Effectiveness of mist-netting of bats (Chiroptera, Mammalia) during the non-hibernation period in oak forests of Eastern Ukraine

Abstract

We tested how the effectiveness of capturing bats with mist nets varied by month (April-September), period in the bat life cycle, habitat and capture effort. A total of 898 bats of 10 species were captured in the National Nature Park “Gomolshansky lessy” from 2006 to 2009. The most successful month of mist-netting was July with a median value of 4.0 (range 0-16.7) b/h (bats per hour) index and bats caught on 94% of nights. The ratio of different bat species changed in different periods of the bat life cycle. The highest number of bat species was caught in July (n=9). Mist nets placed along an ecotone – the border between forest and river – were the most efficient. The period when young-of-theyear bats become volant is concluded to be the most effective period for mist-netting.