No abstract

Conservation of European ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus) has been supported by the LIFE -Nature project "Conservation of Falco cherrug in NE Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia" during the period 2010-2014. The project activities were usually focused on EGS reintroduction programmmes with the aim of ensuring the food base for selected species of birds in areas where EGS were the primary historical prey and have become extinct. Reintroduction programmes were carried out at two sites in Slovakia: Piesočná (Moravský Svätý Ján) and Pod Okrúhlou skalou (Tisovec). Together 174 individuals were released at Pod Okrúhlou skalou and 284 individuals at the Piesočná target site. Monitoring of both repatriated colonies focused on the natality and distribution area. At both target sites successful hibernation and reproduction have been confirmed. The repatriation date was strongly influenced by weather conditions, especially during the rainy season. It was necessary to cut the grass several times per season, in order to ensure appropriate conditions for individuals' survival. It was also necessary to protect the individuals against predators. House cats tend to hunt squirrels, which can be considered as the most serious threat at the Piesočná site. Squirrels at the Pod Okrúhlou skalou site were overly attacked by foxes. Intensive care (especially appropriate management of sites and additional feeding) ensured good stability of colonies, their survival and increase.Abstrakt: V období rokov 2011 až 2014 bola ochrana sysľa pasienkového (Spermophilus citellus) podporená projektom LIFENature "Ochrana sokola rároha v severovýchodnej časti Bulharska, Maďarsku, Rumunsku a na Slovensku". Projektové aktivity boli zamerané na prinavrátenie sysľa na lokality s historickým výskytom s cieľom zabezpečiť prirodzenú potravnú bázu vybraných druhov dravcov. Reštitúcia bola realizovaná na dvoch lokalitách Slovenska: Piesočná (k. ú. Moravský Svätý Ján) a Pod Okrúhlou skalou (k. ú. Tisovec). Celkom bolo na lokalite Pod Okrúhlou skalou vypustených 174 jedincov a na lokalite Piesočná 284 jedincov. Cieľom intenzívneho monitoringu oboch založených kolónií bolo zistiť priebeh aklimatizácie jedincov na lokalitách -sledovanie distribúcie a rozmnožovania. Na oboch lokalitách bolo potvrdené úspešné prezimovanie a reprodukcia. Priebeh zakladania nových kolónií bol sprevádzaný daždivými sezónami. Bolo potrebné niekoľkokrát za sezónu kosiť lokality pre zaistenie vhodných podmienok k prežitiu jedincov. Rovnako potrebné bolo zaistiť ochranu jedincov pred predátormi. Najväčšiu hrozbu pre sysľa na lokalite Piesočná predstavovali ataky túlavých mačiek, na lokalite Pod Okrúhlou skalou ataky líškami. Stabilitu, prežitie a nárast kolónií zabezpečí jedine intenzívna starostlivosť (vhodný manažment, prikrmovanie a pod.).

No abstract

Frequent roost switching in fission–fusion societies of tree-dwelling bats is closely associated with swarming behaviour entailing ritualised night-time displays around the roost tree and/or at the roost entrance to signal its actual location, particularly immediately prior to sunrise. However, effects of demographic characteristics of individuals in this social behaviour remain unanswered. Using passive integrated transponders (PIT) and automatic readers, we recorded swarming activity of members of a Daubenton’s bat (Myotis daubentonii) maternity colony in the vicinity of their roosts. In total, 59,622 activity events of 281 PIT-tagged individuals were recorded on ten monitored roosts during three summer seasons. We found a gradual increase of swarming activity from midnight to sunrise in old adult females, whereas young females and juveniles primarily swarmed later at dawn. We attribute this difference to the learning status of younger bats, which are not yet able to perform a defined pattern of swarming activity, whereas older bats likely take a more active role in signalling the position of the roost. Old males exhibited the least swarming activity at maternity roosts, which mostly occurred between crepuscular periods, presumably due to their solitary lives. A negative correlation between genetic distance and swarming activity suggests an important role of kinship in the formation of the maternity colony as well as group cohesion during roost switching.

Abstract The aim of this study was to assess bat diversity and particularly, the significance of underground spaces for bats, in the Revúcka vrchovina Mts. We also studied foraging areas of R. euryale and M. schreibersii which form maternity colonies in the respective area. Considering the rich history of mining in the Revúcka vrchovina Mts. and the previously available faunistic data, the presence of yet undiscovered roosts and species was assumed. During a survey of the area in 2012–2014, altogether 248 new mining sites were traced and 16 species of bats were recorded to roost there. Miniopterus schreibersii, Rhinolophus hipposideros, and Barbastella barbastellus were dominant species and the latter two along with Rhinolophus ferrumequinum represented the most widespread species. Three wintering aggregations of Miniopterus schreibersii composed of 3500–5000 individuals each, and a wintering colony of Rhinolophus hipposideros composed of ca. 630 bats belong to the most significant results of the study. The existence of maternity colonies of Miniopterus schreibersii and Rhinolophus euryale was also confirmed in underground spaces in the region. The newly discovered occurrence sites of Miniopterus schreibersii and Rhinolophus euryale that shift the known margins of the species distribution ranges are of high importance. Data from telemetry tracking of these two species show that the territories where the particular individuals forage are rather extensive (>100 km2). According to these findings, practical conservation of the species and their habitats requires international cooperation.