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White-edged bat
- THAT'S ME
- FACTS
- OBSERVATIONS
- ST. MARTINS
- QUIZ
Dear Explorers,
It's me, the white-edged bat! We've probably met a few times but I'm not sure if you've seen me. Like most species within the order of bats, I am nocturnal and therefore mostly go unnoticed by you humans. In the past I was mostly found in the regions around the Mediterranean Sea as well as in Western Asia, but since 1947 Austria is also my home, which I share with 27 other bat species. If you want to know more about me and my "kuhlii" fellow bats, then read on here!
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white-edged bat
Image credit: © Salix / Wikimedia Commons
Appearance
The light to dark brownish coloured white-edged bat belongs to the dwarf bat genus and is one of the smallest native bats. With a body size (head-torso length) of no more than 4.7 cm, a wingspan of about 22 cm, and a weight of 5-10 grams, it is only slightly larger than the closely related pygmy bat(Pipistrellus pipistrellus). An ordinary matchbox allows for a good size and weight comparison - with its wings folded, the White-edged Bat fits right in, and the weight of a full matchbox reflects the weight of this species. Its most striking feature is the eponymous 1-2 mm wide white fringe that runs along the posterior margin of the flight skin from the tail to the wing tip.
Image credit: © Salix / Wikimedia Commons
Image credit: Leonardoancillotto86, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Food
Adult white-edged bats feed on small & micro insects, which they hunt in the air. In descending order, the following insect groups are most relevant for this species: mosquitoes (Culicidae), Lepidoptera (butterflies), chironomids (Chironomidae) and Hymenoptera. In residential areas, they can sometimes be seen preying by lantern light. Since bats are mammals, the young are fed with milk from the mother - in the genus Pipistrellus, the offspring are suckled for about 4 to 5 weeks before they can hunt independently.
Foraging and orientation by echolocation
The orientation as well as the successful detection of prey function via echolocation. In the case of the white-edged bat, ultrasonic calls of about 36- 40 kilohertz are emitted. When the emitted ultrasonic waves hit an object, they are reflected and the echo travels back to the bat, where the sound waves are picked up and processed by the highly sensitive ears of these animals. The time and intensity of the reverberation reveal information about the distance and size of an object. The very high frequency of these calls far exceeds our acoustic perception ability (20 Hz- 20 kHz), which is why we cannot hear the calls of bats. With a volume of up to 140 decibels, it is probably also best for us not to be able to perceive these sounds.
Infovideo about echolocation in bats
Reproduction
After a mating in the previous year (August/September), females in small groups (up to 200 individuals) visit so-called maternity roosts from May onwards, where 1-2 young are born and suckled for several weeks. The white-edged bat uses crevice roosts on buildings, such as behind wooden cladding on facades or under gutters, as hiding places.
Image credit: MissMhisi, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Image credit: Mnolf, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Distribution
As a warmth-loving species, the white-edged bat was originally distributed in the Mediterranean region, on the Arabian Peninsula and in Western Asia. Due to climate change, this species has been able to expand its range in a northerly direction, and reproductive records have been available in Vienna and Munich since 1996 and 2002, respectively. The first record for Austria was provided by the limnologist Ingo Findenegg in Klagenfurt as early as 1947. With rising annual temperatures in Central Europe, an expansion of the range to higher latitudes is quite conceivable.
Image credit: Carlosblh, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Hazards
Bats are among the most endangered mammal species in Austria and are under special protection. In addition to insect mortality caused by humans, habitat loss and modern building renovation also pose a major threat to these animals.
Way of life
The white-edged bat is a cultural successor and is therefore often found in populated areas. Here, this species uses parks, ponds, gardens or backyards as hunting grounds, while various building structures, wall crevices and cavities serve as day roosts, weekend roosts and winter quarters. As a relatively resident species, there are no known extensive seasonal migrations. The white-edged bat can reach an age of 8 years, which is quite a proud age compared to similarly sized vertebrates such as shrews (garden shrew 2-3 years).
Where to find
Due to their nocturnal activity and fast flight, targeted observation of bats is generally difficult. An ultrasonic detector or "bat recorder", which records the calls of the bats and makes them audible to human hearing, can help. The comparison with a frequency table enables the determination of the species.
Image credit: Gilles San Martin from Namur, Belgium, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Around St. Martins
The white-edged bat Pipistrellus kuhlii is also at home in the shallow Seewinkel . With little known data on habitat and roost use, the St. Martins Spa & Lodge team is particularly proud to consistently encounter this species at the site. In the fall of 2022, a small group (4-7 individuals) used the cavities of the ringing lodge as roosting sites for several weeks.
If you are fascinated by crepuscular and nocturnal animals, you can learn more about them on one of our twilight safaris.
Mnolf, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
