Bats hibernating in the natural caves in the Polish part of the Sudetes

In three winter seasons (1999/2000, 2000/2001, 2001/2002) 26 caves in the Polish part of the Sudetes were investigated and 13 bat species were found: Myotis myotis, M. bechsteinii, M. nattereri, M. emarginatus, M. mystacinus, M. brandtii, M. dasycneme, M. daubentonii, Eptesicus nilssonii, E. serotinus, Plecotus auritus, Barbastella barbastellus and Rhinolophus hipposideros. M. myotis and M. mystacinus/brandtii were the dominant species (27.3% and 24.4% of all identified bats, respectively). M. daubentonii (18.9%) and M. nattereri (10.7%) were relatively abundant. B. barbastellus and P. auritus represented 8.3% and 8.6% of all bats. The largest hibernacula were Nied wiedzia Cave near Kletno (with max. 251 individuals in 2002) and Szczelina Wojcieszowska Cave in Polom near Wojcieszów (max. 194 ind. in 2001). They seem to be the most important winter localities in the Polish part of the Sudetes for M. mystacinus/brandtii (max. 132 ind.), M. myotis (102 individuals), M. daubentonii (max. 59 ind.), P. auritus (max. 33 ind.) and M. emarginatus (max. 7 ind.). Single individuals of M. dasycneme were found in caves in Polom. In Na Scianie and Nad Ladkiem caves Rh. hipposideros were recorded for the first time in the winter of 2002. The caves are very important hibernating places for bats, but more winter localities in the Sudetes are located in old mines. The number of bats hibernating in the Polish part of the mountains is lower than in hibernacula in the Czech part, where there are several localities with nearly 300-1300 individuals and a greater number of rare species