Christian Dietz

• Dr.
• Consultant at Biologische Gutachten Dietz, Haigerloch, Germany

Studying hybrid zones that form between morphologically cryptic taxa offers valuable insights into the mechanisms of cryptic speciation and the evolution of reproductive barriers. Although hybrid zones have long been the focus of evolutionary studies, the awareness of cryptic hybrid zones increased recently due to rapidly growing evidence of biolog...

Bats of Greece have been studied since the second half of the 19th century. Their distribution and ecology, however, remain poorly understood. Conservation efforts for the protection of the roosting and foraging habitats of their populations in Greece are limited. To date, 35 bat species have been recorded from Greece. Four species (Eptesicus anato...

Various bat species are expanding their ranges due to changes in climate and landscape. These rangeexpansions should be monitored thoroughly because they may alter local bat communities. Thesteppe whiskered bat Myotis davidii, for instance, has probably expanded its range from Central Asiato Eastern Europe. However, monitoring the range expansion o...

GPS-enabled loggers have been proven as valuable tools for monitoring and understanding animal movement, behaviour and ecology. While the importance of recording accurate location estimates is well established, deployment on many, especially small species, has been limited by logger mass and cost. We developed an open-source and low-cost 0.65 g GPS...

In Deutschland werden immer mehr Windenergieanlagen (WEA) an Waldstandorten errichtet. Für fast alle Fledermausarten stellen Wälder sensible Lebensräume dar, die sowohl als Quartier- als auch als Jagdgebiete genutzt werden. Neben dem Kollisionsrisiko sind an Waldstandorten auch erhebliche Lebensraumverluste zu erwarten. Um auch an Waldstandorten zu...

Secondary contacts can play a major role in the evolutionary histories of species. Various taxa diverge in allopatry and later on come into secondary contact during range expansions. When they meet, their interactions and the extent of gene flow depend on the level of their ecological differentiation and the strength of their reproductive isolation...

Aim There is an increasing evidence showing that species within various taxonomic groups have reticulate evolutionary histories with several cases of introgression events. Investigating the phylogeography of species complexes can provide insight into these introgressions, and when and where these hybridizations occurred. In this study, we investiga...

Aim There is increasing evidence showing that species within various taxonomic groups have reticulate evolutionary histories with several cases of introgression events. Investigating the phylogeography of species complexes can provide insight about the introgressions, when and where these hybridizations occurred. In this study, we investigate the b...

The Myotis mystacinus species group is represented by two morphotypes within the Palearctic region: a larger form described as M. davidii in the East and a smaller form, M. mystacinus, in the West. We used a novel approach and conducted analysis based on both the mitochondrial ND1 and three nuclear introns (ACOX2, ROGDI and ABHD11). Results demonst...

We report on the first record of the Egyptian free-tailed bat (Nyctinomus aegyptiacus Geoffroy, 1818) in Tunisia. The finding refers to a voucher specimen collected at Ksar Ghilane (Jbil National Park). Morphological characters and measurements of the specimen are presented.

Wind turbines are currently being established on a large scale in forests in Germany. Numerous bat species are affected by the habitat loss and collisions associated with such constructions. In the BfN’s (German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation) research project “Investigations to minimize the impacts of wind turbines on bats, par-ticularly i...

Species protection is particularly challenging for bat species which travel large dis-tances over the year between their summer and winter roosting sites. Spatial mapping of populations is often almost impossible due to a species’ use of different flight paths, and the mixing of local reproductive communities in both mating and hibernating roosts....

In the planning and construction of wind turbines the risk of killing individual bats must be reduced as much as possible due to their classification as strongly protected species and subsequent protection under national nature conservation laws. The ap-proach of considering the impact of wind turbines on mortality in conjunction with population pa...

In the areas surrounding hibernation roosts of the common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) an increase in flight activity is present during the swarming period in au-tumn. Such increases in activity could lead to an increased risk of bat collisions at wind turbines close to swarming sites. This study investigates whether common pipistrelles...

Poster DGS 2016

The Armenian whiskered bat, Myotis hajastanicus, is assumed to represent an independent species with an exceptionally small distribution range that is restricted to the basin of Lake Sevan in the Southern Caucasus. The species has not been recorded during the last 25 years and thus was classified as critically endangered by the International Union...

We present an up-to-date distribution map of the European range of the Alcathoe Bat (Myotis alcathoe) completed by further records from the Western Palaearctic. Published identification characters are reviewed and their reliability analysed in genetically identified individuals. A detailed comparison of characters of M. alcathoe and the two very si...

So far there are no systematically collected data on the flight and road crossing behavior of the Alcathoe Bat. We therefore summarize the current knowledge comprising five case studies from three German federal states. These affirm the necessity and high priority of installing special road crossing structures for this species. As a structure-bound...

The Alcathoe Bat (Myotis alcathoe) is a barely studied and little known species. We present data of a prey analysis and an extensive telemetry study on 15 tagged individuals in South-western Germany. M. alcathoe proved its close affinity to old grown deciduous woodlands, especially oak forests. The diet analysis revealed cockroaches of the genus Ec...

For the first time we present the complete echolocation call repertoire of the Alcathoe Bat (Myotis alcathoe). We analyzed automatically recorded echolocation calls of foraging bats of this little known species within the homerange of nursery colonies that had been discovered by telemetry. Echolocation calls are frequency-modulated calls which are...

The construction of wind turbines in forests can give rise to negative impacts on bats. An estimation of the specific impacts on the different bat species requires appropriate research methods. In this article we provide a summary and critical discussion of current recommendations in Germany's federal states ('Länder'). We make recommendations for...

The demographic history of Rhinolophus hipposideros (lesser horseshoe bat) was reconstructed across its European, North African and Middle-Eastern distribution prior to, during and following the most recent glaciations by generating and analysing a multimarker data set. This data set consisted of an X-linked nuclear intron (Bgn; 543 bp), mitochondr...

Die Diskussion über einen möglichen Nationalpark im Nordschwarzwald ist derzeit in vollem Gange. Ziel der Nationalpark-Initiative ist es, eine Fläche von mindestens 10.000 Hektar mittel-bis langfristig für den Ablauf natürlicher Prozesse im Wald freizustellen. In einer 30-jährigen Anfangsphase besteht dabei in Teilbereichen die Möglichkeit, bestimm...

Paracoelops has been regarded as monotypic and an endemic bat genus of Vietnam. In the original description of 1947, P. megalotis was characterised by its exceptionally large ears and well developed interfemoral membrane without a tail. The status of this taxon remained uncertain since the species and genus descriptions were based on the single, ba...

Acoustic methods are used increasingly to survey and monitor bat populations. However, the use of acoustic methods at continental scales can be hampered by the lack of standardized and objective methods to identify all species recorded. This makes comparable continent‐wide monitoring difficult, impeding progress towards developing biodiversity indi...

Hipposideros turpis is traditionally known as a species composed of three subspecies, H. t. turpis , H. t. alongensis and H. t. pendleburyi , distributed disjunctly in south‐west Japan, north‐east Vietnam and south‐west Thailand, respectively. Prior to the present study, the systematic status of forms within the species remained unclear. Using morp...

A new species of Hipposideros is described from Vietnam. Morphologically, it is similar to taxa in the Hipposideros armiger complex but is substantially smaller. The new species, which has been found living sympatrically with H. armiger in Cat Ba National Park, is distinguished from it by size, acoustic characters, and differences in the mitochondr...

The discussion about a possible national park on the Northern Black Forest is currently in full swing. The National Park ini- tiative aims to make available an area of at least 10,000 ha in the medium to long term for the cycle of natural processes in the forest. In an initial phase of 30 years it will be possible to instigate certain forest develo...

The fairy tube-nosed bat, Murina tiensa, is considered to be endemic to Vietnam. It is known only from the original description, when it was found at two localities in limestone karst areas. In 2008, we conducted a series of intensive field surveys through-out the country and obtained additional records of this species from various habitats, includ...

Phylogeographical studies are typically based on haplotype data, occasionally on nuclear markers such as microsatellites, but rarely combine both. This is unfortunate because the use of markers with contrasting modes of inheritance and rates of evolution might provide a more accurate and comprehensive understanding of a species' history. Here we pr...

Horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus) use echolocation calls with a prominent part whose frequency is constant over time (CF) and matches the ‘acoustic fovea’ of the bats' hearing system. The present study on European Rhinolophus species investigates whether this CF component contains reliable information on species, sex, age class or quality (size and body...

A complete list of bat records available from Crete is presented, based on both literature data and new records obtained during recent field studies. Distribution maps and summaries of the distributional characteristics of particular species are provided. From the island of Crete, at least 622 confirmed records of 17 bat species are known; viz., Rh...

A complete list of bat records from Sinai was compiled, composed mostly of new findings from the field (85%). From the territory of Sinaitic peninsula, 106–111 records of up to 15 bat species are reported; viz. Rousettus aegyptiacus (Geoffroy, 1810) (10 records), Rhinopoma cystops Thomas, 1903 (1), Taphozous perforatus Geoffroy, 1818 (1), Nycteris...

Since its description in 2001 Alcathoe's myotis (Myotis alcathoe) was recorded from several locations across Europe. Here we describe the first records of this species from Germany, Poland, Albania, and from the European part of Turkey, including the northernmost locality in central Germany (51°23'N, 11°01'E). Compilation of all up-to-date records...

Since its description in 2001 Alcathoe's myotis (Myotis alcathoe) was recorded from several locations across Europe. Here we describe the first records of this species from Germany, Poland, Albania, and from the European part of Turkey, including the northernmost locality in central Germany (51°23′N, 11°01′E). Compilation of all up-to-date records...

The distribution of genetic variability across a species' range can provide valuable insights into colonization history. To assess the relative importance of European and Asian refugia in shaping current levels of genetic variation in the greater horseshoe bats, we applied a microsatellite-based approach to data collected from 56 localities ranging...

Growth characteristics of three species of horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, R. euryale and R. mehelyi) were studied in northern Bulgaria, and measurements of cohorts born there in different years were compared interannually. Bulgarian horseshoe bats are usually born in the first 3 weeks of June and start to leave the roost at an age of ab...

DNA sequence divergence. Mean pair-wise sequence divergences (uncorrected p distances) between Western Palaearctic vespertilionid bat species measured by sequencing the two mitochondrial genes nd1 and 16S rDNA. Sequence divergences between newly proposed cryptic species pairs are indicated. The two lowest genetic distances originate from the mean v...

Taxonomic comments. Taxonomic details are provided for newly proposed species and divergent mitochondrial lineages.

Investigated species. A list of species, sample size and geographic origin of analysed bats from the Western Palaearctic realm.

The lack of obvious morphological differences between species impedes the identification of species in many groups of organisms. Meanwhile, DNA-based approaches are increasingly used to survey biological diversity. In this study we show that sequencing the mitochondrial protein-coding gene NADH dehydrogenase, subunit 1 (nd1) from 534 bats of the We...

We assessed effects of forearm bands on three species of horseshoe bats (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, R. euryale and R. mehelyi) marked for studies on regional movements and colony structure in Northern Bulgaria. Overall, more than 85% of the 580 recaptured individuals showed no negative impact of the banding. We had to note, however, slight or sever...

Wing morphology is crucial for flight performance and foraging ecology in bats. We describe variations in 5 wing parameters within the 5 species of European horseshoe bats (genus Rhinolophus) based on data taken from 3,081 adult individuals. All 5 species belong to a single ecological guild. Measurements were taken from live bats in the field in so...

According to morphological characters and mitochondrial DNA sequences, eight very small bats of the Pipistrellus pipistrellus complex captured at the Kuş Cenneti National Park in the Marmara Region of Turkey could be assigned to the recently discovered species Pipistrellus pygmaeus. This finding represents the first record of Pipistrellus pygmaeus...

Bats were captured at a swarming site in the Central Balkan National Park. Hundreds of bats of at least 16 species visited the cave in late summer, most of them for swarming. For comparison, data of two winter-censuses are given as well. Rhinolophus euryale, Myotis nattereri and Eptesicus serotinus were found for the first time within the territory...

We experimentally showed that Daubenton's bat (Myotis daubentonii), a Palearctic vespertilionid species hunting for insects floating on or flying close to water surfaces, can take a small fish for prey if the fish penetrates a smooth water surface. The bat in our experiments was able to lift small fish and other big prey items out of the water by u...