Bechstein's Bat (Myotis bechsteinii) in Transcarpathia, Ukraine
Bechshtein’s bat is a rare but typical species that inhabits broadleaf forests of western Ukraine, where the easternmost European populations of the species are distributed. In practice, this species is often confused with species of the genus Plecotus, as it was shown by a series of re-identificati...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. National Museum of Natural History
2018-12-01
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| Series: | Theriologia Ukrainica |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://terioshkola.org.ua/library/pts16-bats/pts16-52-zag-gleba-longeared-bat.pdf |
| Summary: | Bechshtein’s bat is a rare but typical species that inhabits broadleaf forests of western Ukraine, where the easternmost European populations of the species are distributed. In practice, this species is often confused with species of the genus Plecotus, as it was shown by a series of re-identifications in collections and photographs available for analysis. This is partly due to the rarity of the species and the "formulaic" identification, which has often no place for very rare species. Because of this, the real number of known established records, which are confirmed by collections or detailed descriptions, is very small (without consideration of nomen nudum records). Here we describe all available collection specimens and a new, previously unknown, record of the species from the lowland part of Transcarpathia, namely from the Chorna Hora tract, which is near Vynohradiv city. The diagnostic features of the species are considered as well, since a significant number of currently known misidentifications indicate typical diagnostic errors, in particular the identification of this species as Plecotus auritus. Among other formalised features available for analysis, even for low-quality photos, attention was paid to the size and shape of the ears and the shape and distal placement of rhinarium. In total, 18 record localities of the species are known in Transcarpathia. |
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| ISSN: | 2616-7379 2617-1120 |