• digitized by GROMS, map source: Baker (1978)
• Copyright: GROMS/BƒN - www.groms.de

“This widely distributed polytypic species occurs all over Europe, southern parts of Asia and Japan (N. n. motoyoshii Kuroda, 1934). A dashed line indicates the possible northern limit of its winter distribution in Europe. The noctule bat is a fast flyer, migrating in late summer in southern directions (up to 1,800 km in Russia, and over 1,000 km in Central Europe: Roer 1995, Strelkov 1997a,b). The species sometimes forms large colonies (Levensau viaduct near Kiel, Germany: 5,000 individuals), but mostly roosts in trees in summer, and winters in rock crevices or hollow trees. However, noctules hibernate in caves in eastern Europe. Up to now, these interesting behavioural differences cannot be clearly attributed to the eight described subspecies. Population genetic analysis allows a more detailled mapping of population structures, and some inferences on migration direction (Petit & Mayer 2000) and postglacial recolonization (Petit et al. 1999). As most Eurpean bats, the noctule suffers from scarcity of hollow trees in managed forests and parks, as well as hiding places in modern buildings (Feiler et al. 1999, Meschede & Heller 2000). European populations (probably the nominat form N. n. noctula) are listed on CMS App. II, and covered by the EUROBATS agreement (see Fig. A2.2).
The photograph shows a noctule bat in Ettenheim, Freiburg, Germany (9^th May 1978 by KG Heller).”
Riede, K. (2001): Global Register of Migratory Species. Weltregister wandernder Tierarten. Münster (Landwirtschaftsverlag), p. 179

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by Ansgar Tappenhölter