Vilnius city theriofauna

• Main Authors: Baranauskas, Kazimieras, Balčiauskas, Linas, Mažeikytė, Janina Reda
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: Lithuanian; English
• Published: 2005
• Subjects: City theriofauna; Rare species; Vilnius; mountain hare
• Online Access: http://lmavb.lvb.lt/LMAVB:ELABAPDB5534530&prefLang=en_US

Mammal diversity investigations in Vilnius were carried out in 1992, 1998-2004. The following 51 mammal species were registered in the city: five species of insectivores (Insectivora), 11 of bats (Chiroptera), 18 of rodents (Rodentia), two of hares (Lagomorpha), 11 of carnivores (Carnivora) and four of ungulates (Artiodactyla). Fourteen mammal species are included into the Red Data Book of Lithuania, namely pond bat, Brandt's bat, barbastelle, brown long-eared bat, noctule, Leisler's bat, serotine bat, northern bat, particoloured bat, northern birch mouse, mountain hare, stoat, brown bear and otter. All insectivorous mammals in the city are common. During the warm span of the year we registered nine, and in hibernacula seven species of bats. The most widely spread and the most abundant small rodents of Vilnius were bank and common voles and yellow-necked mice, whereas muskrats and water voles were less frequent. The most numerous city carnivores were pine martens, with otters and badgers, and in particular stoats, being considerably rarer. The roe deer was the most frequent ungulate species, whereas wild boars, red deer and moose visited the city only occasionally. The pond bat, barbastelle, brown bear and otter are the mammals of European importance according to the EU Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC, Annex II).