Common Noctule Bat

08.01.2025

Common Noctule Bat

Why in the news?                        

           A new study has uncovered the migration strategy of a mammal species called common noctule bat, which travels thousands of kilometres every spring across Europe and uses warm storm fronts to aid their migration and conserve energy while flying.

About Common Noctule Bat:

• The Common noctule (Nyctalus noctula) is an insectivorous bat.
• Appearance: Its colors range from golden to dark brown above and usually pale brown below. Their wings are narrow and pointed, and they have a characteristic powerful, direct flight, with repeated steep dives when chasing flying insects.
• Noctules echolocate at low frequencies around 25kHz, just within the upper limit of human hearing, thus they can sometimes be heard, particularly by children.

Habitat of the Common Noctule Bat:

○They generally reside in forests but may forage in open areas and dwell in or near human habitation. Roosting sites include hollow trees, buildings, and caves.

○During winter they hibernate in caves, rock crevices, bat boxes, or blocks of flats in Eastern Europe, where they are the most common hibernating bat species in the cities.

• Distribution: They are found in common throughout Europe, most of temperate Asia to Japan and Burma, Oman, Viet Nam, Taiwan and Algeria.

Conservation Status:

• IUCN: Least Concern

                                                                     Source: The Print

With reference to Common Noctule bat, consider the following statements:

1. It is an insectivorous bat found in European and Asian countries.

2. It echolocates at low frequencies around 25kHz.

3. It is categorized as Critically Endangered species under the IUCN Red list.

How many of the above statements are correct?

A.Only one

B.Only two

C.All three

D.None

Answer B