New Bat Species in Town....

[BatiArb]

so do they habit trees?

Do we need to look for them?

very interesting thread

 

It is highly likely that they do. Some of the UK's rarest bat species are the ones dependant on woodland. We also know the least about these species as well, because they are so difficult to survey.

 

The interesting thing about bats is that we do know so little about them and there is so much that can be discovered.

 

As arborists we are actually in a prime position to discover something new.

 

For bat ecologists one of the most challenging things is to find bats roosting in trees.

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

It is highly likely that they do. Some of the UK's rarest bat species are the ones dependant on woodland. We also know the least about these species as well, because they are so difficult to survey.

 

The interesting thing about bats is that we do know so little about them and there is so much that can be discovered.

 

As arborists we are actually in a prime position to discover something new.

 

For bat ecologists one of the most challenging things is to find bats roosting in trees.

 

this is a bit like the fungi business, and can see why bats are such an addictive interest for many. Like you say, as arbs in contact with arboreal situations every single day of our working lives we have many opportunities to observe and record observations that are new or at the very least very important to ecological theories.

[BatiArb]

It appears that the UK’s ‘new’ bat, Alcathoe bat Myotis alcathoe, is not really new, but has probably been lurking amongst our other species for some time.

 

First formally identified in Greece in 2001, it has since been found in a number of European countries including the north of France, so it was expected to arrive here in the UK at some point.

 

However, not only were 70% of randomly genotyped small Myotis bats found two Sussex sites recently positively identified as M. alcathoe, but also 10% of bats captured between 2003 and 2009 at swarming sites in North Yorkshire, 350km away and originally identified as M. mystacimus (whiskered bat) or M. brandtii (Brandt’s bat) have since been confirmed as M. alcathoe. This limited evidence suggests that Alcathoe bat may be a widespread, if rare resident.

 

Superficially it resembles a whiskered sized Daubenton’s bat with small feet! It s summer habitat is old deciduous woodland; all three confirmed UK swarming sites are within or close to protected woodland.

 

After the announcement of this discovery earlier this year, bat workers handling bats were warned to be suspiciaous of any whiskered bat looking slightly different, and to be even more suspicious if the forearm measured less than 33mm.

 

With local bat group surveys now looking out for this bat new records are now coming in from other counties across the UK. the most recent I am aware of was confirmed in Kent.