kf 7 - NERC Open Research Archive - Natural Environment Research

HABITAT
20
Associated mostly with woods, scrubland and grasslands,
often near water. Feeds on a wide variety of mostly large
insects in woodland and low over old pasture. Nursery roosts
in summer are mostly in buildings, but also in caves and mines,
particularly in southern areas, and it mostly hibernates in caves
and similarly humid places in winter, eg cellars, icehouses and
mines.
Exceptionally, some have been captured in cracks in trees
during spring (219).
POPULATION
EEC: Very large declines in numbers have been recorded (eg Britain
98%) in the past century and the species range is also
reduced. It is declining rapidly in southern Belgium and
Luxembourg, as well as other areas in the north. Large
colonies are still found in southern and SE Europe, although
they too are declining.
Britain: It has become extinct in several counties in central
southern and SE England, and in 1983 the British population
numbered about 2200 (a decline of over 98% in a century)
(202).
France: Widespread in Isbre department (157) and Ain region
(southern zone of the Jura Mountains) (Rolandez, pers. comm.
5/1981), found throughout the Rhône-Alpes region (219).
Generally, bats have been seen individually or in small groups
of about 10, but have been observed during the winter in
dense colonies of more than 100 individuals (disused mines in
Beaujolais) (219). In the Isère department, 1415 were ringed
between 1936 and 1960 (157).
Netherlands: A total of 516 individuals were ringed between
1936 and 1951 in the South Limburg mines. A breeding cluster
was found in St Pietersberg mines in 1939 numbering 75 bats,
and 80 in 1940. The species is now extinct (23).
Europe: Czechoslovakia: In summer, nursery colonies of 50-100
individuals are found; in winter, usually only isolated individuals,
but occasionally up to 20-100 bats in groups. A slight
decrease in population numbers is occurring (182).