ACOUSTIC DISCRIMINATION OF PIPISTRELLUS KUHLII AND PIPISTRELLUS NATHUSII (CHIROPTERA: VESPERTILIONIDAE) AND ITS APPLICATION TO ASSESS CHANGES IN SPECIES DISTRIBUTION

• Main Authors: S Zsebők, ESTÓK P, T Görföl
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 2012
• Subjects: Pipistrellus nathusii
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.1080.6841; http://www.hunbat.hu/html/publikaciok_link/cikkek/Zsebok%20et%20al_2012_Acoustic%20discrimination%20of%20Pipistrellus%20kuhlii%20and%20Pipistrellus%20nathusii%20and%20its%20application%20to%20assess%20changes%20in%20species%20distribution.pdf

A rapid range expansion of Pipistrellus kuhlii (KUHL, 1817) can be observed throughout Europe based on new records gathered in the last two decades. Data of new occurrences were obtained by different methods (mist netting, dead specimens, checking buildings for roosts, etc.), providing only a rough picture about the exact pattern of the expansion. The aim of this study was to show an effective acoustic method that can be used for quantifying the differences in the occurrence of Pipistrellus kuhlii in two given areas or within the same area at different times. Therefore this method can be used to investigate the process of area expansion in this species. The large overlap in the echolocation call parameters of Pipistrellus kuhlii and Pipistrellus nathusii (KEYSERLING & BLASIUS, 1839) made it necessary to create a sound library from the calls of the two species. Discriminant function analysis (DFA) was used to classify the calls with 81.5% accuracy. We visited and acoustically surveyed 71 settlements in the summer of 2008. Based on our results, Pipistrellus kuhlii is a widespread species in the settlements of the southern part of Hungary, while in the northern part it is quite rare.