A specimen of the Barbastelle bat, one of Europe’s rarest and most threatened bat species, was recently rescued in the historic center of Rome by the LIPU Wildlife Rescue Center of Rome. The bat was identified with the support of researchers from the Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems of the National Research Council of Italy, who serve as experts on urban bats as part of the activities of the National Biodiversity Future Center under Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).
The discovery is particularly significant from a scientific perspective: the last known record of the species in the Italian capital dates back to 1878.
“The LIPU Wildlife Rescue Center in Rome contacted us to identify a bat that had been admitted to the center and to provide expert advice,” explains Leonardo Ancillotto of CNR-IRET. “When we examined the animal together with our colleagues, we were astonished to discover that it was indeed a barbastelle, an extremely rare species, especially in central and southern Italy.”
In recent years, researchers at CNR-IRET have worked extensively on historical and contemporary checklists of urban bats in Italy as part of the activities of SPOKE 5 of the National Biodiversity Future Center, analyzing the occurrence of bat species in the country’s major cities.
“There was in fact a historical record of the barbastelle in Rome dating back to the nineteenth century,” Ancillotto continues. “Since then, however, the species had never been recorded again. Over the past few years we have conducted extensive surveys in urban areas and historic city centers, so finding this species in Rome today is both remarkable and scientifically important.”
The identified specimen is an adult female, found in the historic center of the city just a few hundred meters from the location of the nineteenth-century record, although it is currently impossible to determine whether the two observations are related.
According to the researchers, the Barbastelle bat is a species closely associated with well-preserved forest habitats, particularly mature and old-growth forests, and is considered an important indicator of ecosystem health. In Italy, it is classified as Endangered on the Italian Red List of Vertebrates and is included in Annex II of the European Union Habitats Directive, which lists species of priority conservation concern across the European Union.
“This finding,” Ancillotto concludes, “highlights the importance of continuing to monitor urban biodiversity. Even highly urbanized environments can still yield unexpected discoveries and provide habitat for species of outstanding conservation value.”
