Lesser Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus hipposideros)

Order: Chiroptera | Family: Rhinolophidae

Biology: A tiny bat weighing between 3–9 g. Mating occurs in the autumn. During gestation, birth, and nursing, females separate from males to form maternity colonies of dozens to several hundred individuals. The female gives birth to a single pup and nurses it until it is capable of flying and hunting on its own. They reach sexual maturity in their second year.

Habitat: Rocky valleys and wooded areas; they use caves and underground shelters for both hibernation and breeding.

Ecological Role: They hunt insects across forests, pastures, and farmlands, as well as over water banks. Their diet consists of flies, moths, and small beetles; they can also glean spiders directly from tree branches. Their average lifespan is 4–6 years.

Conservation Status: Listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Moldova [EN] and the IUCN Red List – LC.

Whiskered Bat (Myotis mystacinus)

Order: Chiroptera | Family: Vespertilionidae

Biologie: Este una dintre cele mai mici specii de lilieci din fauna Moldovei (greutatea corpului: 4-7 g). Copulația are loc din toamnă până în primăvară. Coloniile de maternitate se formează în luna mai și numără 20-50 de femele. În iunie se naște de regulă un pui, rareori doi. Femelele devin mature sexual la 15 luni, dar unele la 3 luni. 

Habitat: ecosistemele forestiere și petrofile, păduri, pante abrupte cu grote, fisuri și mine. 

Rol Ecologic: Vânează molii,diptere, himenoptere etc. îndată după apusul soarelui timp de câteva ore și dimineața înainte de răsăritul soarelui. Longevitatea medie – 4 ani, maximă – 23 ani.

Statut de Conservare: Specie rară, inclusă în Cartea Roșie a Republicii Moldova (VU) și în Lista Roșie a IUCN (EN).

Brown Long-Eared Bat (Plecotus auritus)

Order: Chiroptera | Family: Vespertilionidae

Biology: A small to medium-sized species weighing 6–9 g. Maternity colonies consist of 5–50 females, who give birth to one or two pups in June or July. Males live solitarily during the summer. They reach sexual maturity during their first autumn or in their second year.

Habitat: Forest ecosystems with hollow trees and buildings. They hibernate in caves, mines, rock crevices, and tree hollows.

Ecological Role: They hunt within vegetation, gleaning insects directly from leaves—primarily moths and flies—and also collecting caterpillars and spiders. Their average lifespan is about 15 years (typically longer in females), with a recorded maximum of 30 years.

Conservation Status: Listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Moldova [EN] and the IUCN Red List – LC.

Nathusius' Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus nathusii)

Order: Chiroptera | Family: Vespertilionidae

Biology: A small species weighing 6–15 g. Unlike many other bats, they do not typically hang upside down. In autumn, males and females gather in mating colonies, while in spring, they form separate groups. Mating takes place in the fall. Females give birth to two, or rarely three, pups. Breeding roosts are usually abandoned by the end of July.

Habitat: A woodland species that can also be spotted in parks, gardens, or near water sources.

Ecological Role: They begin hunting immediately after sunset, catching small insects like mosquitoes, midges, and flies on the wing along forest edges, shelterbelts, and running water banks. Their typical lifespan is 4–5 years, though some individuals reach 13–14 years. This species is a long-distance seasonal migrant, traveling distances of around 1,000 km.

Conservation Status: Listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Moldova [EN] and the IUCN Red List – LC.

Kuhl's Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus kuhlii)

Order: Chiroptera | Family: Vespertilionidae

Biology: A small species weighing 5–10 g. Breeding colonies are small, typically consisting of up to 20 females, who give birth to one or two pups in late May or early June. Young bats reach sexual maturity within their first year. Mating takes place in August and September.

Habitat: This species is highly adapted to urban environments, utilizing buildings, rock crevices, and tree hollows. It hibernates in man-made structures (such as cellars or window frames) as well as rocky formations.

Ecological Role: They begin hunting after sunset, flying at low altitudes in wide circles. They often forage within settlements—around street lamps, over gardens, and along water banks. They prey on small flying insects, including moths, mosquitoes, and flies. Their lifespan ranges from 4 to 8 years.

Conservation Status: Listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Moldova [VU] and the IUCN Red List – LC.

Serotine Bat (Eptesicus serotinus)

Order: Chiroptera | Family: Vespertilionidae

Biology: A large bat species weighing 15–35 g. Mating takes place in both autumn and spring. Breeding colonies form in May, typically consisting of 10–60 adult females. Following a gestation period of 6–8 weeks, pups are born in the latter half of June and become independent after two months.

Habitat: Found across forests, open, and urban ecosystems; they utilize buildings, mines, grottoes, attics, and underground cavities for both roosting and hibernation.

Ecological Role: These bats maintain multiple hunting grounds, often located 5–12 km away from their roosts. Their diet includes large insects such as beetles, moths, flies, wasps, and true bugs. They have an average lifespan of 5–6 years, with a recorded maximum of 19 years.

Conservation Status: In the IUCN Red List – LC.

Lesser Mouse-eared Bat (Myotis blythii) 

Order: Chiroptera | Family: Vespertilionidae  

Biology: Weighing 18–27 g, this small mammal is highly social. It congregates in substantial maternity colonies, frequently sharing roosts with other bat species.

Habitat: A troglophilic species that shifts roosts seasonally. During warmer months, it seeks shelter in caves, mines, grottos, or building attics, while retreating to limestone caves and mines for winter hibernation.

Ecological Role: An agile predator of medium-to-large insects, including beetles, moths, mole crickets, and flies. It prefers foraging across open landscapes such as steppes and pastures, typically hunting just 1–2 meters above the ground. While its average lifespan is 6–8 years, some individuals reach up to 33 years.

Conservation Status: Listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Moldova [VU].

Greater Mouse-eared Bat (Myotis myotis) 

Order: Chiroptera | Family: Vespertilionidae  

Biology: As the largest member of its genus, this bat typically weighs 28–40 g. The breeding cycle kicks off in September, with mating taking place in male-occupied roosts. Females bear a single pup each June, which gains independence by August. In cave settings, these bats congregate in massive maternity colonies, sometimes reaching 8,000 individuals. They are regional migrants, traveling 50–100 km between their summer and winter homes.

Habitat: Heavily reliant on forested landscapes, this species hibernates in various underground environments like caves, bunkers, tunnels, and rock fissures. During the warmer months, it shifts between these underground sites and expansive attic spaces.

Ecological Role: An opportunistic ground-forager, it hunts at low altitudes or directly on the surface, feeding on beetles and terrestrial invertebrates such as spiders, centipedes, and larvae. Its average lifespan spans 6–8 years, though some individuals may reach 37 years.

Conservation Status: Listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Moldova [CR].

Natterer's Bat (Myotis nattereri) 

Order: Chiroptera | Family: Vespertilionidae  

Biology: Weighing 6–12 g, this mid-sized bat maintains a tight social structure. Maternity colonies typically range from 20 to 50 females, active throughout the warmer months from May to September. A single pup is born in early summer; these youngsters are airborne within three weeks and fully independent by the end of their first month.

Habitat: Prefers damp, wooded regions, often residing near human settlements. Summer roosting is diverse, ranging from tree hollows and peeling bark to man-made structures like buildings or birdhouses. When winter arrives, they seek out stable underground environments, both natural and human-engineered.

Ecological Role: An expert at low-speed flight, this bat is uniquely adapted to glean prey directly from leaf surfaces. Its diet comprises various insects, including mosquitoes, flies, and beetles. Though it typically lives around 7 years, its biological potential can reach 23 years.

Conservation Status: Listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Moldova [VU].

Daubenton's Bat (Myotis daubentonii) 

Order: Chiroptera | Family: Vespertilionidae  

Biology: A compact, medium-sized bat with a typical mass of 7–15 g. Females establish nursery colonies ranging from 20 to 80 members during the warmer months, whereas males occupy smaller, solitary roosts. Each mother produces one pup, providing care for 3–4 weeks; young bats make their maiden flights within 21 days and achieve complete self-sufficiency by 4–6 weeks.

Habitat: Heavily dependent on woodland ecosystems adjacent to water bodies. Roosting sites include tree hollows, subterranean vaults, and bridge crevices. For winter torpor, the species utilizes caves, decommissioned mines, concrete bunkers, cellars, and narrow rock fissures.

Ecological Role: A master of high-speed, precision flight, it patrols water surfaces to intercept midges, moths, aphids, and various dipterans. It utilizes its feet and interfemoral membrane to snag prey on the wing. While the mean survival rate is 4–5 years, many individuals thrive for two decades, with a verified maximum longevity of 28 years.

Conservation Status: Listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Moldova [VU].

Bechstein's Bat (Myotis bechsteinii) 

Order: Chiroptera | Family: Vespertilionidae  

Biology: A moderately sized bat, generally scaling 7–12 g. Nursery groups start coming together throughout April. Between early June and July, mothers bear one or two pups, nursing them until they are ready for their first independent flights. Breeding encounters usually happen inside subterranean retreats.

Habitat: Heavily reliant on woodland environments, particularly oak and beech forests. Daytime roosting is almost exclusively in tree cavities or deep bark fissures, while underground spots are used only sporadically.

Ecological Role: A specialist in low-speed, highly controlled flight, it often hovers or maneuvers through dense cover at heights of 1–5 meters. It is a skilled gleaner, plucking moths, beetles, flies, spiders, and flightless invertebrates directly from leaves and branches. It can live for as long as 21 years.

Conservation Status: Listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Moldova [CR].

Western Barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus) 

Order Chiroptera | Family: Vespertilionidae  

Biology: A small bat weighing 6–13 g. In summer, females gather in groups of 10–20 in tree holes, while males prefer to live alone. They give birth to 1–2 pups in May or June, which depend on their mother for six weeks. Mating happens at the end of summer in small groups of one male and up to four females.

Habitat: A forest species that relies on woodland areas. They spend the day in tree holes, trunk cracks, or under loose bark. For winter, they hibernate in caves, mines, or deep tree hollows.

Ecological Role: A fast and agile hunter that feeds on small, soft-bodied insects like moths, flies, and small beetles near the vegetation. They usually live for 5–10 years, though some can reach up to 23 years.

Conservation Status: Listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Moldova [CR].

Pond Bat (Myotis dasycneme) 

Order: Chiroptera | Family: Vespertilionidae  

Biology: A mid-sized bat, weighing 14–20 g. Nursery colonies start in May; the female gives birth to a single pup in mid-June, which becomes independent by August. It is a migratory species, moving between 100 km and 330 km between summer and winter roosts.

Habitat: A forest species that settles near still or slow-flowing water. It prefers woodlands and rocky areas with caves, fissures, and mines. It roosts in tree hollows, underground locations, or under building roofs.

Ecological Role: Hunts above water surfaces, reed beds, meadows, and forest edges with a fast, high-altitude flight. Its diet includes mosquitoes, moths, and flies. It can reach 20 years of age.

Conservation Status: Listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Moldova [EN].

Grey Long-eared Bat (Plecotus austriacus) 

Order: Chiroptera | Family: Vespertilionidae

Biology: A small bat measuring 44-52 mm and weighing 7-14 g. This cold-tolerant species spends summer in buildings or tree hollows, while wintering in caves, mines, or cellars. Mating occurs in autumn; in June, females gather in maternity colonies to give birth, typically to a single pup. Males reach sexual maturity at one year, whereas females mature between two and three years. 

Habitat: Prefers open areas, including farmland, orchards, pastures, meadows, gardens, and urban settings. 

Ecological Role: A skilled, slow-flying hunter that navigates close to foliage to snatch moths, beetles, and flies directly from leaves. Their average lifespan is 5-9 years, though some individuals live up to 20 years. Conservation 

Status: Listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Moldova [VU]. Classified as Near Threatened [NT] on the IUCN Red List. 

Particoloured Bat (Vespertilio murinus) 

Order: Chiroptera | Family: Vespertilionidae

Biology: A medium-sized bat, measuring 54-64 mm in body length and weighing 12-20 g. Starting in May, females gather in maternity colonies ranging from 20 to 200 individuals. They typically give birth to twins between May and June, though single pups or triplets occur occasionally. Males live in separate groups, and mating occurs in late autumn. This species is known for its fast, direct flight, often hunting above the forest canopy, along woodland edges, over farmland, or near artificial street lighting. 

Habitat: Occupies both forested and human-modified environments, roosting in buildings, various man-made structures, and tree hollows. 

Ecological Role: Feeds primarily on non-biting midges, moths, and other flies. The average lifespan is approximately 12 years. 

Conservation Status: Listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Moldova [CR]. Classified as Least Concern [LC] on the IUCN Red List. 

Soprano Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus) 

Order: Chiroptera | Family: Vespertilionidae

Biology: A very small bat weighing approximately 3–8 g. Females give birth to one or two pups during the second half of June, and the young reach sexual maturity by their first autumn. Maternity colonies vary greatly in size, ranging from small groups of 15–20 individuals to large gatherings of 800–900 females. 

Habitat: A woodland species that favors damp environments, such as lakes, rivers, and canals. They primarily hibernate in tree cavities. 

Ecological Role: Their diet consists of mosquitoes, midges, flies, and cicadas. They emerge to hunt immediately after sunset. Their average lifespan is 4–5 years, though some individuals may live up to 10 years. 

Conservation Status: In the IUCN Red List – LC. 

Common Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) 

Order: Chiroptera | Family: Vespertilionidae

Biology: A small mammal weighing 3-8 g. Mating occurs in autumn, or occasionally in spring, with males using specialized songs and flight displays to attract females. Maternity colonies of 50-100 individuals form between April and May, and females give birth to a single pup in early June. Young bats are capable of flight after three weeks and reach sexual maturity by their first autumn. 

Habitat: Primarily a forest species, but highly anthropophilic; found in urban and rural areas, forests, riparian zones, farmlands, and man-made ecosystems. They roost in human structures, old buildings, bridges, and tree hollows. 

Ecological Role: Feeds on small dipterans, such as mosquitoes, midges, and flies. Average lifespan is 4-5 years, with a maximum of up to 16 years. They emerge to hunt immediately after sunset, flying at low altitudes or close to the ground. 

Conservation Status: In the IUCN Red List – LC. 

Common Noctule (Nyctalus noctula)

Order: Chiroptera | Family: Vespertilionidae

Biology: A large bat species weighing 18–40 g. Maternity colonies can consist of up to 100 females, who give birth to one or two pups starting in mid-June. In August, males move to mating roosts in tree hollows and "sing" to attract females. It is the first species to emerge at dusk, often appearing before sunset.

Habitat: While it prefers deciduous forests, it is also widely distributed across urban environments, roosting in building crevices, under roofs, and within other human infrastructure.

Ecological Role: Its diet consists of flies, mosquitoes, moths, and beetles. The average lifespan is 2.2–2.5 years, with a maximum of 12 years. In Europe, they are long-distance migrants, traveling over 1,000 km between September and November.

Conservation Status: On the IUCN Red List – LC.

Greater Noctule (Nyctalus lasiopterus)  

Order: Chiroptera | Family: Vespertilionidae

Biology: A large bat weighing 41-76 g. Maternity colonies consist of 40-80 females, and each female gives birth to 1-2 pups in June. This migratory species travels over 2,500 km between its summer and winter grounds, capable of flying approximately 450 km in a single day. 

Habitat: Inhabits old-growth natural deciduous forests (oak and oak-hornbeam) or mountain coniferous forests with tall, hollow trees. They roost in tree cavities, under bark, and occasionally under bridges or in artificial nest boxes. In the Republic of Moldova, the species has been recorded in the forests of the Central Codri and Lower Dniester regions. 

Ecological Role: Their diverse diet includes ground beetles, butterflies, bugs, dragonflies, wasps, and flies; it is the only European bat species known to hunt small birds. They can live up to 35 years. 

Conservation Status: Listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Moldova [CR]. In the IUCN Red List – VU at the global level. 

Lesser Noctule (Nyctalus leisleri) 

Order: Chiroptera | Family: Vespertilionidae

Biology: A medium-sized bat weighing approximately 12-20 g. Mating occurs between late July and September, with males using vocal flight displays to attract females. Maternity colonies typically consist of 20-50 females; 1-2 pups are born in June and reach sexual maturity by their first autumn. 

Habitat: A woodland species showing some anthropophilic tendencies, often found near wetlands, in deciduous forests, clearings, forest edges, and parks. They roost in tree cavities, under bark, or in buildings. 

Ecological Role: Their diet consists of flies, mosquitoes, beetles, butterflies, and moths. The average lifespan is 9 years, with some individuals living up to 16 years. They emerge to hunt shortly after sunset, flying fast in open spaces or near street lights close to the ground. 

Conservation Status: In the IUCN Red List – LC.