Brandt's bat • Red Book of the Ryazan region. Number and trend of its changes How to navigate in the dark

home Brandt's bat - a transpalearctic species, distributed over most of Europe to northeastern China, Mongolia (Khuvsgul, Khangai, Khenti mountain range), Korea and the islands of Sakhalin, Kuril and Hokkaido. Rarely found in the Caucasus. It rises to heights of up to 1800 m above sea level. The species is named after the German zoologist Johann Friedrich von Brandt. Brandt's bat is a small animal, body length 3.8-5.5 cm, tail length 3.1-4.5 cm, forearm length 3.3-3.9 cm. Wingspan up to 20-24 cm. Body weight 3 ,1-12 gr. The wings are wide and blunt. The wing membrane is attached to the hind limb at the base of the outer toe. The length of the foot is approximately half the length of the lower leg. The ear, extended forward along the head, protrudes 1-3 mm beyond the tip of the nose. The tragus is long, pointed, evenly tapering towards the apex. The male genital organ is quite large. The skull is elongated with a flattened brain capsule and a gentle rise in the forehead. The interorbital space always exceeds the distance between the outer edges of the upper canines. The small anterior molar teeth are quite large and are located on midline dentition. Dental formula: i 2/3 c 1/1 p 3/3 m 3/3 = 38 teeth in total. Brandt's bat lives in mixed and broad-leaved trees, and sometimes in coniferous forests

The coat is thick, long and shaggy. The color of the fur on the back is brownish-brown, the belly is brownish-white with a yellowish tint. The wing membrane, nose and ears are light brown. Juveniles in their first year of birth are darker in color than adults. There is a black mask on the face, and circles of bare skin can be seen around the eyes. They fly out to hunt late, in complete darkness. They drink water while diving over a pond. Brandt's bats are insectivores, their diet includes moths, spiders and other small insects. The flight is smooth, leisurely and maneuverable. They hunt all night low over the banks of reservoirs, treetops, along park alleys and forest edges. The day is spent in wall niches, tree hollows, spaces behind loose tree bark, in attics, cellars, woodpiles, rock cracks, etc. In colonies, hollows, attics or caves hang on the ceiling, huddled in a dense heap. Mating usually occurs in the fall or after the end of lactation; the sperm is stored in the female's uterus until spring. To give birth and feed their young, females gather in maternity colonies, numbering from 20 to 60 individuals.

Childbirth occurs in June-July. Newborn cubs huddle together as females fly out to hunt. At the age of three weeks, the young already learn to fly, but become independent only by 1.5 months. In the north of its range, Brandt's bat is apparently a nomadic species. Mice fly south or gather in caves, tunnels, basements or mines. During the winter, they accumulate fatty substances, mainly in the area of ​​the shoulder blades. Wintering lasts from late September to early May. In some areas of the range they make seasonal migrations, but no further than 230 km from the places where the day roosts are located. The voices of Brandt's moths are absolutely individual, so the animal can easily recognize the reflection of its own signal in a cave where hundreds of thousands of mice are using the echolocator at the same time. In addition to ultrasound, bats also use regular sound signals, mainly for communication. These sounds usually lie at the threshold of human perception. The frequencies used by this bat species for echolocation lie between 32 and 80 kHz. The lifespan of Brandt's bats is about 20 years.

Brandt's bat (lat. Myotis brandtii) is a small bat of the genus of bats. Their body weight is usually 5.5-10 g, body length 38-55 mm, tail length 31-45 mm, forearm length 33-39 mm, wingspan 19-24 cm. Named after the German zoologist Johann Brandt. Ear middle length, tapering towards the end, with a notch at the rear edge. The muzzle, ears and membranes are quite dark, usually darker than the base color of the coat. At the same time, the bases of the auricles and the bases of the tragus are light and uncolored. The foot with claws is approximately half the size of the lower leg. The wing membrane is attached to the base of the outer toe. The epiblema is undeveloped. The fur is thick, long, slightly disheveled. The hair has dark bases, the color of the back is from reddish to dark brown, the belly is from grayish to pale-whitish. Characteristic sign, distinguishing it from similar mustachioed bat- the presence of a pointed protrusion on the large upper premolar tooth, on the anterior-inner edge of the crown. This protrusion, as a rule, is clearly visible behind the second minor premolar even in living animals (especially if you use a magnifying glass). The small premolar teeth themselves are approximately the same size.

Brandt's bat (lat. Myotis brandtii)

Lives in mixed and deciduous forests, penetrates the steppe along floodplains, prefers old-growth mixed and deciduous forests with hollow trees. It establishes nests and shelters in tree hollows, hollows, rock crevices, and less often in buildings; solitary animals can spend the day simply behind a loose piece of bark. It winters in various underground shelters, in old adits, basements and cracks in limestone cliffs. In the spring, Brandt's bat is one of the first to leave winter shelters, and before the arrival of pipistrelle bats from the south, it can be found in a variety of biotopes.

At first glance, Brandt's bat is similar in flight to pipistrelle bats, from which, when examined in the hands, it is easily distinguished by the absence of an epiblema, a pointed tragus, and the presence of two small premolar teeth in the upper jaw. This nocturnal bat hunts in the air on flying small insects, but as a rule, it hunts near woody vegetation. Flies out to hunt after dusk. Hunts flying insects in the forest over clearings and clearings at the level of crowns or between trunks, in parks, and also low above the surface of reservoirs. It feeds on a variety of small flying insects and lives in places with high concentrations of them. The flight is smooth, unhurried, and maneuverable. Echolocation signals are low intensity in the range of 80-35 kHz, with a maximum amplitude of about 45-50 kHz.

Mating after the end of lactation or during wintering. Breeds in early to mid summer. There is one cub in the litter, lactation is about 1.5 months. Brood colonies of up to several dozen females; males usually stay apart.

Data on abundance are fragmentary. One of the most common and widespread species of bats in the area mixed forests on the border with the forest-steppe, Brandt's bat is spread sporadically and is not numerous.

Limiting factors. Shortage of shelters due to cutting down of mature trees, disruption of the food supply as a result of human economic activity (use of insecticides). Direct disturbance and destruction of brood colonies in human buildings.

Lifespan is up to 20 years.

This miniature creature belongs to the order Chiroptera, the family of common bats, and the genus of bats.

In general, Chiroptera are the oldest animals on Earth. Scientists have proven that representatives of this order lived on our planet 55 million years ago. More accurately, it was an animal similar to a bat, but it is not yet possible to determine more precisely.

Brandt's bat was first described by the Russian naturalist and traveler Eduard Eversman in 1845. But it is named after the German naturalist, zoologist, botanist and doctor Johann Brandt. By the way, sometimes instead of “Brand’s bat” they say: “Brand’s bat.”

Description

This mouse has a body length of 4 to 5 cm, rarely more. The length of the tail is two-thirds of the length of the body. The weight of an individual individual ranges from 5 to 10 grams.

This bat has a rather long ear, which tapers towards the end and has a notch at the back. Coat on the muzzle (mask) is dark in color. The fur of the entire body is thick, long, and somewhat disheveled. The fur has dark bases. Color variations on the back range from reddish to dark brown. Wings with membranes. Their range is quite large - up to 24 cm. Apparently, therefore, when describing the flight of the bat, zoologists note first of all its leisurely nature.

Under relatively calm living conditions (besides the main enemy - humans, bats do not have many natural enemies) they can live for about 20 years.

The photo in the article demonstrates in full what a colony of Brandt's bats looks like.

Females of this species usually form not the largest colonies - only up to several dozen individuals (for comparison: some bats gather several thousand individuals). As for the male bats, they usually stay solitary.

In a litter, Brandt's moth has one cub, which the mother feeds for a month and a half.

Habitat

The habitat is very extensive: England, Europe, Siberia, Korea, Japan, Sakhalin. There are known finds of specimens of this species in the lands of the Northern Urals, in the Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug.

Lives in tree hollows in both forest and forest-steppe areas. It can settle in rock crevices, caves and, quite rarely, in buildings. But most often they spend the winter underground.

Starts hunting at dusk. Its prey is flying insects. It can pursue prey both among treetops and over water. The flight of this creature is smooth and maneuverable.

According to the classification in the Red Book, Brandt's bat in different regions is most often classified as " rare view with limited, possibly intermittent distribution in different areas." Its distribution has been little studied, however, encounters are rare.

Peculiarities

Chiropterans in general and Brandt's bat in particular hunt and move by emitting ultrasonic signals. When an impulse encounters an obstacle (insect, wall, etc.), it returns like an echo and is captured by the animal - thus information about the object enters the brain. Echolocation serves the bat like a flashlight, emitting rays of light in different directions. With the help of a series of short signals of different frequencies, the bat is able to move and navigate even in complete darkness and confined space(cave). Here the need for vision recedes into the background.

It is clear that insectivorous bats, in particular Brandt’s bat, have the ability to echolocation. Some frugivorous and nectarivorous species living in open spaces can easily do without it.

In addition, scientists have proven that the sounds made help bats also coexist in a colony - that is, communicate. And the presence of some social behavior involves sounds of different heights, volumes, and combinations. All this animal must be able to distinguish and understand. And Brandt's Nightcrawler is no exception in this case.

Observation

A lot of information has been collected about Chiroptera, but Brandt's bat has not yet been studied enough. Data on numbers, habitat characteristics and behavior are based on reliable, but not entirely systematized encounters.

The point here is partly that Chiroptera is the richest and most prolific order of Mammals in terms of speciation. For example, Brandt's bat is quite difficult to distinguish from another bat, the Usata.

In addition, collecting data on these creatures and observing them is difficult. These are nocturnal, secretive animals that hibernate in winter. In addition, Brandt's night light is also quite small in size.

Urbanistic and economic activity human destruction often destroys colonies of bats, which are usually attached to one place of settlement. That is why many species of Chiroptera are listed in the Red Book.

Brandt's bat

Order: Chiroptera (Chiroptera)

Family: Smooth-nosed The bats(Vespertilionidae)

Type: Brandt nightstand

Myotis Brandtii (Eversmann, 1845)

Brandt's boss

Description

The sizes are small. Body length 39-50 mm, tail 32-44 mm, ear 12.5-17 mm, forearm 33-38 mm, wingspan 220-260 mm, weight 5-11 g. Color from dark chestnut to black. The tragus is long, rising above the bay of the ear. The wing membrane grows to the base of the toes. Spur without epiblemoform fold. The ear is translucent.

A transpalearctic species inhabiting predominantly boreal forest landscapes. The range is vast and very unique. Lives in central, northwestern, northern and northeastern parts Europe. The eastern border from the mouth of the Danube stretches north through the Carpathians, further along eastern Poland and (probably within the Belarusian Lake District) bends sharply to the east. To the east of the territory of Belarus, the studied area is represented by separate, scattered islands. According to modern assumptions, the eastern border of the continuous range of this species runs through the western part of Belarus. Until recently, it was not detected in Ukraine and Moldova. In the extreme east of Poland it is extremely rare.

In July 2003, an adult male and female were captured in national park"Bryansk Forest" near the border with Belarus. At the end of the 1970s, A. Ruprecht discovered Brandt's bat in the collection materials of A.I. Kurskov, collected in the Belarusian part of Belovezhskaya Pushcha. In June 2001, we captured a sexually mature male and female in the villages of Chersk and the villages of Kharsy, Brest region. Targeted searches using different methods in other regions of Belarus did not bring results. Not found in wintering grounds in Belarus.

Habitat

The outskirts of human settlements near large coniferous tracts and river floodplains.

A very rare species of bats. Summer shelters are found in the outer parts of wooden buildings. IN neighboring countries winters in the basements of buildings. It feeds on small insects, a significant part of the diet being butterflies. Foraging areas are associated with trees and shrubs, canals, and streams. Individual areas are distinct; the feeding territory of one colony can reach impressive sizes of up to 100 km2. Live up to 38 years (maximum known age Palearctic bats). In Europe, situations of antagonism towards Brandt's bat from other species of bats are known.

Number and trend of its change

Single finds in the extreme southwest of Belarus. After the 1970s the number decreased by famous places its habitat in Belovezhskaya Pushcha.

The biological instability of small groups on the borders of a kind of gap among the vast range of the species is obvious. Possible feeding and other forms of competitive pressure from bats and other bat species. Potentially high vulnerability on highways.

Security measures

According to the Regulations on Hunting, it is included in the category of useful animals, for the illegal destruction of which a fine of 1 basic unit per individual is provided. It is necessary, as for other small species of bats, to ensure complete immunity, to establish a high conservation status identified maternity biotopes, creation of optimal wintering conditions (temperature 2-6 ° C, relative humidity air 80-100%, complete darkness, minimal noise, vibration) in places where hibernating individuals are detected.

Brandt's boss

Registration locations:

Brest region - Brest district

Gomel region - Zhitkovichi, Narovlya, Petrikovsky, Khoiniki districts

Grodno region - Svisloch district

Family Vespertilionidae.

The range of Brandt's bat is very unique and not well studied. It lives in the countries of the Central, North-West (UK) and in all countries Northern Europe. The eastern border of the range runs along the eastern part of Poland and somewhere within the Belarusian Lake District bends sharply to the east, following almost in a strictly latitudinal direction up to and including Japan.

Moreover, to the east of Belarus the distribution of the species is represented not by a continuous range, but by separate islands. It is precisely this distribution pattern that has been established for the mustachioed and Brandt's bats in northeastern Poland.

However, new data has clarified the geographic distribution of Brandt's bat in Belarus. As research activity increased, finds began to appear in other regions. Thus, in July 2003, an adult male Brandt’s bat was caught in the Petrikovsky district of the Gomel region. In August 2012, 5 adult individuals (4 females and one male) of Brandt's bat were captured in the Zhitkovichi district of the Gomel region. on the territory of the Pripyatsky National Park. Finally, in June-July 2015-2016. In the Zhitkovichi district, on the territory of the “Old Zhaden” reserve, 12 adult Brandt’s bats were caught, of which 8 were lactating and pregnant females, which confirmed the reproduction of this species in the Pripyat Polesie region.

At the moment, the discovery of Brandt's bat in the PGREZ is the easternmost registration point known in Belarus. Based on the data obtained, it can be argued that the species lives throughout the entire territory of Belarusian Polesie from its western to eastern borders. Further east, in the Bryansk region of Russia, Brandt's bat has also been repeatedly recorded by researchers. South of Belarusian Polesie it is observed extremely rarely. Thus, in the Ukrainian part of the resettlement zone of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, only 1 specimen of Brandt’s bat was caught in the process of very intensive long-term work on inventorying the bat fauna.

It is a rare breeding species in the PGREZ. Distributed in the reserve very locally, but in habitats it is one of dominant species based on detection results. It was noted only in 2 localities, confined to old-growth oak forests, alternating with swampy relief depressions in the Khoiniki and Narovlyansky districts. A lactating female was caught in Khoiniki district on June 25, 2016, and a pregnant female and an adult male were caught in the same place on June 14, 2017. The morphometric characteristics, structure of the dental system and coloration of these individuals fully corresponded to the species-specific characteristics of Brandt’s bat. Maternal colonies of this species were found located in cracks and behind the loose bark of old oak trees.

Rare, sedentary - a little-studied species of bats. This species has not been found in Moldova and Ukraine. In Lithuania, this species is considered rare, but winters in the west and center of this country. Further north, Brandt's bat becomes a more common species.

The search for Brandt's bat on the territory of Belarus can most likely be crowned with success, first of all, in the territory of the Belarusian Lake District.

For a long time, the status of this species in the domestic literature was controversial. Until 1980, Brandt's bat was considered a subspecies or synonym of the baleen bat. Currently, the complete independence of these two species has been proven.

One of the smallest bats in Europe. The dimensions of Brandt's nightstand are as follows (from literary sources according to Central European populations): wingspan 22-22.5 cm; body length 3.9-5.0 cm; tail 3.2-4.4 cm; ear 1.3-1.7 cm; forearms 3.3-3.8 cm; weight 5-10.5 g. Color from dark chestnut to black. The wing membrane grows to the base of the fingers ( important difference

from the water bat).

It differs from a closely related species, the moustachioed bat, in several ways. The dimensions of Brandt's nightstand are somewhat larger, especially the forearm. The hair is from dark chestnut to black. The tragus is blunt-apexed with a convex posterior edge. The ear is relatively thin, translucent; pressed to the head, protrudes beyond the tip of the nose by 1-3 mm. The emblem on the spur is missing.

Caught animals in the hands are relatively calm and silent.

Ultrasonic signals of both types coincide in peak frequency - 45 kHz.

The habitat habitats of the Brandt's bat and the baleen bat are similar. In the western part of its range, the Brandt's bat is more drawn to forest habitats, in contrast to the baleen bat, which prefers open ones.

It flies out to feed in the thick twilight and returns before dawn. It feeds on small flying insects: mosquitoes, midges, flies, small butterflies. Often snatches prey (such as spiders) from tree leaves. In summer you can find them behind the platbands of wooden buildings (in Belovezhskaya Pushcha). Photo © Radik Kutushev / iNaturalist.org CC BY-NC 4.0

Literature 1. Demyanchik V. T., Demyanchik M. G. “Chiropterans of Belarus: a reference guide.” Brest, 2000. -216s. 2. Kurskov A. N., Demyanchik V. T., Demyanchik M. G. “Brand’s Night Bat” / Animals: Popular encyclopedic reference book (

Animal world

Belarus). Minsk, 2003. P.229-230 3. Savitsky B.P. Kuchmel S.V., Burko L.D. “Mammals of Belarus”. Minsk, 2005. -319 p. 4. Dombrovsky V. Ch. “Results of censuses of bats (Chiroptera) in the Polesie State Radiation-Ecological Reserve in 2016-2017” / Current problems of zoological science in Belarus: Collection of articles of the XI Zoological International