BAT (CHIROPTERA) RECORDS FROM THE INFERIOR MEADOW OF THE CRIŞUL REPEDE RIVER NATURAL PROTECTED AREA, WESTERN ROMANIA.

The research made with bat detectors in the spring of 2012 in the Inferior Meadow of the Crișul Repede River natural protected area had lead to the identification of 19 bat species. Most of them are tolerant, low altitude species, common in human settlements, their presence being expectable both from the ecologic and zoogeographic point of view. However, we registered also unexpected species, namely Eptesicus nilssonii and Myotis alcathoe. Pipistrellus kuhlii was the most common species of the region. Three of the encountered species (Miniopterus schreibersii, Myotis dasycneme and M. myotis) were not mentioned in the protected areas' standard data form, even if they have a high conservative value. Despite of the species richness in the area, many of these are rare, being registered only few times. The region is highly affected by human, being represented by agricultural fields along the Crișul Repede River, with many localities. Thus, in this region the natural shelters for bats are lacking, these sheltering probably in the localities. Moreover, some species could belong to populations from the forests surrounding Oradea city, or to populations from the city, which probably arrived in the region accidentally or for feeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]