It flies with almost helicopter-like precision among branches and shrubs, hovering slowly to pick insects from leaves and bark instead of always pursuing them in full flight. This hunting technique allows it to exploit areas of vegetation so dense that other faster-flying bats avoid them completely.
For over a century, a single species was thought to be distributed across much of southern Europe. However, genetic analysis revealed it to be a group of at least three sibling species, indistinguishable to the naked eye, each with a slightly different distribution.
Natterer's Myotis roosts in a variety of cavities, from trees to bridges and attics, changing roosts fairly frequently within its home range throughout the season.
Small-medium sized bat with greyish-brown fur and a whitish belly. It has a characteristic fringe of stiff, curved hairs along the edge of the uropatagium, a trait shared by the entire Natterer's Myotis sibling species group. It is externally indistinguishable from its Iberian and Mediterranean sibling species, with which it was considered a single species until a few years ago. Reliable separation requires genetic analysis.
Peak energy frequency between 35 and 90 kHz, mainly concentrated between 45 and 55 kHz. Broadband FM pulse with a very pronounced, short sweep, visible on the detector as an almost vertical trace. Duration 2-5 milliseconds, in denser bursts when hunting near vegetation. It cannot be reliably separated from its sibling species by sonogram. The entire group shares a practically identical acoustic pattern, and the exact species should not be assumed based solely on sound where several co-occur. Beneath feeding perches, cut prey remains and discarded moth wings may be found, along with scattered small guano. Natterer's Myotis emerges late in the twilight.
Deciduous, mixed, and riparian woodland with well-developed undergrowth; also areas with bridges and buildings close to woodland, from lowlands to mid-mountain zones. Distributed across much of central, northern, and eastern Europe, with sister species occupying the southwest of the continent.
A slow-flying insectivore, it captures moths, dipterans and spiders both in flight and by gleaning them directly from vegetation.
Natterer's Myotis forms small to medium-sized maternity colonies in tree hollows, rock crevices, bridges, and attics, changing roosts quite frequently within its home range throughout the season. Its slow, highly manoeuvrable flight allows it to exploit dense vegetation, spaces less accessible to other species.
Natterer's Myotis maintains generally stable populations throughout most of its range, with no signs of widespread decline, favoured by its ability to use a relatively wide variety of roost types.
Loss of mature woodland with old, hollow trees available for shelter, restoration of old bridges and buildings eliminating crevices used as alternative shelter, and use of insecticides reducing prey availability.
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