By Helen BriggsBBC News
4 May 2018
Extreme weather appears to be disrupting the
life cycle of Europe's bats.
Scientists were alarmed to find that some
bats in Portugal skipped winter hibernation altogether this year while others
gave birth early.
The findings add to growing fears that rising
temperatures are having unpredictable effects on bats, birds and other
wildlife.
Bats born early in the year may suffer due to
lack of insect food.
"It's a phenological mismatch,"
said Dr Hugo Rebelo of the University of Porto, who is studying the impact of
climate change on several Mediterranean bat species.
"What this means is that the bat birth
is more or less synchronised with the time of emergence of insects so that when
bats give birth there are plenty of resources to feed on and then to feed their
own pups.
"With these chaotic weather patterns we
are having now in winter and spring we don't know if everything is being mixed
up. "
Underground roosts
Rare bat species have been routinely
monitored in Portugal at their underground roosts since the 1980s.
In order to survive the winter months, bats
must hibernate as there are not enough insects flying around in the winter to
meet their energy demands.
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