Distribution of bats in Northern Cyprus (Chiroptera)

• Published in: Lynx, new series Vol. 49; no. 1; pp. 91 - 138
• Main Authors: Benda, Petr, Satterfield, Lauren, Gücel, Salih, Horáček, Ivan, Lučan, Radek, Charalambidou, Iris, Uhrin, Marcel
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.12.2018
• ISSN: 1804-6460; 1804-6460
• DOI: 10.2478/lynx-2018-0011

Abstract A complete list of bat records available from Northern Cyprus is presented, based on both limited literature and new records, resulting from a recent field survey conducted mainly in 2018. This review is complemented by distribution maps and summaries of the distributional status of particular species. From the northern part of the island of Cyprus, at least 451 records of 21 bat species are available; viz. Rousettus aegyptiacus (26 record localities), Rhinolophus ferrumequinum (19), R. hipposideros (21), R. euryale (5), R. mehelyi (1), R. blasii (12), Myotis blythii (4), M. nattereri (10), M. emarginatus (3), M. capaccinii (1), Eptesicus serotinus (5), E. anatolicus (1), Hypsugo savii (6), Pipistrellus pipistrellus (50), P. pygmaeus (9), P. kuhlii (265), Nyctalus leisleri (1), N. lasiopterus (1), Plecotus kolombatovici (3), Miniopterus schreibersii (4), and Tadarida teniotis (5). The number of records increased elevenfold and 1.5 times more bat species were found compared to the last review published in 2007. Seven bat species ( Rhinolophus euryale , Myotis emarginatus , Pipistrellus pipistrellus , P. pygmaeus , Nyctalus leisleri , N. lasiopterus , and Miniopterus schreibersii ) are reported from Northern Cyprus for the first time; also, R. euryale is confirmed for the first time from the whole island. With the exception of Nyctalus noctula , for which doubtful records exist only from Southern Cyprus, the complete known bat fauna of the island was documented in Northern Cyprus. Moreover, three bat species, Rhinolopus mehelyi , Myotis capaccinii and Eptesicus anatolicus , were reported only from the northern part of Cyprus, although the record of M. capaccinii is considered as problematic and the occurrence of this species on the island is unlikely. For the first time, a population trend in a bat population is reported in Cyprus; smaller colonies of Rousettus aegyptiacus , even abandonment of roosts, were observed during the recent survey compared to numbers recorded in the mid-2000s.