Have a personal or library account? Click to login
Bats of Opava and Their Synanthropization: A 19-Year Study Cover

Bats of Opava and Their Synanthropization: A 19-Year Study

Open Access
|Dec 2025

Abstract

Based on published findings (Ratajová 2012, Hrozová 2024), unpublished data from museum specimens (2006–2018), and field surveys (2006–2024), a total of 13 bat species were recorded in the urban area of Opava in North Moravia. Common species included Nyctalus noctula, Eptesicus serotinus, and Vespertilio murinus. N. noctula was the eudominant species (D = 36.81), followed by E. serotinus (D = 16.48) and V. murinus (D = 10.99). Pipistrellus nathusii was dominant (D = 8.76), followed by P. pygmaeus (D = 7.14) and Myotis daubentonii (D = 6.04). Barbastella barbastellus was subdominant (D = 4.40), followed by P. pipistrellus (D = 2.75) and Plecotus auritus/austriacus (D = 2.75). The occurrence of M. myotis was recedent (D = 1.65), and the occurrences of M. mystacinus (D = 0.55), E. nilssonii (D = 0.55), N. leisleri (D = 0.55), and P. austriacus (D = 0.55) were subrecedent. In summer, eudominant species were N. noctula (D = 25.60), followed by E. serotinus (D = 23.20), P. nathusii (D = 12.00), and P. pygmaeus (D = 10.40). Dominant species included M. daubentonii (D = 8.80) and B. barbastellus (D = 5.60), while P. auritus/austriacus (D = 4.00), V. murinus (D = 3.20), P. pipistrellus (D = 3.20), and M. myotis (D = 2.40) were recedent. M. mystacinus (D = 0.80) and N. leisleri (D = 0.80) were subrecedent. In winter, N. noctula remained eudominant (D = 61.40), followed by V. murinus (D = 28.10). E. serotinus (D = 1.75), P. pipistrellus (D = 1.75), P. nathusii (D = 1.75), and B. barbastellus (D = 1.75) were recedent. Species composition inside and outside buildings differed significantly. In summer, eudominant species inside buildings were M. daubentonii, V. murinus, and P. pipistrellus (all D = 33.33). Outside buildings, N. noctula was eudominant (D = 34.48), followed by P. nathusii (D = 16.65), P. pygmaeus (D = 14.45), and M. daubentonii (D = 11.11). Dominant species were B. barbastellus (D = 6.67) and P. auritus/austriacus (D = 5.56); subdominant species included M. myotis (D = 3.33), P. pipistrellus (D = 3.33), and V. murinus (D = 2.22), while M. mystacinus (D = 1.11) and N. leisleri (D = 1.11) were recedent. In winter, eudominant species inside buildings were V. murinus (D = 70.59), followed by N. noctula (D = 17.65), with E. nilssonii (D = 5.88) and P. austriacus (D = 5.88) as dominant species. Outside, N. noctula was eudominant (D = 88.57), with V. murinus (D = 5.71) and P. nathusii (D = 2.86) as dominant species. Two winter roosts of N. noctula were recorded in the suburb of Opava, in the Municipal Gardens, both in cavities of alder trunks and found during felling. Over a 19-year period, 182 specimens were recorded in 105 occurrences within the urban area of Opava.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/cszma-2025-0013 | Journal eISSN: 2336-3207 | Journal ISSN: 2336-3193
Language: English
Page range: 177 - 225
Published on: Dec 29, 2025
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 3 issues per year

© 2025 Martin Gajdošík, published by Silesian Museum in Opava
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.