbury Publishing, London.

Dulić B. (1980). Morphological characteristics and distribution of Plecotus auritus and Plecotus austriacus in some regions of Yugoslavia. In: Wilson D.E. & & Gardner A.L. (eds) Proceedings of the Fifth International Bat Research Conference: 151–161. Texas Tech Press.

Dulić B. & Tvrtković N. (1970). The distribution of bats on the Adriatic islands. Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde 40 (1): 17–20. https://doi.org/10.1163/26660644-04001006

Fleming T.H. & Racey P.A. (eds) (2013). Island Bats: Evolution, Ecology, and Conservation. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London. https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226253312.001.0001

Gazaryan S., Bücs S. & Çoraman E. (2021). Miniopterus schreibersii. Available from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/81633057/195856522 [accessed 7 April 2022].

Haysom K.A., Dekker J., Russ J., Van der Meij T. & Van Strien A. (2014). European Bat Population Trends. A Prototype Biodiversity Indicator. European Environment Agency Technical Report No19/2013.

Jamault R., Godeau J.-F. & Barataud M. (2018). GraphB v1.6. Available from http://geoeco.fr/ecologie_acoustique/en/appli_graph?/ [accessed 10 August 2020].

Jansen E.A. & Limpens H.J.G.A. (2014). Herkenning van vleermuissoorten en gedrag aan de hand van echolocatiegeluiden – voorlopige versie 2014. Zoogdiervereniging, 30 p.

Jones G., Jacobs D.S., Kunz T.H., Willig M.R. & Racey P.A. (2009). Carpe noctem: the importance of bats as bioindicators. Endangered Species Research 8: 93–115. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00182

Juste J. & Paunović M. (2016a). Hypsugo savii. Available from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/44856/22072380 [accessed 7 April 2022].

Juste J. & Paunović M. (2016b). Pipistrellus kuhlii. Available from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/17314/22132946 [accessed 7 April 2022].

Kalko E.K.V., Handley C.O.J. & Handley D. (1996). Organisation, diversity and long-term dynamics of a Neotropical bat community. In: Cody M. & Smallwood J. (eds) Long-Term Studies of Vertebrate Communities: 503–553. Academic Press Inc., New York.

Kolombatović J. (1887). Aggiunte ai Chirotteri della Dalmazia. Glasnik Hrvatski Naravoslov Drutva 2: 4–6.

Kunz T.H., Braun de Torrez E., Bauer D. & Lobova T., Fleming T.H. (2011). Ecosystem services provided by bats. Annual New York Academic Science 1223: 1–38. https://doi.org/ 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.06004.x

Meyer C.F. & Kalko E.K. (2008). Assemblages-level responses of phyllostomid bats to tropical forest fragmentation: land-bridge islands as a model system. Journal of Biogeography 35 (9): 1711–1726. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2699.2008.01916.x

Mifsud D.M. & Vella A. (2019). Mitochondrial genetic diversity of bat species from the Maltese Islands and applications for their conservation. Natural and Engineering Sciences 4 (3): 276–292. https://doi.org/10.28978/nesciences.646348

Newson S.E., Mendes S., Crick P.H.Q., Dulvy N.K., Houghton J.D.R., Hays G.C., Hutson A.M., Maclead C.D., Pierce G.J. & Robinson R.A. (2009). Indicators of the impact of climate change on migratory species. Endangered Species Research 7: 101–113. https://doi.org/10.3354/esr00162

O’Farrell M.J. & Gannon W.L. (1999). A comparison of acoustic versus capture techniques for the inventory of bats. Journal of Mammalogy 80 (1): 24–30. https://doi.org/10.2307/1383204

Obrist M.K., Boesch R. & Flückiger P.F. (2004). Variability in echolocation call design of 26 Swiss bat species: Consequences, limits and options for automated field identification with a synergetic pattern recognition approach. Mammalia 68 (4): 307–322. https://doi.org/10.1515/mamm.2004.030

Papadatou E., Butlin R.K. & Altringham J.D. (2008). Idenfification of bat species in Greece from their echolocation calls. Acta Chiropterologica 10 (1): 127–143. https://doi.org/10.3161/150811008X331153

Pavlinić I., Daković M. & Tvrtković N. (2010). The atlas of croatian bats (Chiroptera) part I. Natura Croatica 19 (2): 295–337.

Piraccini R. (2016). Rhinolophus ferrumequinum. Available from https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/19517/21973253 [accessed 7 April 2022].

Russ J. (2012). British Bat Calls: a Guide to Species Identification. Pelagic publishing.

Russo D. & Jones G. (1999). The social calls of Kuhl’s pipistrelles Pipistrellus kuhlii (Kuhl, 1819): structure and variation (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae). Journal of Zoology 249 (4): 476–481. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0952836999231202

Russo D. & Jones G. (2002). Identification of twenty-two bat species (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from Italy by analysis of time-expanded recordings of echolocation calls. Journal of Zoology 258 (1): 91–103. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0952836902001231

Russo D. & Papadatou E. (2014). Acoustic identification of free-flying Schreiber’s bat Miniopterus schreibersii by social calls. Hystrix, the Italian Journal of Mammalogy 25 (2): 119–120. https://doi.org/10.4404/hystrix-25.2-10933

Rydell J. & Arlettaz R. (1994). Low-frequency echolocation enables the bat Tadarida teniotis to feed on tympanate insects. Royal Society 257 (1349): 175–178. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.1994.0112

Szewczak J. (2015). SonoBatTM Software for Bat Call Analysis. (4.5.0 Universal).

Tvrtković N. (2006). Red Book of Mammals of Croatia. Ministry of Culture, State Ministry of Nature Protection, Zagreb.

Tvrtković N., Pavlinić I. & Haring E. (2005). Four species of long-eared bats (Plecotus Geoffroy, 1818; Mammalia, Vespertilionidae) in Croatia: field identification and distribution. Folia Zoologica 54 (1–2): 75–88.

Van De Sijpe M. (2011). Differentiating the echolocation calls of Daubenton’s bats, pond bats and long-fingered bats in natural flight conditions. Lutra 54 (1): 17–38.

Wilson D.E. & Mittermeier R.A. (eds) (2019). Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Vol. 9. Bats. Lynx Ediciones, Barcelona. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42991-020-00026-w

Zbinden K. & Zingg P.E. (1986). Search and hunting signals of echolocating European free-tailed bats, Tadarida teniotis, in Southern Switzerland. Mammalia 50 (1): 9–26. https://doi.org/10.1515/mamm.1986.50.1.9

Downloads

Published

2022-04-13

How to Cite

De Wint, F. C., Cornelis, M., Reynaert, S., González, P. A., Bouillard, N., Gyselings, R., & De Bruyn, L. (2022). New bat species and records for the Adriatic Islands Vis and Biševo (Croatia). Belgian Journal of Zoology, 152. https://doi.org/10.26496/bjz.2022.101

Issue

Vol. 152 (2022)

Section

Articles

License

All published papers will be put on-line as high resolution PDF’s. Copyright thus remains with the authors. All manuscripts will be licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.