Myotis daubentonii
Myotis daubentonii
A short-eared Myotis with a wingspan of 240 - 275 mm. Its fur is short, dense and reddish-brown, with clear demarcation line along its neck. Due to its diet, it has large, strong feet, which are covered with stiff bristles.
Though absent from some islands, Myotis daubentonii occurs throughout Europe. It can be found in deciduous and mixed woodlands, always close to water bodies. In summer, it roosts in tree hollows, caves, buildings and other artificial structures; in winter, the species favours mostly underground sites: mines, caves, rock crevices.
An agile bat, it forages aquatic insects and even small fish by using a "trawling" technique. However, it is also known to hunt along woodland edges.
M. daubentonii is a migrant species and is known to cover a distance of up to 150 km between roosts.
Increasing according to the IUCN Red List.
There are no major threats to this species; however, changes in water quality may reduce food supply and loss of roost sites may be problematic.
M. daubentonii can be found nearly in all Europe, with the exception of Sicily and the Balearic Islands. Population fragmentation has been observed in some Mediterranean areas.
