Bats are the most species-rich group of mammals after rodents, with over 1,400 known species worldwide. They belong to the order Chiroptera (from the Greek cheir - "hand" and pteron - "wing"), which is divided into two suborders: the flying foxes(Megachiroptera) and the bats(Microchiroptera). Bats have existed for more than 50 million years and are the only mammals capable of active flight.

With their unique orientation system, echolocation, they are able to orientate themselves in the dark and hunt insects, making their food source almost unrivalled. These extraordinary abilities have made them a very successful and widespread group that can be found in many different habitats.

Bats in the Mediterranean region

The Mediterranean is an important habitat for many bat species, including the Tuscan archipelago, which has the highest number of bat species in the region. All bat families that are also found on the Italian mainland are represented on the small islands of this archipelago. The diversity of species on the island of Elba is particularly remarkable. This biodiversity is supported by the different habitats of the islands, which range from holm oak forests and maquis to urban areas and the coastline. On Giglio, the occurrence of species is less well studied, but in 1939 the giant noctule(Nyctalus lasiopterus), the largest bat species in Europe, was documented on Giglio.

Research projects on Giglio

As part of the excursion, small-scale projects were carried out on Giglio in 2023 and 2024 to map the species spectrum of bats. Bat detectors were used to record the ultrasonic calls of the bats. These can be used to identify the species and document the distribution and utilisation of various habitats. The surveys included various habitat types such as holm oak forests, maquis, urban areas and the cliffs.

Methodology: Echolocation and call detection

Results: Habitats

Results: Species