Study
on Kuhl's pipistrelle shows why bats have moved across Europe
since the 1980s
Date:
February 8, 2016
Source:
Springer
Climate
change is most likely behind the extraordinary spread of a type of vesper bat
across Europe over the last four decades.
Kuhl's pipistrelle has extended its range by nearly 400 percent, says Leonardo
Ancillotto, lead author of a study supervised by Danilo Russo of the University of Naples
Federico II in Italy
Pipistrelles
are very adaptable bats, and can roost and thrive in a variety of landscapes,
including urban areas. These characteristics made the Kuhl's pipistrelle
(Pipistrellus kuhlii) a good species to study, as part of efforts by Russo's
research team to understand what drives the ongoing distribution and movement
of animals across different regions.
The
team collected 25,132 high-resolution records of where the bat occurred in Europe between 1980 and 2013. These were used in
conjunction with various models to predict whether the colonisation of new
areas over the years has been prompted by increased urbanisation or by changes
in the climate.
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