Data on the summer bat fauna of Belarus in 2017–2020

• Published in: Theriologia Ukrainica
• Main Authors: Aliaksei Shpak, Lena Godlevska, Aleksandra Larchanka, Maria Savchenko, Pavlo Vorobei, Uladzislau Molchan, Andrei Mikhailau
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Ukrainian
• Published: National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. National Museum of Natural History 2022
• Subjects: bats; fauna; distribution; breeding; belarus; eastern europe; Zoology; QL1-991; Barbastella barbastellus
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.15407/TU2305; https://doaj.org/article/2667757e8be54e23a049940844aca960

This report presents the results of the bat fauna survey carried out in Belarus during the warm seasons between 2017 and 2020. The presented data were collected in 31 localities in all six administrative regions (voblascs) of Belarus during field studies (mist-netting, searching for roosts and colonies, and acoustic surveys) and in the course of the work of the Minsk bat contact centre. Field data refer to 26 localities; acoustic observations to 14 localities; and netting was carried out in 19 localities (151 ind.). The data on bats collected via the contact centre came from 6 localities (35 ind.). In the course of our survey, we recorded 13 out of the 19 species of the Belarusian bat fauna. They are Barbastella barbastellus, Eptesicus nilssonii, E. serotinus, Myotis dasycneme, M. daubentonii, Nyctalus lasiopterus, N. leisleri, N. noctula, Pipistrellus kuhlii, P. nathusii, P. pygmaeus, Plecotus auritus, and V. murinus. The occurrence of all recorded species was confirmed by direct identification. Data on breeding have been added for all recorded species except for N. lasiopterus and B. barbastellus. Data on breeding have been added for all recorded species, except for N. lasiopterus and B. barbastellus. Maternity colonies were recorded for E. serotinus, M. dasycneme (the second record of a maternity colony of the species for the entire period of research in Belarus) and M. daubentonii. The largest number of individuals recorded by the contact centre represent V. murinus; other species in descending order are E. serotinus, N. noctula, P. auritus, P. nathusii, B. barbastellus, M. daubentonii, P. kuhlii, and E. nilssonii. Among the netted individuals, P. nathusii prevailed; other species in descending order were M. daubentonii, P. pygmaeus, E. nilssonii, P. auritus, N. noctula, E. serotinus, M. dasycneme, N. leisleri, and N. lasiopterus. Three species (V. murinus, B. barbastellus, and P. kuhlii) were presented only among bats reported via the contact centre. During the survey, the species P. pipistrellus, Pl. ...