CROATIAN FAUNA – BATS, Blasius's horseshoe bat

A bat from the horseshoe bat family (Rhinolophidae) which all have a characteristic skin growths that distinguish them from other families and each other. Blasius's horseshoe bat is the rarest species of horseshoe bat in Croatia. In addition to the findings on the islands of Cres, Krk and Rab, it is limited to underground shelters (caves and pits) in the interior of the Mediterranean region. As the species is considered extinct in Slovenia and Italy, findings in Croatia represent the northern border of this widespread but rare species. Specific echolocating high frequency signals are clear determining feature of the species and are used for orientation and hunting of insects. It hunts in undergrowth (shrubs) and forests, whose destruction, along with the disturbance and destruction of underground shelters threatens this species. In order to preserve the species it is of utmost importance to protect their hunting habitat as well as the underground facilities in which its winter and summer colonies reside