Table 6.
Parameter | Pipistrellus pipistrellus | Plecotus auritus | Myotis myotis |
---|---|---|---|
Foraging type | Hawker | Hawker/Foliage Gleaner | Ground Gleaner |
Body weight (g) | 51 | 121 | 291 |
Body diameter (m) | 0.03* | 0.07* | |
Wingspan (m) | 0.180–0.2402 | 0.255‐0.3002 | 0.350‐0.4302 |
Flight speed (m/s) | Older studies conducted with this species done in captivity show a low flight speed (2.48 m/s ± 0.233) but this may not represent what is observed in the field. Based on more recent work4 using real‐world data on a similar bat species, Pipistrellus kuhlii, which is only slightly larger, commuting flight was significantly faster than foraging flight (9·3 vs. 6·7 m/s). Further data on European pipistrelle bats show that flight speed decreases from 4 to 7 m/s during search flight to 2–4 m/S during approach flight5. Finally, another study measured an average flight speed of 5.4 m/s in edge habitat during foraging6 | Plecotus are typically slow when foraging (2.35 m/s in P. auritus 7), but they fly faster when commuting (up to 4.5 m/s8) | Not much information is available. In a study done in captivity where bats were presented with prey items on the ground, they ‘flew in large circles over the feeding area at average heights between 0.6 m and 1.4 m and average speeds between 3.0 m and 4.2 m/s’.9 Commuting speeds are certainly higher than in the other two species since M. myotis is much larger |
Angle of wing strokes | 54.6°–83.8°3 | Stroke angle of ca. 91°7 | Not available – may be close to Plecotus but smaller |
Estimated by the working group.
AnAge website (http://genomics.senescence.info)
Eurobats website (http://www.eurobats.org)
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