New Records of the Savi's Pipistrelle Hypsugo savii (Bonaparte, 1837) (Chiroptera, Mammalia) from Serbia: An Evidence for the Expansion of its Geographical Range

Abstract

This paper presents the currently known records (84) of Hypsugo savii from Serbia. They were collected from 22 localities and 55 exact sites. Only three of these records were previously published. The first records were from 1981 from two localities in Eastern Serbia. Since then, new sites have been gradually recorded throughout Serbia, particularly in the last four years. According to the records, there is a noticeable expansion of the species' range, from mountainous karstic areas to valleys and plains, with human settlements being particularly favoured habitats. After the first appearance in 1994 in human settlements, a constant increase of population was recorded from these habitats. Furthermore, there was growing evidence of reproduction in settlements and lowland habitats. A significant part of summer records was from certain areas of Vojvodina Province, i.e. southern part of the Pannonian Plain, recorded often above vast arable fields. The expansion of the range and the increase of population numbers had been recorded in neighbouring countries; thus, the described situation in Serbia is a contribution to better understanding of the present distribution, bionomics and ecology of this species.