Contribution to Ecology of Brandts Bat, Myotis Brandtii (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae), in the North-Eastern Ukraine: Comparison of Local Summer and Winter Bat Assemblages

Abstract

The Brandt’s Bat (Myotis brandtii Eversmann, 1845) is one of the rarest bat species in Ukraine. There are only a few known locations of this species in summer and less known hibernacula in the whole country. Moreover, for territory of the north-eastern Ukraine are known only two underground bat hibernation sites with aggregation more than several tens of individuals. We undertook population surveys of winter aggregations in newly discovered and dug up abandoned sandstone mines in the Chuguev district of the Kharkiv Region (49°54′ N, 36°43′ E) from 2007 through 2015. We also surveyed summer bat assemblages in the forests surrounding these mines in 2012. The mines’ microclimate conditions were as follows: temperature +6 °C - +10 °C and humidity 60-80 %. M. brandtii, M. daubentonii (Kuhl, 1817) and Plecotus auritus (Linnaeus, 1758) hibernate in the mines; the first species is most abundant by number of individuals. In midsummer 9 bat species were recorded including the three previously mentioned. M. daubentonii and P. auritus breed in surrounding forest, but M. brandtii does not. One recaptured individual of M. brandtii was minimum 6 years old, providing us the first recorded information on longevity of this species for Ukraine. The total number of bats hibernating in these mines is estimated to be up to 100 individuals; a hibernaculum with several tens of M. brandtii could be classified as more numerous for this species in Ukraine. For this reason, the system of mines in the Kharkiv region needs species protection status and an action plan for monitoring and management.

Results of the 10-Year Monitoring of Bat (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) Winter Aggregation from the North-Eastern Ukraine (Liptsy Mines, Kharkiv Region)

“…Th ere were no data on bat hibernation in underground sites of the Kharkiv Region before 1999, but aft er 2000 information on bat wintering in underground sites of Eastern and the North-Eastern Ukraine has increased rapidly. Currently seven bat species (M. daubentonii, M. dasycneme, Myotis brandtii (Eversmann, 1845), Myotis nattereri (Kuhl, 1817), Eptesicus serotinus Schreber, 1774, P. auritus and the other species: current name Myotis davidii (Peters, 1869) (Benda et al, 2016) previous name Myotis aurascens Kuzyakin, 1935(Benda, Tsytsulina 2000 have been recorded hibernating in underground sites and in rock crevices within this Region (Vlaschenko, Naglov, 2005;Vlaschenko, Naglov, 2006;Zagorodniuk, Korobchenko, 2008;Vlaschenko et al, 2014;Vlaschenko et al, 2016 Th e bat winter fauna of this part of Ukraine is much poorer than on the South and the Western parts (Godlevska et al, 2016). Th is is likely a result of the common decline of bat species number to the East from the Dnipro River (Strelkov, Il'in, 1990;Vlaschenko, 2006).…”

“…In a more recent review (Godlevska et al, 2016) E. serotinus was noted as a fourth common bat species in hibernacula of northern Ukraine. Th e only known hibernaculum of M. brandtii in the whole of the Left -bank Ukraine (the part from the East from the Dnipro River) is located just in 40 km to the South-East (Vlaschenko et al, 2016) from Liptsy mines. M. aurascens and M. nattereri were found in underground sites further south from Kharkiv, in the Donetsk Region .…”

Regional recaptures of bats (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) ringed in Eastern Ukraine

“…In the city area, bats were found in distinct buildings. For more information about methods of bat catching and seasons of study in forested areas see: Kovalov et al, 2019;Vlaschenko et al, 2016;Gukasova, Vlaschenko, 2011; for more information about the methods applied in the city area see: in Liptsy mines' area see : Vlaschenko, Naglov, 2018. We distinguished two age groups of bats: ad = adult (specimens older than 1 year), and sad = subadult or 1styear individuals (specimens younger than 1 year) (details of bats age identifi cation see: K. .…”

“…During warm seasons of a year, ringed bats were released at the same place or close to the catching site at the same or following night (e. g. Vlaschenko et al, 2016). In Kharkiv City, during the cold season of a year, bats were kept in rehabilitation centre under artifi cial hibernation conditions (Kravchenko et al 2017 a, b) until spring.…”

Hiding behaviour of bats in sandstone mines of North-Eastern Ukraine

“…The area of our survey is the North-Eastern part of Ukraine which is karst-less region with only a few mines suitable for bat hibernation for hundreds of square kilometres (Vlaschenko & Naglov 2006;Vlaschenko et al 2016;Vlaschenko & Naglov 2018). Previous reports show a gradual disproportion in summer bat numbers (about hundreds of thousands) and the number of bats censused in hibernacula (several tens of individuals) for the vast area the NE Ukraine and further north (Strelkov 1958).…”