The endangered barbabie bat has been detected in other regions of the north-east - by means of acoustic recordings. This also allows conclusions to be drawn about the condition of forests.
Abtshagen (dpa/mv) - With the help of acoustic recordings, scientists have detected the rare barbabie bat in other regions of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. In Abtshagen (West Pomerania-Rügen) and Schwichtenberg (Mecklenburg Lake District), the German Wildlife Foundation, together with the Institute for Animal Ecology and Nature Education, tracked down the animals, according to a statement on Tuesday.
This is an indication of forests with jungle-like structures, because the females need retreats in crevices and cracks in old or dead trees. There they raise their young animals in the summer. The animals are only slightly larger than a human thumb. The Federal Agency for Nature Conservation classifies them as critically endangered. The animals got their name from their squat snout. The evidence was provided on areas where nature will be left to itself in the long term - so-called areas of national natural heritage (NNE).
The animals are on the rise again in Germany and Europe, said Marcus Fritze, a zoologist at the University of Greifswald, "which is probably due to climate change". The animals have been back in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania for several years, for example in the Rostock area or at the Feldberg lakes. In the middle of the last century, populations declined because of an insecticide that was banned in the 1980s.
According to the information, the new detections were made with so-called batcorders, which record the calls of the animals. In cooperation with the University of Greifswald, genetic samples are to be taken from individual animals in order to compare the DNA with that of animals from other regions of Germany. The aim is to learn more about distribution and genetic exchange between the populations.
