Azores Noctule
Encyclopedia
The Azores Noctule is a species of bat
found in the dry forest
s of the Azores
. It is the only species of mammal endemic to the Azores. It has been recorded on most of the islands of the Azores, and remains common on some but is rare on others. Its numbers are threatened due to habitat loss caused by humans, and the remaining populations are quite fragmented. It is known to roost in hollowed-out trees, buildings, and caves.
The species is related to the widespread Lesser Noctule
, and in the past was treated as a subspecies of that species. Genetic studies have found that it originated recently from Lesser Noctules which colonised the Azores, and has low levels of genetic divergence from its parent species. It nevertheless is much smaller than the Lesser Noctule and weighs less, has darker fur and has a different frequency of echolocation calls (about 4–5 Hz higher), and is usually treated as a separate species.
The Azores Noctule is the only known species of bat in the world that hunts insects principally by day, although a single population of the Soprano Pipistrelle
in northern Italy has also been discovered doing so. It has been hypothesised that the Azores Noctule can forage during the day due to the absence of avian
predators in the Azores, since it is thought that other bats forage nocturnally in order to avoid predatory birds such as hawks and falcons. Azores Noctules still seem to exhibit some anti-predator behaviour, such as leaving their roosting sites in groups, but this may be related to foraging behaviour or non-avian predators such as rats.
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
found in the dry forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s of the Azores
Azores
The Archipelago of the Azores is composed of nine volcanic islands situated in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, and is located about west from Lisbon and about east from the east coast of North America. The islands, and their economic exclusion zone, form the Autonomous Region of the...
. It is the only species of mammal endemic to the Azores. It has been recorded on most of the islands of the Azores, and remains common on some but is rare on others. Its numbers are threatened due to habitat loss caused by humans, and the remaining populations are quite fragmented. It is known to roost in hollowed-out trees, buildings, and caves.
The species is related to the widespread Lesser Noctule
Lesser Noctule
The Lesser Noctule or Leisler's Bat is a species of bat belonging to the vesper bat family, Vespertilionidae.-Description:...
, and in the past was treated as a subspecies of that species. Genetic studies have found that it originated recently from Lesser Noctules which colonised the Azores, and has low levels of genetic divergence from its parent species. It nevertheless is much smaller than the Lesser Noctule and weighs less, has darker fur and has a different frequency of echolocation calls (about 4–5 Hz higher), and is usually treated as a separate species.
The Azores Noctule is the only known species of bat in the world that hunts insects principally by day, although a single population of the Soprano Pipistrelle
Soprano Pipistrelle
The Soprano Pipistrelle is a small bat that was only formally separated from the Common Pipistrelle Pipistrellus pipistrellus in 1999....
in northern Italy has also been discovered doing so. It has been hypothesised that the Azores Noctule can forage during the day due to the absence of avian
Bird
Birds are feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic , egg-laying, vertebrate animals. Around 10,000 living species and 188 families makes them the most speciose class of tetrapod vertebrates. They inhabit ecosystems across the globe, from the Arctic to the Antarctic. Extant birds range in size from...
predators in the Azores, since it is thought that other bats forage nocturnally in order to avoid predatory birds such as hawks and falcons. Azores Noctules still seem to exhibit some anti-predator behaviour, such as leaving their roosting sites in groups, but this may be related to foraging behaviour or non-avian predators such as rats.