The bat fauna of the caves near Havran in Western Turkey and their importance for bat conservation

Abstract

This paper describes the bat fauna of a cave system with three caves in a karst area near Havran in Western Turkey. One of these caves harbours approximately 15–20,000 adult bats of eight species, all of them forming nursery colonies. This represents the second largest summer colony of bats in Turkey. The species richness and the colony sizes qualify the site as an Important Mammal Area and would qualify it as a Special Area for Conservation, according to the Habitats Directive of the European Union. The area including the most important bat cave will be partly flooded by a dam which is currently being constructed by the State Water Authority.