Fauna
WHO ARE THE MOST TYPICAL INHABITANTS OF THE SHUMA PLATEAU NATURE PROPERTIES?
345 species of invertebrates and over 240 species of vertebrates, 28 species of amphibians and reptiles have been identified.
Class Amphibians on the territory of the park is represented by: the tree frog (Hyla arboreal), forest long-legged frog (Rana dalmatina), raincoat (Salamandra salamandra)whose yellow-black color makes it difficult to notice among the fallen leaves.
Class Reptiles is represented by: Crimean lizard (Podarcis taurika), forest lizard (Lacerta praticola) and a green lizard (Green lizard), viper (Vipera ammodytes), dragonfly (Elaphe longissima longissima), the spiny-tailed turtle (Hermann's tortoise), spiny-backed turtle(Greek tortoise) etc.
Class Birds are the most widespread group in the park. Species inhabiting forest and open areas are observed here. The presence of 152 species of birds has been established. Great tit is found (Sailboat major), robin (Erithacus robin), finch (Fritillary coelebs), blackbird (Blackbird (merula) and a little thrush (Blackbird Philomelos)During the winter months, forest wallabies gather in the lower parts. (Sitta europaea), mountain finches (Fritillary Montifringilla), jays (Garrulus grandarius) etc. In the eastern part of the nature park, in the area of the monument "Creators of the Bulgarian State" in the summer, one of the northernmost colonies of the rock swallow is observed. (Swallowrupestris)And above the forest massifs and rock ridges, common buzzards soar (Buteobuteo) and large hawks (Hawkgentilis)The park is inhabited by some rare birds – the nesting half-white-necked flycatcher (Ficedula semitorquata) and a mourning tit (Sailboat logubris), which in Europe are found only on the Balkan Peninsula. The black woodpecker is also a rare species (Dryocopus mantle).
Class Mammalia is presented by: hedgehog (Erinaceus concolor), badger (Meles (meles), squirrel (Tuesday (foina), fox (Vulpes fox), red deer, roe deer, wild boar, rodents, etc.
Unfortunately, some species have become extinct. These are the Ursinian viper (Vipera ursinii racosiensis) and the Egyptian vulture (Neophron pernopterus)There are no records of the Lesser Spotted Eagle since 1980. (Aquila pomarina), the eater (Pernis apivorus), the spotted ferret (Vormela peregusna) and the Dobrudja hamster (Mesocricetus newtoni). Protected animal species are: Dobrudja hamster, spotted ferret, great hawk, lesser spotted eagle, black woodpecker, owl, skunk, ursinian viper, etc.
A LITTLE MORE ABOUT BATS
20 species have been identified bats, inhabiting the numerous rock niches, caves and forest areas.
Horseshoe crab family
Large horseshoe crab
It hunts at dusk – 10-20 minutes after sunset, and the hunt can last all night. The hunting flight is low above the ground – from 0.5 to 3 m., it flies slowly, like a butterfly. Its habitat includes sparse forests, bushes, open areas near karst outcrops and rock crowns, and water bodies. It feeds on large flying insects, mainly nocturnal butterflies and beetles. Its weight varies between 17 and 30 grams.
Southern horseshoe crab
It feeds on small moths, small insects (flies, mosquitoes). It inhabits areas with rugged terrain, karst areas with caves and other underground shelters, low-stemmed forests. When hunting, it covers over 10,000 ha. in mixed deciduous forests, scrub, moorland, and riparian forests. Its weight varies between 10 and 17.5 grams.
Lesser horseshoe crab
A cave species, associated primarily with vegetation-rich karst areas, sparse forests, parks, found in populated areas. Its flight is slow and maneuverable, about 2-5 meters above the ground. It hunts near shelters, around forests, bushes, river banks, over water, around rocks in karst areas. It is distributed throughout the country. It feeds on small flying insects. Its weight varies between 5 and 9 grams.
Horseshoe Bend of Meheli
The species is entirely associated with karst regions. In Bulgaria, it is found in the lowlands of the entire country, but is a relatively rare species. It hunts over meadows and open areas, the hunting perimeter of the species in our country includes rare low-growing forests, meadows, shrub communities - agricultural crops. Its food consists mainly of moths and other insects. Its weight varies between 12 and 16 grams.
Smooth-nosed family
Gray long-eared bat
In our country, it is found mainly in the lowlands of the entire country. It inhabits low open places with a steppe character, agricultural areas, river valleys, settlements, and in karst landscapes in the lowlands of the country. In flight, it navigates by echolocation, emitting steep frequency-modulated signals with a frequency of 30-40 kHz and sloping frequency-modulated signals with a frequency of 18-25 kHz. The flight is slow and maneuverable. It hunts in open areas near its refuge, flying at a height of 2-5 m. It feeds mainly on moths, and its feeding is selective - medium and large butterflies dominate, dipterans (flies and mosquitoes) and beetles are less represented. The weight varies between 7 and 16 grams.
Bechstein nightstand
It comes out after sunset and hunts in the trees. Although rare, the species is found almost throughout Bulgaria, with single specimens. Its habitat includes moist, deciduous forests, but also mixed forests, parks. Its diet is dominated by flightless terrestrial or leaf-dwelling invertebrates, less so by day-flying insects that spend the night perched on the leaves of bushes or trees. Its weight varies between 7 and 18 grams.
Tricolor nightgown
It inhabits caves, buildings, artificial galleries, settles in karst areas, clearings and gardens, flies among sparse tree crowns or slightly above them. It has high flight activity and can hunt for more than two hours without landing, prefers areas covered with shrub or woody vegetation, sometimes hunts over water areas. It flies among sparse tree crowns, above them it can hunt for more than 2 hours without a break. It collects its food (spiders, net-winged flies and butterflies), collecting its victims from the surface of leaves and grasses. It navigates through echolocation, emitting frequency-modulated sound signals with a frequency of 51-54 kHz. Its diet consists mainly of insects and arachnids collected from the leaves of trees and shrubs. It weighs between 6 and 15 grams.
Water nightshade
In Bulgaria, it is distributed throughout the country. It inhabits forested and flat areas with large water surfaces, river and lake banks, in cultivated landscapes, and is associated with water basins. In flight, it navigates by echolocation, emitting frequency-modulated signals with a frequency of about 42 kHz. It flies with rapid wing movements, about 2 meters above the surface of the substrate. Its hunting is mainly over water surfaces, where it flies in regular circles low above the water. Sometimes it "collects" its prey from the water surface. It feeds mainly on flying insects (flies, mosquitoes) and moths. When its prey is larger, it catches it first with its feet. It eats small insects in flight, and larger ones while perched (hanging with its head down). Its weight is between 6 and 14 grams.
Mustachioed nightjar
It is distributed throughout the country. It inhabits a variety of habitats, buildings, hollows, caves, cracks in rocks, is found both in forest areas and in open landscapes, sometimes near water bodies, often found in settlements, parks and gardens. In flight over forest massifs it sticks to the tops of tall trees and rarely descends low above the ground, in deforested areas it flies near walls, steep banks, hedges - often at a low height. It navigates through echolocation, emitting frequency-modulated sound signals at a frequency of 49-50 kHz. It feeds on small flying insects, but sometimes collects flightless invertebrates from the surface of leaves. Its weight is between 4 and 8 grams.
Long-toed nightjar
In our country it is distributed in the lowlands of the entire country up to 400 m above sea level, most often found in karst areas with caves, often near forested landscapes. It hunts at night near rivers, its food includes insects caught on and above the water surface. In flight, it navigates by echolocation, using frequency-modulated signals with a frequency of about 42 kHz. It is believed to be a relict species. Its weight varies between 8 and 15 grams.
Brant's Nightgown
It is found mainly in mountainous areas. It inhabits a variety of habitats, but prefers forest areas, especially near water bodies, and is less common in settlements. In the summer, it finds shelter in buildings, hollows, and birdhouses. It hunts at dusk, mainly small insects, and can also hunt arachnids on tree leaves, but overall its diet is poorly studied. Its mass is between 4.5 – 9.5 grams.
Large nightshade
In Bulgaria, it is considered a common and common species, it is one of the most common species in karst areas. It is found in karst areas throughout the country - and is one of the most frequently found cave species, it avoids urbanized areas. Its natural enemies are nocturnal birds of prey. Its flight is slow and maneuverable at a height of 5 - 8 m. It often hunts in orchards and deciduous forests, less often in mixed forests, vineyards, small arable fields and spruce forests. It catches its food in flight or collects it from the ground. It feeds in open places in sparse groves and their outskirts, where the ground is covered with fallen leaves and some grass. Over 46% of its food consists of large ground beetles (family Carabidae). Its weight varies from 26 to 45 grams.
Why are bats important?
There are 1293 species of bats in the world. 33 species have been identified in Bulgaria, and 13 species have been registered on the territory of the Shumen Plateau Nature Reserve. Bats are the only mammals that can fly, and unlike birds, their wing movements are not symmetrical and their shape changes according to needs. The main function of bats is to maintain biodiversity in forests, pastures and settlements, they are extremely important for the environment, the health of ecosystems and the well-being of people. Bats have a huge appetite and thus regulate the reproduction of various pests. The majority of bats feed on insects. The food of bats consists mainly of insects and other small invertebrates. An adult bat can eat up to several thousand mosquitoes in one night (1 small brown bat weighing 5 grams eats over 3000 insects per night, in 1 hour it can eat 1200 mosquitoes). Their hunting strategies include chasing in the air, collecting from the ground or scooping from the water surface, and they most often feed in flight. Bats have an amazing metabolism, the heart rate of the great nightjar (Myotis myotis) can vary between 680 beats per minute during flight to 18 beats per minute during hibernation. Bats are an interesting group of animals, possessing unique features such as echolocation, hibernation (winter sleep), sleeping and feeding upside down. Their perfect echolocation allows them to accurately determine the size of prey and the distance at which it is located, they accurately navigate the field and recognize obstacles thanks to acoustics. This ability is a perfect substitute for their vision, although they are not blind. Before they hibernate, bats accumulate fat tissue, which makes up over twenty percent of their body weight. These interesting mammals can swim, but not all have developed the ability to walk. All bat species found in Bulgaria are protected by law (Biological Diversity Act, Bern Convention, Bonn Convention, EUROBATS, Directive 92/43/EEC, IUCN 2002, and some are listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Bulgaria.)
The main threats:
- Destruction of their natural habitats – anthropogenic pressure, improper forest management, reduction of wetlands, etc.;
- The use of pesticides in agriculture to combat pests that serve as food for bats.