. Bats of Portugal : zoogeography and systematics. Bats -- Portugal. from Japan have been regarded as separate spe- cies by some authors ( Imaizumi and Yoshiyuki, 1968). Although common in central Europe, this species is quite rare in Iberia, where it appears to be widespread. The inclusion of N. noctula in the Portuguese fauna by Seabra (1922) seems to have been based on a misidentification of specimens of N. lasiopterus, but a specimen from Pavia in the collection of Museu Bocage proves the existence of N. noctula in Portugal (Palmeirim et al., 1979) (Fig. 27). N. noctula seems to prefer
. Bats of Portugal : zoogeography and systematics. Bats -- Portugal. from Japan have been regarded as separate spe- cies by some authors ( Imaizumi and Yoshiyuki, 1968). Although common in central Europe, this species is quite rare in Iberia, where it appears to be widespread. The inclusion of N. noctula in the Portuguese fauna by Seabra (1922) seems to have been based on a misidentification of specimens of N. lasiopterus, but a specimen from Pavia in the collection of Museu Bocage proves the existence of N. noctula in Portugal (Palmeirim et al., 1979) (Fig. 27). N. noctula seems to prefer wooded areas, usually roosting in holes in trees and buildings (Lanza, 1959). Morphology and Taxonomic Remarks.—N. noctula is a large, robust bat with narrow wings (Table 14). The dark yellowish-brown fur is quite uniform in color, but clearly glossier on the back than on the underparts. The hair is fine and slightly paler proximally. The membranes are very dark brown, almost black. The skull is wide and robust. N. noctula is easily told from N. leisleri by its larger dimensions and by the color of the hair which is much darker at the base than tip in N. leisleri. N. lasiopterus is even larger than N. noctula and has broader and more rounded ears (Fig. 28). The only specimen known from Portugal is fairly small; in Mediterranean Europe TV. noctula averages smaller than specimens from further north. Only the nominate subspecies is recog- nized in Europe (Ellerman and Morrison-Scott, 1951; Corbet, 1978), but several forms have been described from Asia, some of which may be specifically distinct ( Imaizumi and Yoshiyuki, 1968). Fig. 28. Ears of Nyctalus lasiopterus (left) and N. noctula (right). Note the more rounded shape of the ear of N. lasiopterus. Modified from Lanza (1959). Table 14. Measurements of one specimen of Nyctalus noctulafrom Portugal. MB 2785 NYCTALUS NOCTULA (SCHREBER, 1774) Distribution.—N. noctula ranges from Por- tugal to Japan (Corbet, 1978) and from
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