Visinsko rasprostranjenje četiri vrste šišmiša roda Plecotus (Mammalia, Vespertilionidae) u Hrvatskoj

The altitudinal distribution of bats of four Plecotus species in Croatia was analysed. P. austriacus and P. kolombatovici are restricted to lower altitudes, under 800 m a.s.l.. P. auritus inhabits continental forest habitats, preferably beech forests, with the exception of Pannonian lowland riparian forests of common oak which also lie under 100 m a.s.l.. As distinct from the other three Plecotus species, Croatian specimens of P. macrobullaris have an extremely wide altitudinal distribution, ranging from sea level to mountain tops, but with most localities under 800 m a.s.l.Analizirano je visinsko rasprostranjenje četiri vrste šišmiša roda Plecotus u Hrvatskoj. P. austriacus i P. kolombatovici su ograničeni na niže visine, do 800 m nad morem. P. auritus nastava kontinentalna šumska staništa, uglavnom bukove šume, ali u Panonskoj nizini i šume hrasta lužnjaka na nadmorskim visinama manjim od 100 m. Za razliku od ostalih vrsta roda Plecotus, nalazi vrste P. macrobullaris u Hrvatskoj imaju osobito široki raspon nadmorskih visina, od morske razine do vrhova planina, ali uz većinu nalazišta ispod 800 m nadmorske visine

Potvrda vrsta Eptesicus nilssonii i Vespertilio murinus za faunu šišmiša Hrvatske

In 2002 specimens of Eptesicus nilssonii and Vespertilio murinus were caught in mist-nets in mixed forests of spruce, fir and beech in two localities on Mt Velebit. These are the first records in Croatia for 130 years for E. nilssonii, and for 68 years for V. murinus. Considering all the available data from Croatia and neighbouring countries, we discuss the possible status of these species in the mountain area of the Dinaric Alps. Although all the new findings were males caught in the migratory period (August and September) which indicates the possibility of hibernation in the karstic area of the Dinaric mountains, we do not exclude the possible existence of resident populations.Metodom lova mrežama za šišmiše na dva lokaliteta na planini Velebitu zabilježeni su u miješanim šumama smreke, jele i bukve borealni šišmiši Eptesicus nilssonii i Vespertilio murinus. To su prvi podaci nakon 130, odnosno 68 godina od zadnjih nalaza tih vrsta za Hrvatsku. Na temelju svih dosadašnjih podataka za Hrvatsku i susjedne države diskutira se o mogućem statusu ovih vrsta na planinskom području Dinarida. Iako se novi nalazi odnose samo na mužjake iz doba migracije (u kolovozu i rujnu) koji ukazuju na vjerojatnost zimovanja u kršu Dinarida, ne isključuje se postojanje mogućih rezidentnih populacija

How a haemosporidian parasite of bats gets around: the genetic structure of a parasite, vector and host compared.

Parasite population structure is often thought to be largely shaped by that of its host. In the case of a parasite with a complex life cycle, two host species, each with their own patterns of demography and migration, spread the parasite. However, the population structure of the parasite is predicted to resemble only that of the most vagile host species. In this study, we tested this prediction in the context of a vector-transmitted parasite. We sampled the haemosporidian parasite Polychromophilus melanipherus across its European range, together with its bat fly vector Nycteribia schmidlii and its host, the bent-winged bat Miniopterus schreibersii. Based on microsatellite analyses, the wingless vector, and not the bat host, was identified as the least structured population and should therefore be considered the most vagile host. Genetic distance matrices were compared for all three species based on a mitochondrial DNA fragment. Both host and vector populations followed an isolation-by-distance pattern across the Mediterranean, but not the parasite. Mantel tests found no correlation between the parasite and either the host or vector populations. We therefore found no support for our hypothesis; the parasite population structure matched neither vector nor host. Instead, we propose a model where the parasite's gene flow is represented by the added effects of host and vector dispersal patterns

Effects of temperature, length of storage, and technological processes on the formation of N-nitrosamines in liver pâté

The aim of the study was to determine the possible presence of N-nitrosamines in liver pâtés available on the Croatian market and to compare them with a liver pâté from the EU market. In addition, the effects of temperature and length of storage on N-nitrosamine concentrations were assessed. A total of 630 samples were randomly chosen. Thirty samples of each were analysed immediately upon sampling, whereas another 30 samples were stored for 5 and 10 days at 4 °C, 22 °C and 37 °C, respectively. In the samples stored at 4 °C, the mean total N-nitrosamine level was 1.3–6.8 μg kg−1 on day 5 and 1.0–5.0 μg kg−1 on day 10. In the samples stored at 22 °C, the mean total N-nitrosamine level was 3.6–9.3 μg kg−1/ (day 0), 11.9–24.5 μg kg−1/ on day 5, and 22.7–32.3 μg kg−1/ on day 10. In the samples stored at 37 °C, the mean total N-nitrosamine level was 104.9–231.1 μg kg−1 (day 5) and 801.3–1329.0 μg kg−1 (day 10). Temperature and length of storage were found to be associated with the formation of N-nitrosamines in meat products, but carcinogenic N-diethylnitrosamine (diEt) in particular, accidentally or not, was not present at all in the products originating from the EU

First Isolation of Pseudogymnoascus destructans, the Fungal Causative Agent of White-Nose Disease, in Bats from Italy

White-nose disease, caused by the dermatophyte Pseudogymnoascus destructans, is a devastating pathology that has caused a massive decline in the US bat populations. In Europe, this fungus and the related infection in bats have been recorded in several countries and for many bat species, although no mass mortality has been detected. This study reports for the first time the presence of P. destructans in Italy. The fungus was isolated in the Rio Martino cave, a site located in the Western Alps and included in the Natura 2000 network. Twenty bats, belonging to five different species, were analysed. The fungus was retrieved on eight individuals of Myotis emarginatus. The allied keratolytic species P. pannorum was observed on two other individuals, also belonging to M. emarginatus. Strains were isolated in pure culture and characterized morphologically. Results were validated through molecular analyses. Future work should be dedicated to understand the distribution and the effects of the two Pseudogymnoascus species on Italian bats