HABITS AND MOVEMENTS OF CAVE‐DWELLING BATS IN DEVONSHIRE

• Published in: Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London
• Main Authors: HOOPER, J. H. D., HOOPER, W. M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1956
• Subjects: Myotis nattereri; Pipistrellus pipistrellus
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1956.tb00457.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1096-3642.1956.tb00457.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1956.tb00457.x; https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1956.tb00457.x

SUMMARY Between September 1948 and December 1954, 2040 bats found in natural caves and disused mine tunnels in S. Devon, have been marked on the forearm withnumbered aluminium “rings”. These rings, which weigh 005 grams, are numbered consecutively and bear the identifying code initials ‘D.S.S.’ (Devon Spelaeological Society). Bats of seven species have been marked with such rings, as follows: Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, R. hipposideros, Myotis nattereri, M. daubentoni, M. mystacinus, Plecotus auritus , and Pipistrellus pipistrellus. The last‐named species has not yet been found in a cave. The great majority of the bats banded in Devon are of the family Rhinolo‐phidae. 1364 bats of the species R. ferrumequinum have been banded, and of this number, 851 have been found again: this high order of recovery (62–3 per cent) has been maintained for several years. Many bats of this species have been recovered a number of times and one individual has been found again sixteen times since it was first banded. 597 bats of the species R. hipposideros have been banded during the period under review, but for this species the recovery is rather lower (approximately 28 per cent). Rhinolophus ferrumequinum , although seen in numerous scattered haunts throughout S. Devon, is found chiefly in three main colonies, these being situated in groups of caves at Buckfastleigh and Chudleigh, and in a disused mine in the Tavy Valley. Although these colonies are many miles apart, some small interchange of population has been noted. Movements of the order of two to ten miles are common for this species, and 440 movements greater than one mile have been recorded. 143 of these movements have occurred during the months November to March (inclusive). This fact, coupled with general observations on the wakefulness and activity shown by such bats during the winter months, indicates that their hibernation is far from deep and is, at best, intermittent. Information concerning cross‐country movements longer than fifteen miles is limited, but recently one ...