Ginger evening - a representative of nocturnal predators, bats. In Latin, the name of the species sounds like Nyctalus noctula. This is the most common representative of bats. But where can one meet him and how to identify her inexperienced observer? And what is ginger evening?
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The red-headed vespers (Nyctalus noctula) is essentially no different from other species of bats. But knowing its external morphology, one can easily distinguish this representative from other species.
The color of the fur of the ginger evening and the length of her body are slightly different from other bats. From head to tail, it reaches 8 cm, which is a serious indicator for these animals. The tail itself has a length of 4 to 5 cm. The color of the fur is red, which is reflected in the name of the species. The weight of one animal can reach from 18 to 40 g.
It is easy to recognize the red evening party at the time of flight, because one of its identifying signs is the wings. They have an oblong narrowed shape, sharpen at the ends. Such wings give the mouse a light, but at the same time strong flight. The animal briskly makes instant turns and, if necessary, quickly rushes down.
On the head of the red-headed evening party there are 2 short ears that barely rise above the fur. They are thick, collected in the form of folds and are located from each other at a distance equal to the width of the head.
Places of distribution
The Red Evening Party is an animal that feels at ease in Ukrainian forests and forest-steppes. But the animal spends the main part of his life in the forest, and falls into the steppe zone only for a short time, during the period of seasonal flights (in autumn and spring). It occurs in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, in various regions of Central Asia, in China and Africa.
In winter, the forests of Russia and Ukraine are very poor (in gastronomic terms) for a bat. Therefore, the animal leaves its "settled" place and goes on a trip until spring. The wintering of the evening is held in warm countries: Bulgaria, Greece.
The animal carries out its flight in late August. But its duration takes a long time, so individual representatives of this species can be seen in the Ukrainian steppes even in the first winter month.
Those representatives of the red evening party who did not have time to fly south on time, gather with the rest of the same individuals in flocks in the Transcarpathian region and fall into prolonged hibernation until March - early April.
With the onset of spring heat, the habitats of the red evening party are again filled with these animals. For life, they prefer deciduous and mixed forests or old parks, which are full of hollow trees.
Also, the place of accumulation of mice are the attics of houses and abandoned rooms, where they, uniting in flocks, wait for night to fall.
Nature behavior
Bats are activated in the evening. All day, from dawn to almost dusk, they spend in wood holes, sometimes in the attics of houses, where they are combined into flocks of 100 individuals.
Hollows in which the evening parties live for a long time, outside the edges lose their color, become clarified due to the feces of mice. In this case, the smell spreads unpleasant. A large accumulation of flies is also noted. An experienced observer will immediately notice the bat shelter on these grounds.
At night, the supporters hunt and eat. Insects are caught in flight. This is not difficult for them, because mice perfectly control their bodies during the flight. They are even capable at high speed of accurately flying into hollows and crevices and instantly fastening their paws on the ceilings. Their light weight and strong wings allow animals to accurately maneuver in flight.
Intraspecific communication is carried out through voice. Each individual evening party is endowed with an individual voice. Moreover, mice can emit ultrasound, which is susceptible only to such representatives, as well as the usual squeak that is accessible to the human ear.
High-frequency sounds made by animals are able to bounce off any surfaces found on the path of the party. This is not only an excellent communicative tool, understandable only to bats, but also a way to freely orientate in complete darkness.
Hunting Methods
It is noteworthy that the supporters hunt in two stages:
- The first stage takes place before sunset. The animals fly out of their shelters, but do not leave him out of sight. Saturated enough, they return to rest.
- The second time the supper takes off to hunt in the dead of night, when the hour of dawn is near.
The supper begins to pursue the seen prey, and as soon as she reaches, she grabs it with the help of a bent tail and membranes located between the tail and hind limbs. A mouse caught by a bug begins to eat right in the air. Such bugs in one flight, the evening party can catch up to 30 pieces.
Gastronomic preferences
The appearance of the party says that the animal is a predator, and in its diet does not tolerate plant foods.
And indeed, a bat loves to feast on insects: bears, grains, ground beetles, various butterflies, flies and bloodsucking.
Evening party is a night hunter. She sets off for her fishing late in the evening, when the sun had not yet left the horizon. The hunt continues until dawn. In search of food, the bat does not fly long distances from places of its daytime shelter.
Reproductive process
Vespers are a live-bearing mammal. They do not prepare for the appearance of offspring, that is, they do not equip nests and places for babies.
As soon as spring arrives, at night, the males of the evening girls besiege the hollow where the females live and emit a characteristic cry. During this period, pairs form. Representatives of the species reach full mature viability at the following age: males - at 2 years, females - at 2-3 years.
The gestation process is 70 days (2.5 months). Born babies do not yet have a coat, and vision is completely absent. Over time, the situation will change.
The first days when the cubs are still completely non-self-sufficient, they are held on the mother’s body, accompanying her everywhere. However, very soon their body is covered with a soft fluff, and their eyesight is normalized, and little evening parties live next to their mother only during the daytime rest. On the 20th day after their birth, animals independently leave their shelter and learn to hunt.
As for the males of the Vespers, they absolutely do not take part in the birth, life and protection of their offspring. From the moment of pregnancy, the females keep themselves apart and even choose other places for spending the night.
Causes of species reduction
The red-headed party is not deprived of enemies either. It is a link in the food chain and is food for owls and owls, as well as hawks. Owls intercept bats in the steppes when the animals are in a state of flight.
Man is also able to influence the numerical reduction of bats. The fact is that felling of forest trees and, as a result, destruction of the habitat of the evening party leads either to the death of animals, or to their relocation to other places.
It is interesting!
- The red evening party is a very useful representative of the animal world for the inhabitants of Ukraine. The thing is that she eats insect pests, such as May beetles. In one meal, she can eat 20 bugs.
- At one time, the female supper takes two cubs.
- During hibernation, the brain of mice also “hibernates”, therefore, the spinal and medulla oblongata control the life of the body of the evening party.
- After waking up, all previously conditioned conditioned reflexes are “forgotten”.
- The maximum age that evening parties can reach is 12 years.
Conclusion
Ginger evening is a simple but amazing animal that resembles both representatives of birds and rodents.
Residents of Ukraine appreciate and protect these animals, as they help in the fight against harmful animals.
If you want to watch these representatives of the Ukrainian fauna (gingerbread parties), it is worth visiting the forests in the evening, when the animals leave their shelters and go hunting.