Old Tunnels as Homes for Bats
Underground cavities are of great importance to our native bats. Of the 20 bat species recorded in Rhineland-Palatinate, 14 regularly use old tunnels, caves, or cellars.
Hibernation - 5 Months on Low Energy
As pure insectivores, bats find little food in winter. To escape food shortages and the cold, they hibernate. All bodily functions are severely reduced, with their body temperature dropping from 37 to as low as 3°C. Their heart beats only about 10-20 times per minute, compared to the over 400 beats per minute when awake. The fat stores they accumulate in the fall must last until spring. If the animals are disturbed and awakened, they are often doomed to death. Therefore, the tunnels and holes are often barred to protect the animals sleeping there.
Late Summer Activity
But the old mining relics don't just serve as winter quarters: In late summer and autumn, many bats use old tunnels as courtship and rendezvous sites. Several hundred individuals can be observed swarming in front of the tunnels every evening. This swarming also serves to establish and maintain traditions. Therefore, old tunnels are particularly important for the conservation of endangered species.
The Hunsrück and its bats
The following species have been recorded in the old mines of the Hunsrück by the Rhineland-Palatinate Bat Conservation Working Group:
Greater Whiskered Bat
Lesser Whiskered Bat
Lace-Eared Bat
Natterjack Bat
Daubenton's Bat
Bechstein's Bat
Brown Long-eared Bat
Gray Long-eared Bat
Northern Bat
Barbastelle Bat
Pygmy Bat
Greater Hoofed Bat
Pontivated Pond Bat
The large number of abandoned slate mines, in particular, makes the Hunsrück an important habitat for bats in Germany.