Nyctalus Noctula Research Articles

Denevérek téli aktivitásának vizsgálata városi környezetben (Sopron)

We analyzed the winter activity of bat species in urban environment, in the Botanical Garden of the University of Sopron. The investigation period lasted from 18 November 2015 until 29 February 2016. The investigation was carried out with an acoustic detector. During the hibernation period, a total of four bat species have been identified: the common noctule (Nyctalus noctula), the grey long-eared bat (Plecotus austriacus), the savi’s pipistrelle (Hypsugo savii) and the kuhl's pipistrelle (Pipistrellus kuhlii). For all four species detected, activity and leaving of wintering sites during the hibernation period were significantly related to certain weather parameters. In almost all cases, daily mean, maximum and minimum temperature positively affected the winter activity of the detected species, while daily amount of precipitation negatively correlated with the activity of the common noctule and the grey long-eared bat.

Мостові споруди як місця поселення рукокрилих (Chiroptera): видова та просторова різноманітність

In 2000–2021, 150 various types of bridge structures were examined in different regions of Ukraine, where 742 individuals of 13 bat species were found: Myotis dasycneme, Myotis daubentonii, Myotis brandtii, Myotis mystacinus, Myotis aurascens, Myotis nattereri, Nyctalus noctula, Plecotus auritus, Plecotus austriacus, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Pipistrellus nathusii, Pipistrellus kuhlii, and Eptesicus serotinus. The occupancy rate was 30.7%. M. daubentonii and P. auritus were observed in most of the studied regions. The frequency of observations of M. daubentonii was 50% of inhabited bridges (n = 23) and almost 65% of the number of individuals, with a concentration of localities in the western and north-western parts of the country. P. auritus (frequency 32.6%) dominated the bridges of the Dnipro Lowland and the Western Polissia. M. aurascens (Azov Sea region), M. mystacinus and M. brandtii (Western Polissia), P. austriacus (Black Sea region), and P. kuhlii (Azov Sea region) were found singly or only in some regions. Nursery colonies of M. daubentonii were found in the Western Polissia, Volynian–Podolian Upland, and Dnipro Lowland, N. noctula in the Dnipro region, P. auritus in the Western Polissia and the Black Sea region, and M. aurascens in the Azov Sea region. In a geographical aspect, the number of species in bridges is the highest in the regions of Western Polissia and Azov Sea (7 species each), and slightly lower in the Dnipro Lowland (n = 6). The highest percentage of inhabited bridges (64.3%) was found in the Dnipro Lowland; in other regions it was 37.8–10.5%. Bridges play an important role as summer roosts for bats (both for single individuals and breeding colonies), as well as in late summer–autumn (after the disbandment of breeding colonies) and as spring roosts (during seasonal migrations). Bridge structures can be important for the settlement of bats in regions with no underground cavities of natural or anthropogenic origin. We assume that this is the reason why the maximum number of species and abundance of bats in bridges was found in the Western Polissia and Dnipro Lowland, which are characterised by flat topography and lack of abundant and various underground cavities.

The Prevalence of Viral Pathogens among Bats in Kazakhstan.

Bats carry thousands of viruses from 28 different families. To determine the presence of various pathogens in bat populations in Kazakhstan, 1149 samples (393 oropharyngeal swabs, 349 brain samples, 407 guano) were collected. The samples were collected from four species of bats (Vespertilio murinus, Nyctalus noctula, Myotis blythii, Eptesicus serotinus) in nine regions. The Coronavirus RNA was found in 38 (4.75%) samples, and the rabies virus in 27 (7.74%) samples from bats. Coronaviruses and the rabies virus were found in bats in six out of nine studied areas. The RNAs of SARS-CoV-2, MERS, TBE, CCHF, WNF, influenza A viruses were not detected in the bat samples. The phylogeny of the RdRp gene of 12 samples made it possible to classify them as alphacoronaviruses and divide them into two groups. The main group (n = 11) was closely related to bat coronaviruses from Ghana, Zimbabwe and Kenya. The second group (n = 1) was closely related to viruses previously isolated in the south of Kazakhstan. The phylogeny of the N gene sequence from a bat from west Kazakhstan revealed its close relationship with isolates from the Cosmopolitan group of rabies viruses (Central Asia). These results highlight the need for a continuous monitoring of volatile populations to improve the surveillance and detection of infectious diseases.

Drone exploration of bat echolocation: A UAV-borne multimicrophone array to study bat echolocation.

Multimicrophone array techniques offer crucial insight into bat echolocation, yet they severely undersample the environments bats operate in as they are limited in geographic placement and mobility. UAVs are excellent candidates to greatly increase the environments in which such arrays can be deployed, but the impact of UAV noise on recording quality and the UAV's behavioral impact on the bats may affect usability. We developed a UAV-borne multimicrophone setup capable of recording bat echolocation across diverse environments. We quantify and mitigate the impact of UAV noise on the recording setup and test the recording capability of the array by recording four common Danish bat species: Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Myotis daubentonii, Eptesicus serotinus, and Nyctalus noctula. The UAV produces substantial noise at ultrasonic frequencies relevant to many bat species. However, suspending the array 30m below the UAV attenuates the noise to levels below the self-noise of our recording system at 20 kHz and above, and we successfully record and acoustically localize all four bat species. The behavioral impact of the UAV is minimal as all four species approached the array to within 1m and all emitted recordable feeding buzzes. UAV-borne multimicrophone arrays will allow us to quantify bat echolocation in hitherto unexplored habitats and provide crucial insight into how bats operate their sonar across their entire natural habitat.

Bat Assemblages Are Shaped by Land Cover Types and Forest Age: A Case Study from Eastern Ukraine

Eastern European broadleaved forests north of the 50th degree of latitude serve as a core breeding area for most migratory bat species wintering in Eastern and Central Europe. The southern border of this region has faced an increase in clear-cutting intensity in recent decades. We conducted a standardized mist-netting survey on eleven heterogeneous oak forest plots in order to assess how land cover types and forest age affect abundance, diversity and the breeding of bats. We found that abundance indices and species richness increased from upland plots surrounded by agricultural lands to riverine or waterside plots with high forest cover. Particularly large mature forests older than 90 years positively affected the breeding activity of bats, their abundance indices and overall species richness. Regarding species associations with specific habitats, we found that Myotis brandtii, Nyctalus leisleri and Pipistrellus pygmaeus were mainly found in mature deciduous forest stands, while Plecotus auritus appeared to be the only species tolerating clearcuts and young stands. Forest-dwelling species such as Nyctalus noctula and Pipistrellus nathusii were additionally associated with water habitats. Thus, the combination of mature forests and water sources is essential in shaping Eastern European assemblages of forest bat species.

Alien parakeets as a potential threat to the common noctule Nyctalus noctula

The ring-necked parakeet Psittacula krameri (Aves: Psittaciformes) is a widely distributed species of Asian and African origin, which occurs with over 40 alien populations in the rest of the world. Most established populations of this species are showing a clear trend of territorial expansion and numerical growth. Recent reviews highlighted that one of the main impacts by alien ring-necked parakeets is the competition with threatened bat species using trunk cavities as roosts. In Italy, the only known reproductive population of Nyctalus bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) occurs in an urban area in the central part of the country, surrounded by increasing and expanding populations of ring-necked parakeets. In this work, we updated the population status of both ring-necked and Alexandrine parakeets and breeding noctule bats in the region. Then, we ran a species distribution model using Maxent software to analyze the environmental suitability of the region for the ring-necked parakeet and a connectivity model using Circuitscape software to predict the possibility of its expansion in the area occupied by breeding noctule bats. We recorded a high number of individual parakeets and breeding colonies, together with a remarkable noctule population decline, from about 400 to about 120 individuals, in the last 20 years, possibly due to urban green management practices. Although some ring-necked parakeets have already been observed in the study area, there is no evidence of reproduction in the surroundings of the noctule colony. However, our model showed a high environmental suitability for the ring-necked parakeet in the area occupied by breeding noctules. As well, the connectivity model showed the potential for a direct flow of individuals from the main urban centers to the area used by noctule bats. The arrival of alien parakeets to the area occupied by the bat breeding colony should be tightly monitored by surveying the suitable areas for this bird, as well as the identified ecological corridors. Early detection of new invasions, together with a sustainable urban green management practice, may prevent the extinction of the southernmost breeding colony of the common noctule.

Flexible energy-saving strategies in female temperate-zone bats

Torpor is characterized by an extreme reduction in metabolism and a common energy-saving strategy of heterothermic animals. Torpor is often associated with cold temperatures, but in the last decades, more diverse and flexible forms of torpor have been described. For example, tropical bat species maintain a low metabolism and heart rate at high ambient and body temperatures. We investigated whether bats (Nyctalus noctula) from the cooler temperate European regions also show this form of torpor with metabolic inhibition at high body temperatures, and whether this would be as pronounced in reproductive as in non-reproductive bats. We simultaneously measured metabolic rate, heart rate, and skin temperature in non-reproductive and pregnant females at a range of ambient temperatures. We found that they can decouple metabolic rate and heart rate from body temperature: they maintained an extremely low metabolism and heart rate when exposed to ambient temperatures changing from 0 to 32.5 °C, irrespective of reproductive status. When we simulated natural temperature conditions, all non-reproductive bats used torpor throughout the experiment. Pregnant bats used variable strategies from torpor, to maintaining normothermy, or a combination of both. Even a short torpor bout during the day saved up to 33% of the bats' total energy expenditure. Especially at higher temperatures, heart rate was a much better predictor of metabolic rate than skin temperature. We suggest that the capability to flexibly save energy across a range of ambient temperatures within and between reproductive states may be an important ability of these bats and possibly other temperate-zone heterotherms.

Insectivorous bats form mobile sensory networks to optimize prey localization: The case of the common noctule bat

Animals that depend on ephemeral, patchily distributed prey often use public information to locate resource patches. The use of public information can lead to the aggregation of foragers at prey patches, a mechanism known as local enhancement. However, when ephemeral resources are distributed over large areas, foragers may also need to increase search efficiency, and thus apply social strategies when sampling the landscape. While sensory networks of visually oriented animals have already been confirmed, we lack an understanding of how acoustic eavesdropping adds to the formation of sensory networks. Here we radio-tracked a total of 81 aerial-hawking bats at very high spatiotemporal resolution during five sessions over 3 y, recording up to 19 individuals simultaneously. Analyses of interactive flight behavior provide conclusive evidence that bats form temporary mobile sensory networks by adjusting their movements to neighboring conspecifics while probing the airspace for prey. Complementary agent-based simulations confirmed that the observed movement patterns can lead to the formation of mobile sensory networks, and that bats located prey faster when networking than when relying only on local enhancement or searching solitarily. However, the benefit of networking diminished with decreasing group size. The combination of empirical analyses and simulations elucidates how animal groups use acoustic information to efficiently locate unpredictable and ephemeral food patches. Our results highlight that declining local populations of social foragers may thus suffer from Allee effects that increase the risk of collapses under global change scenarios, like insect decline and habitat degradation.

Analysis of pesticide and persistent organic pollutant residues in German bats

Bats are strictly protected throughout Europe. They are a highly diverse order of mammals in terms of body size, body weight, migratory behaviour, trophic niche specialisation and habitat use. The latter ranges from urban areas and arable land to forest. Due to their low reproductive rate, environmental stressors can have a major impact on bat populations. Pesticides in particular are discussed as an important driver of bat population declines. In this work, we analysed nearly 400 animals of five different species (Eptesicus serotinus, Myotis myotis, Nyctalus noctula, Pipistrellus pipistrellus, and Plecotus auritus) from all over Germany for residues of 209 pesticides and persistent organic pollutants. Residue analysis was conducted with a previously developed method using a miniaturized quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged and safe (QuEChERS) sample preparation and gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for separation and detection. These analytical data were statistically correlated with the known data on the animals (e.g. age, sex, place and time of finding). Of 209 pesticides and pollutants investigated, 28 compounds were detected, the most frequent being organochlorine insecticides and polychlorinated biphenyls, which have been banned for decades by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. Detection of more recent pesticides that were legally used for the last decade included azole antifungals and the insecticide fipronil. The bats contained between four and 25 different residues. Statistical data analyses showed that the distribution throughout Germany is largely comparable, and single exceptions were observed in specialized ecological niches. In conclusion, this work provides the largest dataset of pesticide and persistent organic pollutant residues in European bats to date.

Diet analysis of bats killed at wind turbines suggests large‐scale losses of trophic interactions

AbstractAgricultural practice has led to landscape simplification and biodiversity decline, yet recently, energy‐producing infrastructures, such as wind turbines, have been added to these simplified agroecosystems, turning them into multi‐functional energy‐agroecosystems. Here, we studied the trophic interactions of bats killed at wind turbines using a DNA metabarcoding approach to shed light on how turbine‐related bat fatalities may possibly affect local habitats. Specifically, we identified insect DNA in the stomachs of common noctule bats (Nyctalus noctula) killed by wind turbines in Germany to infer in which habitats these bats hunted. Common noctule bats consumed a wide variety of insects from different habitats, ranging from aquatic to terrestrial ecosystems (e.g., wetlands, farmland, forests, and grasslands). Agricultural and silvicultural pest insects made up about 20% of insect species consumed by the studied bats. Our study suggests that the potential damage of wind energy production goes beyond the loss of bats and the decline of bat populations. Bat fatalities at wind turbines may lead to the loss of trophic interactions and ecosystem services provided by bats, which may add to the functional simplification and impaired crop production, respectively, in multi‐functional ecosystems.

Blood Parasites and Health Status of Hibernating and Non-Hibernating Noctule Bats (Nyctalus noctula).

Co-existence of bats with a wide range of infectious agents relates to their co-evolutionary history and specific physiology. Here, we examined blood samples collected during hibernation and the post-hibernation period to assess the influence of trypanosomes and babesias on the health status of 50 Noctule bats (Nyctalus noctula) using nested PCR. The impact of blood parasites on health was assessed by analysis of haematology and blood chemistry parameters in 21 bats. Prevalence of trypanosomes (Trypanosoma dionisii and T. vespertilionis) and babesia (Babesia vesperuginis) was 44% and 8%, respectively. Analysis of blood parameters indicated impact of babesia on acid–base balance. Blood chemistry parameters showed a significant decrease in total dissolved carbon dioxide and bicarbonate, increased anion gap, and no change in blood pH, suggesting compensated metabolic acidosis. Adverse effects of babesia were only apparent in hibernating bats. Our results suggest differences in the pathogenicity of trypanosomes and babesia in bats. While trypanosomes in general had no significant impact on the health status, we observed alterations in the blood acid–base balance in Babesia-infected bats during hibernation. Despite being infected, Babesia-positive bats survived hibernation without showing any clinical signs.

One or two pups - optimal reproduction strategies of common noctule females

BackgroundThe success of animal reproduction is impacted by a trade-off between energetic costs and mortality associated with immediate vs. future reproductive attempts. The reproductive strategies of European insectivorous bats differ from common mammalian standards due to the use of delayed fertilisation. Phenology of bat reproduction, including length of pregnancy, which may vary in the same species at different latitudes, between years at the same site or between individuals within a colony, is influenced by ecological conditions. To assess factors influencing the course of pregnancy, we evaluated levels of blood progesterone in 20 female common noctule bats Nyctalus noctula. The bats were individually tagged and randomly divided into two groups with different hibernation ending points (i.e. a control group vs. a treatment group with one-week longer hibernation). Following emergence from hibernation, the bats were kept in a wooden box at a stable temperature of 22 °C.ResultsThe majority of females gave birth to a single neonate (65%), but one female aborted her pups 2 days before the first successful births of other females. Based on development of progesterone concentration, we were able to define a number of different reproduction strategies, i.e. females with single offspring or twins, and females with supposed resorption of one embryo (embryonic mortality after implantation of the developing fertilised egg). Progesterone levels were much higher in females with two embryos during the first part of gestation and after birth. Progesterone levels were at their highest mid-gestation, with no difference between females carrying one or two foetuses. Length of gestation differed significantly between the two groups, with the longer hibernation (treatment) group having a roughly two-day shorter gestation period.ConclusionsFemale N. noctula are able to manipulate their litter size to balance immediate and future reproduction success. The estimated gestation length of approx. 49-days appears to be standard for N. noctula, with females optimising their thermoregulatory behaviour to keep the length of gestation as close to the standard as possible.

The Occurrence of Skin Mites from the Demodecidae and Psorergatidae (Acariformes: Prostigmata) Families in Bats, with a Description of a New Species and New Records.

Simple SummaryThis paper describes a new species, Demodex pusillus, inhabiting the hairy skin of Nyctalus noctula, which is one of the smallest arthropods. New data on the coexistence of skin mites from the sister families Demodecidae and Psorergatidae in bats are also included, as well as an updated global checklist and data on their occurrence, including location (topography) within the hosts.The bat skin mites from the closely-related Demodecidae and Psorergatidae families occur synhospitally, populating the same host species and perhaps neighboring microhabitats. However, data on their occurrence and parasitism are fragmentary and dispersed. Thus far, 27 Demodecidae and 18 Psorergatidae species have been described, but the coexistence of mites from both families was only demonstrated in six species of bats. This article presents a description of Demodex pusillus sp. nov. from Nyctalus noctula, including a new host record (first observation of demodecid mites in Nyctalus) and a new record concerning the occurrence of Psorergatoides kerivoluae in Plecotus auritus. It also includes an updated global checklist of the occurrence of Demodecidae and Psorergatidae in Chiroptera, including data on their records/distribution and location in their hosts. In both studied families, the mites exhibit preferences, and even topographic specificity, colonizing different microhabitats in the host, including the eye region (e.g., Meibomian glands of the eyes, corneal surface and eyelid vault), wing membranes and hairy skin on the body. Such colonization of separate microhabitats enables different species to co-occur within the same host, while the total number of parasites determines the level of parasite load, with higher levels being associated with the incidence of disease symptoms. It is worth mentioning that Demodex pusillus sp. nov. is the smallest known representative of the Demodecidae family and one of the smallest animals (70–80 micrometers in length).

Кажани техногенних ділянок південно-східної України

The results of the study of bat groups in anthropogenic landscapes of the Donbass are presented. The study is a pioneer for this type of sites and can serve as a starting point for further monitoring. A total of 15 sites were surveyed using an ultrasonic detector, which allowed recording the hunting activity of bats. The frequency of registrations of bats was insignificant. Three species were identified, in particular Pipistrellus kuhlii (149), Eptesicus serotinus (39), and Nyctalus noctula (6). It is shown that there are actually only two species—Pipistrellus kuhlii and Eptesicus serotinus—in the surveyed types of landscapes, which are synanthropic and are considered alien to the region’s fauna.

Складності зимівлі несинантропних кажанів у синантропних місцезнаходженнях: скупчення у багатоповерхівці в Києві

A brief review of publications on a similar topic in Europe was carried out. Also, materials from personal communications of volunteers and the situation in a multi-storey building in Kyiv at 7 Gongadze Avenue with a large colony of wintering common noctules were also studied and analysed. Stories from various participants and sides were heard. Various participants were interviewed, the key advantages and disadvantages of using this place with bats for wintering were identified. A possible plan for improving the situation in this and similar cases through certain technological innovations has been outlined.

Coastal onshore wind turbines lead to habitat loss for bats in Northern Germany

Wind energy production is particularly rewarding along coastlines, yet coastlines are often important as migratory corridors for wildlife. This creates a conflict between energy production from renewable sources and conservation goals, which needs to be considered during environmental planning. To shed light on the spatial interactions of a high collision risk bat species with coastal wind turbines (WT), we analysed 32 tracks of 11 common noctule bats (Nyctalus noctula) in Northern Germany with miniaturized global positioning system units yielding 6266 locations. We used three spatial models to infer on the preferred and avoided landscape features in interaction with WT. We found 3.4% of all locations close to WT, with bats preferring areas with high levels of impervious surface, identified as farmhouses. Common noctule bats were also more present close to WT adjacent to paths and waterbodies. At the local scale, >70% of common noctule bats avoided WT, yet if bats approached WT we counted more positions at large WT, specifically close to known roosts. Our study highlights that coastal WT should not be placed next to feeding grounds and bat roosts. Additionally, avoidance of WT by bats indicates that foraging bats may suffer from habitat loss in coastal landscapes with high turbine densities. To mitigate the conflict between wind energy power production and conservation goals at coastal sites, wind turbines should be placed at distance to habitat features preferred by bats and turbine densities should be limited.

Accounting for spatial autocorrelation and environment are important to derive robust bat population trends from citizen science data

Monitoring wildlife populations is essential if global targets to reverse biodiversity declines are to be met. Recent analysis of data from the UK’s long-term National Bat Monitoring Programme (NBMP) suggests stable or increasing population trends for many bat species, and these statistics help inform progress towards national biodiversity targets. However, although based on robust citizen science survey designs, it is unknown how sensitive these trends are to spatial and environmental biases. Here we use Bayesian hierarchical modelling with integrated nested Laplace approximation (INLA), to examine the impact of these types of biases on the population trends using relative occupancy of four species monitored by the NBMP Field Survey in Great Britain (GB): Pipistrellus pipistrellus, P. pygmaeus, Nyctalus noctula and Eptesicus serotinus. Where possible, we also disaggregated trends to national levels using the best model per species to determine if national differences in trends remain once sampling biases are accounted for. Although we found evidence of spatial clustering in the NBMP Field Survey locations, the previously reported GB-wide population trends are broadly robust to spatial autocorrelation. In most species, accounting for spatial autocorrelation and species-environment relationships improved model fit. The nationally disaggregated models highlighted that GB-wide trends mask differences between England and Scotland, consistent with previous analysis of these data, as well as illustrating large gaps in survey effort, especially in Wales. We suggest that although bat population trends were found to be broadly robust to sampling biases present in these data, small differences could propagate over time and this impact is likely to be more severe in less structured citizen science data. Therefore, ensuring trends are robust to sampling biases present in citizen science datasets is critical to effective monitoring of progress towards biodiversity targets, managing populations sustainably, and ultimately a reversal of global declines.

Serological survey of lyssaviruses in synanthropic bats and human exposure to bats in Slovakia.

Bats are considered natural reservoirs for lyssaviruses. A total of 17 out of 19 known lyssaviruses circulate in bat populations. Lyssaviruses cause rabies in animals and humans. The transmission of lyssaviruses from European bats to terrestrial animals and humans is rare, but the risk of infection still exists even in developed countries. Slovakia is currently a rabies-free country. The aim of the study was to assess the potential circulation of EBLV-1 in synanthropic bats present in human inhabited buildings, and to give an overview of human exposure to bats. A passive serological survey targeted the prevalence of antibodies to bat lyssaviruses in synanthropic bats between 2009 - 2019. A total of 598 bats of the species Pipistrellus pipistrellus, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, Eptesicus serotinus, Nyctalus noctula and Vespertilio murinus were captured in buildings mainly in Eastern Slovakia, and examined by the rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT). Lyssavirus-specific antibodies were detected in 2 (0.3%) of the 598 examined bats. Additionally, brain tissues of bats found dead were examined using the standard fluorescent antibody test (FAT) with negative results. An overview of available data on human exposure to bats recorded in Slovakia from 2007 - 2019 is also included. The study confirmed the presence of lyssavirus antibodies in synanthropic bats in Slovakia, suggesting the active circulation of bat lyssaviruses in bat populations exploiting human buildings. Although the seroprevalence was found to be extremely low, the results show that any case of human exposure to bats must be treated with caution in order to protect public health.

Helminth infections of urban hibernating Nyctalus noctula groups (Chiroptera, Vespertilionidae) in Belarus.

The city of Brest is one of the places in southwestern Belarus where common noctules Nyctalus noctula (Schreber, 1774) spend the winter. The aim of the study is to investigate the helminth infection of urban hibernating groups of this species of bats. The bat carcasses were subjected to a post-mortem examination. Organs and tissues compression was used to examine 26 of common noctules three groups that died in Brest city during the hibernation period from causes beyond our control. All of the examined common noctules were infected with helminths. Eight species of helminths were found: 4 species of trematodes, 1 species of cestode and 3 species of nematodes. Six species were localized in the intestine, 1 species in the stomach and larvae of 1 species in the wall of the stomach. More often, the common noctule was infected with the nematode Molinostrongylus skrjabini Skarbilovich, 1934 (92.3%), the trematodes Paralecithodendrium chilostomum (Mehlis, 1831) (88.5%), Lecithodendrium linstowi Dollfus, 1931 (84.6 %) and Plagiorchis koreanus Ogata, 1938 (84.6%). The finding represents the first record of the trematode P. koreanus in bats in Belarus. The results further represent the first record of N. noctula as host for larvae of nematode Physaloptera myotis (Babos, 1954) in Belarus.

Systematic analysis of leisler's bat Nyctalus leisleri (Kuhl, 1817) captured from FATA region, Pakistan.

Extensive field surveys were carried out to explore the distribution of Leisler's Bat Nyctalus leisleri (Kuhl, 1819) in selected area of FATA regions, Pakistan. Specimens of Leisler's Bat Nyctalus leisleri (Kuhl, 1819) (n5) were collected from Kurram Agency (Shublan) (N33.8229788 E70.1634414) at elevation 1427m and Khyber Agency (Landi Kotel) (N34.0909899 E71.1457517) at elevation 1091m for two years survey extending from May 2013 through August 2015. The mean head and body length, hind foot length, ear length and tail length the Nyctalus leisleri specimens captured from the study area was 65.08 ± 1.58 mm, 44.06 ± 0.52 mm, 8.38 ± 0.60 mm, 13.20 ± 0.99 mm and 39.46 ± 1.46 mm, respectively. For molecular analysis the sequences of COI gene were obtained and analyzed. The mean intraspecific divergences of Nyctalus leisleri was 0.04%. The mean interspecific divergences of Nyctalus noctula and Nyctalus leisleri was 0.2%. The mean concentration of each nucleotides was A = (26.3%), T = (32.8%), G = (15.9%) and C = (25.0%). The mean A+T contents were 59.2%and C+G were 40.9%. In the phylogenetic tree Nyctalus leisleri and Nyctalus noctula clustered with significant bootstrap support value.