Vol. 76 (4) 2024

ARTICLES

Factors Affecting Activity Patterns of the Whiskered Bat Myotis mystacinus (Kuhl, 1817) (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in the Western Carpathians, Poland

Korneliusz Kurek1, Bogumiła Jędrzejewska2, Olga Gewartowska3, Katarzyna Tołkacz4 &
Robert W. Mysłajek5*

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1Masurian Centre for Biodiversity, Research and Education, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Urwitałt 1, 11-730 Mikołajki, Poland
2Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Stoczek 1, 17-230 Białowieża, Poland
3International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Trojdena 4, 02-109 Warszawa, Poland
4Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Pawińskiego 5a, 02-106 Warszawa, Poland
5*University of Warsaw, Faculty of Biology, Institute of Ecology, Department of Animal Ecology and Evolution, Biological and Chemical Research Centre, Żwirki i Wigury 101, 02-089 Warszawa, Poland; r.myslajek@uw.edu.pl

https://doi.org/10.71424/azb76.4.002797

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Abstract
We applied radio-telemetry on 21 individuals (10 females and 11 males) to provide data on the temporal activity patterns of the whiskered bat (Myotis mystacinus) in the Carpathian Mountains (southern Poland). We tested whether sex, season and weather conditions affect their activity patterns in July-September. On average, whiskered bats left day roosts 18.9 minutes after sunset and returned to roosts 198.1 minutes before sunrise. The mean length of activity was 330 minutes (SE±25) per night. Bats were active mainly (85%) during the whole night; they rarely (15% of nights) interrupted foraging and returned to their roosts for 10-60 minutes. Their activity peaked between the 2nd and the 3rd hour after sunset, when 76% of individuals foraged. Duration of activity varied between sexes. In females, it was one hour longer and noticeably increased from July to August. Males, but not females, shortened their activity again in September. However, due to high individual variation, differences in activity patterns between sexes were insignificant. Mean night temperature (positive effect) and duration of rainfalls (negative effect) best explained the variation in whiskered bats’ activity. Our study delivered further evidence of the importance of weather conditions for the foraging activity of insectivorous bats in temperate environments.

Key words
male and female bats, foraging activity, temporal variation, weather conditions

How to Cite
Kurek K., Jędrzejewska B., Gewartowska O., Tołkacz K. & Mysłajek R.W. 2024. Factors Affecting Activity Patterns of the Whiskered Bat Myotis mystacinus (Kuhl, 1817) (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in the Western Carpathians, Poland. Acta zoologica bulgarica 76 (4) 491-497.

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