Areal and altitudinal distribution of bats in the Czech part of the Carpathians (Chiroptera)

Pages	201-228
Citation	ŘEHÁK, Zdeněk. Areal and altitudinal distribution of bats in the Czech part of the Carpathians (Chiroptera). Lynx, new series. Prague: National Museum, 2006, 37(1), 201-228. ISSN 0024-7774 (print), 1804-6460 (online). Also available from: https://publikace.nm.cz/en/periodicals/lns/37-1/areal-and-altitudinal-distribution-of-bats-in-the-czech-part-of-the-carpathians-chiroptera

Lynx, new series | 2006/37/1

All available bat records from the Outer Carpathians, situated in the eastern part of the Czech Republic, were summarized, divided into old (before 1956), winter and summer records and evaluated with respect to orographical units, quadrats of grid maps and elevation. In total, 20 bat species and/or two pairs of sibling species were recorded in 9 orographical units and 41 quadrats covering the area under study. Hitherto, thirteen species of bats were recorded as hibernating and in 10 species maternity colonies were found in the Czech Carpathians. The areal distribution of particular species was presented via grid maps. Plecotus spp. (50.0% of the studied area), Myotis myotis (46.7%) and M. daubentonii (40.0%) can be considered the most distributed of them. Altitudinal distribution of sites where bats were recorded, expressed as medians of their elevation, shows that P. austriacus significantly preferred low elevation both in the winter and summer periods (259 and 298 m above sea level, respectively) while the hibernacula of the M. mystacinus group and M. nattereri prevailed at higher elevations (872 m and 1050 m, respectively). During the non-hibernation period the highest medians of elevation were recorded in M. brandtii and again in M. nattereri (765, resp. 665 m a. s. l.). The causes of preferences for such high elevated sites are discussed.

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