The alcathoe whiskered bat is an endangered species that inhabits mature forests.
In the first week of August, a team of researchers from the Forest Science and Technology Centre of Catalonia (CTFC) working for the Spanish Bat Atlas, surveyed the Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park to find scarce and threatened species of forest chiropterans. The campaign ended with the capture of 14 individuals from four different species in one night, including the alcathoe whiskered bat (Myotis alcathoe) and the whiskered bat (Myotis mystacinus).
The discovery of an alcathoe whiskered bat male represents not only a new citation for the Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park but also the first in the Catalan Pre-Pyrenees. This species is classified as at risk (very high extinction risk in the wild) and is one of the last mysterious European fauna. It lives in mixed beech forests and mature riparian forests with old trees, standing dead wood, an abundance of tree cavities, and pollutant-free watercourses. Until now, researchers have located stable breeding populations in Catalonia only in the Albera and the Aran Valley, while in the Montseny, and in the Alta Garrotxa, some isolated males have been registered.
During the survey, the discovery of several male whiskered bats was also made on the southern slope of the Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park – until now, researchers only had records on its northern slope. These records represent the southernmost populations in Catalonia of this Vulnerable species.
The new discovery in the Cadí-Moixeró Natural Park stands out not only for its uniqueness but also for helping to expand the knowledge of the distribution and ecology of this mysterious species in danger of extinction.
Last modified: 5 August 2024
