Nathusius's Pipistrelle
Encyclopedia
Nathusius' Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus nathusii) is a small bat
in the pipistrelle genus. It is very similar to the Common Pipistrelle
and has been overlooked in many areas until recently but it is widely distributed across Europe
.
is medium-dark reddish-brown above, often with paler tips, and is pale brown below. The fur is longer and less uniformly-coloured than the Common Pipistrelle. It is also larger than the Common Pipistrelle with broader wings. The face, ears, wings and tail are dark.
eastward as far as the Ural Mountains
, Turkey
and the Caucasus
. It is highly migratory
with individuals from northern and eastern areas moving south-west for the winter. Preferred habitats are parkland
and light woodland
, often near water.
It is generally commoner in Central
and Eastern Europe
. In the west it is mainly a rare winter visitor but new breeding colonies have been found in several areas in recent years. In the British Isles
it was previously thought to be a vagrant with only a handful of records including several from oil rig
s in the North Sea
. It is now known to breed at several sites in Britain
and Ireland
.
Threats to the species include the loss of hollow trees and toxic chemicals from the treatment
of timber in buildings. However, it is a protected species in many countries and breeds successfully in bat boxes
.
s, particularly chironomid midges.
Breeding colonies are located in hollow trees, bat boxes and sometimes in buildings. Mating takes place from July to early September when males gather a harem of females in their mating territory. In spring the females gather at nursery roosts where they give birth to two young.
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
in the pipistrelle genus. It is very similar to the Common Pipistrelle
Common Pipistrelle
The Common Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus is a small pipistrelle bat whose very large range extends across most of Europe, North Africa, southwestern Asia, and possibly into Korea. It is one of the most common bat species in the British Isles....
and has been overlooked in many areas until recently but it is widely distributed across Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
.
Description
The length of the head and body is 46-55 mm and the wingspan is 220-250 mm. It has a forearm length of 32-40 mm and weighs about 6-15.5g. Its furFur
Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...
is medium-dark reddish-brown above, often with paler tips, and is pale brown below. The fur is longer and less uniformly-coloured than the Common Pipistrelle. It is also larger than the Common Pipistrelle with broader wings. The face, ears, wings and tail are dark.
Distribution
Nathusius' Pipistrelle occurs from Western EuropeWestern Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
eastward as far as the Ural Mountains
Ural Mountains
The Ural Mountains , or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through western Russia, from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the Ural River and northwestern Kazakhstan. Their eastern side is usually considered the natural boundary between Europe and Asia...
, Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and the Caucasus
Caucasus
The Caucasus, also Caucas or Caucasia , is a geopolitical region at the border of Europe and Asia, and situated between the Black and the Caspian sea...
. It is highly migratory
Bird migration
Bird migration is the regular seasonal journey undertaken by many species of birds. Bird movements include those made in response to changes in food availability, habitat or weather. Sometimes, journeys are not termed "true migration" because they are irregular or in only one direction...
with individuals from northern and eastern areas moving south-west for the winter. Preferred habitats are parkland
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
and light woodland
Woodland
Ecologically, a woodland is a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade. Woodlands may support an understory of shrubs and herbaceous plants including grasses. Woodland may form a transition to shrubland under drier conditions or during early stages of...
, often near water.
It is generally commoner in Central
Central Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
and Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
. In the west it is mainly a rare winter visitor but new breeding colonies have been found in several areas in recent years. In the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
it was previously thought to be a vagrant with only a handful of records including several from oil rig
Oil platform
An oil platform, also referred to as an offshore platform or, somewhat incorrectly, oil rig, is a lаrge structure with facilities to drill wells, to extract and process oil and natural gas, and to temporarily store product until it can be brought to shore for refining and marketing...
s in the North Sea
North Sea
In the southwest, beyond the Straits of Dover, the North Sea becomes the English Channel connecting to the Atlantic Ocean. In the east, it connects to the Baltic Sea via the Skagerrak and Kattegat, narrow straits that separate Denmark from Norway and Sweden respectively...
. It is now known to breed at several sites in Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Threats to the species include the loss of hollow trees and toxic chemicals from the treatment
Wood preservation
All measures that are taken to ensure a long life of wood fall under the definition wood preservation . Apart from structural wood preservation measures, there are a number of different preservatives and processes that can extend the life of wood, timber, wood structures or engineered wood...
of timber in buildings. However, it is a protected species in many countries and breeds successfully in bat boxes
Nest box
A nest box, also spelled nestbox is a man-made box provided for animals to nest in. Nest boxes are most frequently utilized for wild and domesticated birds, in which case they are also called birdhouses, but some mammalian species may also use them. Birdhouses are the most common types of nest...
.
Diet and reproduction
It emerges early to hunt, flying in straight lines with rapid, deep wingbeats at around 3 to 15 metres above the ground. It feeds on small to medium-sized flying insectInsect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, particularly chironomid midges.
Breeding colonies are located in hollow trees, bat boxes and sometimes in buildings. Mating takes place from July to early September when males gather a harem of females in their mating territory. In spring the females gather at nursery roosts where they give birth to two young.
Echolocation
The frequencies used by this bat species for echolocation lie between 36–62 kHz, have most energy at 41 kHz and have an average duration of 6.9 ms.External links
- ARKive Photographs, Video.