The Kuhl’s Pipistrelle bat (Pipistrellus kuhlii) is widespread throughout Slovenia, where most of the known roosts are located in residential buildings. We analysed nearly two decades of data (2002–2020) obtained by capturing bats and observing the evening emergence of a maternity colony of Kuhl’s Pipistrelle from two roosts located behind the eastern and western outer wooden cladding of the residential house Krašnja 55. The maternity colony stayed in the observed roosts between March and October. Between 14 and 50 adult females were recorded in different years. During this period, the bats did not stay permanently in one roost, but changed the location of the roost several times. During the summer, they all left both observed roosts completely at least once. Kuhl’s Pipistrelle usually emerged from their roost in the evening after sunset. In cloudy weather, they usually emerged earlier than in clear weather, probably due to the lower light levels near the roost, which triggered an earlier emergence. Bats were captured and ringed on 33 occasions. Of the ringed bats, no males were recaptured, but we recaptured 60 ringed females (32.6% of ringed females), of which the oldest recaptured female was at least 15 years old. Radiotelemetry was used to determine the foraging habitats of five females. Bats were most frequently found at feeding sites near lamps (56.6%), followed by feeding sites on permanent meadows at the edge of the forest (22.3%) and in the forest (18.2%). The obtained data gives us a better insight into the seasonal dynamics, ecology and feeding patterns of this maternity colony.
|
