Mehely's Horseshoe Bat
Rhinolophus mehelyi Matschie, 1901
Order Chiroptera
Family Rhinolophidae
Conservation status: in Bulgaria: Vulnerable VU [A2c], BDA-II, III; International: IUCN-VU [A2c], BeC-II, III, BoC-II, HD-II, IV.
General distribution. Southern Europe (in the north up to Southern France, Italy and Eastern Romania), in the east through the Caucasus Mountains to Iran and Iraq, including Jordan and Israel, the Mediterranean islands, Northern Africa.
Distribution and abundance in Bulgaria. Known from 29 localities in the low parts of the country, whereby those in Northwestern Bulgaria outline part of the northern border of the range [1]. It has comparatively low numbers: about 10 000 individuals. It may be assumed that similar to the other cave-loving species of bats there is a decrease of the numbers, 20-40% at the average [2].
Habitats. Lowland karstic regions. It is entirely linked to caves as shelters [1].
Biology. It mainly feeds on nocturnal butterflies that it catches over open habitats. It forms "mixed" nursery and winter colonies with the Mediterranean horseshoe bat and Blasius' horseshoe bat with numbers between several hundred to several thousand individuals. The 6 nursery colonies known so far are in natural caves. The maximum of birth-givings is in the period 20 June – 10 July. It winters mainly in caves. It does not make distant migrations but regular seasonal movements have been registered between summer and winter shelters.
Similar species. The Mediterranean horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus euryale) and Blasius' horseshoe bat (Rh. blasii).
Negative factors. Anthropogenic pressure on the significant underground shelters, for example the caves Orlova chuka, Ruse region, Zandana, Shumen region, and Devetashka, Lovech region, are the object of increased tourism that does not conform to the requirements for the preservation of bats. At places underground shelters are being entirely destroyed. Felling and fragmentation of natural deciduous forests degrades the quality of hunting habitats and flight corridors. Urbanization has a negative effect.
Conservation measures taken. The species is protected according to the Biological Diversity Act, EUROBATS and all the other conventions (without CITES). Many of the underground shelters in Bulgaria fall within different categories of protected territories. The inclusion of the known shelters in the Natura 2000 network of protected zones is about to be effected.
Conservation measures needed. Preservation of underground shelters. Working out detailed management plans for those shelters that are declared protected territories. Additional studies for finding "interim" (spring and autumn) copulative shelters (swarming sites) and concrete hunting habitats and flight corridors, so that they can be protected as well. The complex conservation approach requires the preservation of the habitats within a radius of at least 5 km from the summer shelters. Continuation of the yearly monitoring in the significant underground shelters of bats [3].
References. 1. Benda et al., 2003; 2. Beshkov, 1993; 3. Ivanova, 2005.
Authors: Vasil Popov, Teodora Ivanova
