Greater horseshoe bat

The Greater horseshoe bat is found from Southern England through the Caucasus to Northern Japan, south to Morocco (missing in Egypt), Iran, the Himalayas to China. In Bulgaria it is widespread throughout the country, without the highest parts of the mountains (rarely over 1 600 m above sea level).

The Greater horseshoe bat inhabits sparse forests, shrubs, open spaces near karst openings and rock formations, as well as near water basins.
The color of the fur of the species is from grey to reddish brown, cream on the abdomen. The membranes and ears are light brown. The ears are large and pointed, with a wide skin band on the underside. The wings are broad. It feeds on large flying insects, mainly moths and beetles. The bat goes hunting in the evening, about 10-20 minutes after sunset, and the hunt can continue all night. In the summer it inhabits shallow caves, rock formations, settles under roofs, in desolate buildings, ruins, artificial galleries. Summer colonies are too noisy, especially the young ones when they want to be fed. It often uses temporary and night shelters, where it rests during hunting and eats large caught insects. It winters in underground natural and artificial galleries – from October-November to April, choosing the warmer parts of them (7-11 °C). There are periods of copulation in autumn and spring. Pregnancy is 10-11 weeks. In May-June, females gather in breeding colonies, numbering up to 200 specimens (rarely up to 600), where they give birth (June-early July) and raise their young. Usually one naked and blind little is born (rarely two). Life expectancy is up to about 30 years.

Unfavorable-inadequate.

The Greater horseshoe bat is strictly protected species included in Annexes 2 and 3 of the Biodiversity Act (BDA); Annex II of the Bern Convention and Bonn Convention. The species is also included in Annex II and Annex IV of Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (Habitats Directive).
The Greater horseshoe bat is included in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) Red List of Threatened Species with category Least Concern (LC).

*Note: For the description of bats is used information from: Golemanski, V. & al. (eds). 2015. Red Data Book of the Republic of Bulgaria. Vol. 2. Animals. BAS & MoEW, Sofia [English ed.: ISBN 978-954-9746-22-8 (IBER – BAS), 978-954-8497-18-3 (MoEW)]; the website of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature); the website of the Federation of nature conservation NGOs “Green Balkans”.