Bechstein's bat

Bechstein's bat (Myotis bechsteinii )

The Bechstein's bat (Myotis bechsteinii ) is a species of bat that belongs to the genus of the mouse-eared bat (Myotis ). The mouse ears are associated with the family of Myotis bats ( Vespertilionidae ). It is named after Johann Matthäus Bechstein, who stood up in the early 19th century for protection of bats. Like all bats is also geared to the Bechstein's bat less with their eyes, but mainly on the ears. It emits ultrasonic waves and detects the returning echo their surroundings. The assumption that at -bats of the visual sense is greatly reduced due to the evolution of echolocation, has been refuted by behavioral experiments.

Features

The relatively long and wide ears of the Bechstein's bat have an acute ear cover ( tragus ), as is typical for all types of mouse ears (Myotis ). The animals have a wingspan of 25-29 cm and weigh 7-14 grams. Thus they belong to the medium-sized species in Europe.

Nutrition

Like other bats also feeds the Bechstein's bat on small insects, such as flies, mosquitoes and moths. Since this type dominates the Rüttelflug and can perceive the toddlers sounds of their prey, they also reads, for example, spiders and caterpillars directly on the vegetation. Their hunting grounds among the forest, above all the ground-based, bug ridden forest layers.

Resting Places

As summer quarters preferred this kind waldbewohnende tree hollows. Alternatively, but nest boxes are also always accepted for birds. But the bird nest boxes are not a sufficient alternative, since the Bechstein's bat frequently changes her quarters and therefore has to rely on a neighborhood composite system as it exists in a cave rich forest with many mature trees and a corresponding amount of dead wood. One of the most important protection options is therefore the preservation and promotion of deciduous and mixed forests with many old and cave -rich trees. Summer roosts in or on buildings are very rarely visited by this species.

When looking for winter quarters for the Bechstein bats on underground cavities such as caves, bunkers, tunnels or old vaulted cellar. As always Bechstein bats with frostbite on the tips of the ears are observed, it is suspected that part of the Bechstein's bats to overground roosts such as tree holes looking for wintering. In the underground, frost-free quarters they would not get such frostbite. In the Segeberger Kalkhöhle 200-400 animals are counted in the winter.

Threat

The Bechstein's bat is a nature reserve. One of the main problems for the native bats is the lack of suitable day and winter sleeping quarters as well as quarters for maternity roosts, where the young animals are born and cared for by the mother until they are self-employed. A massive wood- economic use of forests and appropriate care of forests has led to the cave wealth and thus the number of districts has decreased rapidly for the Bechstein's bat, which is fatal for these frequently changing their location type. With the protection of the Bechstein's bat BUND justified his action before the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig against the relocation of the A4 in connection with the lignite mine Hambach, which was rejected on 13 May 2009. The same tried BUND at the closure of the gap between the A33 motorway junction Bielefeld and Borgholzhausen, but even in this case rejected by the Federal Administrative Court dismissed the action.

Cite

Pictures of Bechstein's bat

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