Population changes of Greater horseshoe bats studied near Bristol over the past twenty-six years

Abstract

Capture censuses of Greater horseshoe bats involving about 35 hibernacula were consistently carried out over twenty‐six years in two separate areas. Hibernacula were visited three times per winter. A control area (reduced disturbance) was visited once annually. Censuses showed similar trends in all three areas, and counts of bats at a breeding site showed similar trends to those hibernacula, hut much greater stability. All numbers fell sharply to about 50%, of the original level between the winters or 1962/3 and 1966/7, then more‐or‐less stabilized until the mid 1970s; rose in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and finally declined precipitiously in all areas in 1986 to about 30% of the 1962/3 figure. Numbers of juveniles born annually showed no relationship to the numbers reaching hibernacula during the subsequent winter, but was negatively related to the mean birth time in July. The final forearm length of juveniles is negatively related to birth time. A population control mechanism based on birth timing and subsequent growth is postulated and supported by reproductive studies.

Cranial variation of the greater horseshoe bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) from the central Balkans

“…Detailed list of localities and sample sizes is given in Appendix. Most bat species finish their growth in age of 6-10 weeks, and R. ferrumequinum has been shown to grow full skeletal size in about 60 days Hoying and Kunz, 1998;Ransome, 1989). Full cranial suture closure and eruption of all adult dentition were criteria for discrimination of juveniles from adults.…”

Parentage, reproductive success and breeding behaviour in the greater horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum)

“…Annual surveys of autumn and winter sites throughout the area have shown that most Woodchester bats (of both sexes) hibernate locally within several kilometres of the roost, although some individuals disperse further a¢eld, travelling up to 40 km each year in order to hibernate (R. D. Ransome, personal observation). Permanent movements of breeding females between colonies are rare, with just two recorded immigrations in eight years (Ransome 1989).…”

Changes in abundance of hibernating bats in central Slovakia (1992–2009)

“…All these impacts negatively affect also bat populations and thereby this vertebrate group is considered to be globally threatened (Hutson et al 2001). Several temperate bat species (e.g., Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, R. hipposideros, Myotis myotis) have undergone rapid population decline in western and central Europe since the middle of the 20 th century (e.g., Roer 1972;Bárta et al 1981;Ransome 1989;Kokurewicz 1990;Weinreich & Oude Voshaar 1992;Řehák 1997;Bontadina et al 2000). However, a subsequent reversing trend and population rebound have been observed in the above mentioned species and also in several others (Myotis emarginatus, Barbastella barbastellus) in some regions of Europe since the 1980s (e.g., Kowalski & Lesiński 1991;Zima et al 1994;Řehák & Gaisler 1999;Bontadina et al 2000;Gaisler & Chytil 2002;Horáček et al 2005;Lesiński et al 2005).…”