Full Pelage Ultra-Violet Fluorescence in Horseshoe Bats

We’re proud to share that our Ecology Director, Chris Damant, has co-authored a newly published study on the fascinating discovery of ultraviolet (UV) fluorescence in horseshoe bats.

This occurrence of full pelage fluorescence in bats is rare.

The finding was made while a team of European bat researchers, including biologists from Pell Frischmann, the Croatian Biospeleological Society, and the Vincent Wildlife Trust, were studying local bat populations and assisting in the development of restoration plans for the Maximilian Tower and the Benedictine Monastery on Lokrum Island, Dubrovnik, Croatia.

Full pelage UV fluorescence was found in both Rhinolophus hipposideros, commonly known as the lesser horseshoe bat and Rhinolophus blasii, commonly known as the Blasius’s horseshoe bat. The phenomenon appears to be strictly restricted to just these two species within the European Rhinolophidae and was only found in R. hipposideros adult bats of both sexes, and not in juveniles.

The UV fluorescence observed in adult bats can, if carefully used, serve as a surveying tool for researchers and help them identify maternity roosts and estimate the productivity of single-species colonies.

To read the recently published study, click here.

©Henry Schofield

Ecology and Biodiversity

Pell Frischmann’s Ecology Team has over 20 years of experience in assisting clients with reaching solutions that support both society and nature, across a wide range of sectors and development types. We offer a complete ecology consultancy service, from ecological surveys to impact assessment, mitigation, habitat design and project implementation.