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female (Fuhrmann and others 2002). In springtime and during the time of rearing the young,home ranges are often significantly larger than in late summer.During their foraging flights Leisler’s bat travels over 17 kilometres away from its roost site.Females from maternity colonies regularly go to areas 5 kilometres away from the colony’sroost (Schorcht 2002).3.14 Brown long-eared bat Plecotus auritusForest habitats: The brown long-eared bat occurs in a variety of habitat types but it prefersdeciduous forests and avoids areas without woodlands.Summer roosts: Summer roosts are usually in tree holes, but the species also uses woodcrevices, loose bark, and quite often bird or bat boxes (Meschede & Heller 2000). The brownlong-eared bat is also regularly seen in lofts of churches or smaller buildings near forests(Hanák 1969, Beck and others 1995, Horácek & Dulic 2004). Fuhrmann & Godmann (1994)recorded roosts in trees from the canopy down to the lower trunk. The entrance of a roostmay be hidden behind branches or vegetation (Fuhrmann & Seitz 1992, Leitl 1995).Females from maternity colonies in tree holes or bat boxes change their roosts every secondto fourth day (Heise & Schmidt 1988, Fuhrmann 1991, Fuhrmann & Seitz 1992), butmaternity colonies in lofts usually stay in the building the whole summer (Horácek 1975,Kiefer & Boye 2004).In summer roosts the species has been recorded together with Daubenton’s bat, the serotineand the grey long-eared bat.Winter roosts: Winter roosts are in caves, mines and cellars, where the animals prefer atemperature around 7 °C (Kiefer & Boye 2004). There are a few observations of hibernationin tree holes, but it cannot be excluded that those having walls of wood more than 10 cmthick are regularly used as frost-free hibernacula (Meschede & Heller 2000).The brown long-eared bat is a less migratory species than some other bats. The summer andwinter roosts are rarely separated by more than 20 kilometres. Long distance migration in thespecies is only exceptionally more than 50 kilometres (Horácek 1975, Hurka 1989).Foraging areas: Deciduous forests with different ages of trees are preferred as foraginghabitats, but less structured woodlands (including coniferous forests), forest edges, bushesand hedges, orchards, parks and gardens are used for insect hunting (Austria: Spitzenberger2001, Fennoscandia: Jensen 1993, Germany: Kulzer 1989, Fuhrmann & Seitz 1992, Kiefer &Boye 2004, Greece: von Helversen & Weid 1990, Hanak and others 2001, Italy: Spagnesiand others 2000, Luxembourg: Harbusch and others 2002, Poland: Kowalski & Ruprecht1981, Woloszyn 2001, Spain and Portugal: Benzal and others 1991, Switzerland: Beck andothers 1995, The Netherlands: Limpens and others 1997).The home range of an animal is related to habitat structures and prey abundance and has asize of between one and 40 hectares. Individual foraging areas overlap to a minor extent(Fuhrmann & Seitz 1992, Meschede & Heller 2000) and even maternity colonies seem tohave territories (Heise & Schmidt 1988, van Riesen & Dolch 2003). Dolch (1995) estimatesthe home range of a maternity colony during rearing of the young to be one square kilometre,33