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Yagodinska Cave
Yagodinska Cave ( bg, Ягодинска пещера) is a cave in the Rhodope Mountains, southern Bulgaria. It is included in the 100 Tourist Sites of Bulgaria under № 89. It is named after the homonymous village nearby. With a total length of 10,500 m, Yagodinska is the third longest cave in the country after Duhlata and Orlova Chuka and the longest in the Rhodopes. Yagodinska Cave is home to 11 species of bats. Location Yagodinska Cave is on the right bank of the river Buynovska, a tributary to the Vacha, on the slopes of the Buynovo gorge — the longest gorge in Bulgaria. It is in Smolyan Province at 20 km to the south of the town of Devin and 3 km to south-west of the village of Yagodina. The cave is accessible through the road Devin–Dospat and has a parking lot. The cave entrance is at an altitude of 930 m. Exploration and description The exploration of the cave commenced in 1963 by the Speleological Club of Chepelare led by Dimitar Rayche ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Yagodina, Bulgaria
Yagodina ( bg, Ягодина) is a village in southern Bulgaria. It has a population of 379 as of 2022. Geography Yagodina is located in the southwestern part of Smolyan Province and has a territory of 30,838 km2. It is part of Borino Municipality and situated close to the border with Greece. It lies 24 km south of the towns of Devin. The closest settlements are the villages of Teshel and Gyovren to the north, Trigrad to the southeast and Chala to the west. Yagodina is situated in the western part of the Rhodope Mountains in the valley of the river Vacha. Two of the Rhodope's most famous gorges are partially within the territory of the villages, the Buynovo and the Trigrad Gorges. The forested summit of Durdaga (1,693 m) lies 700 m of Yagodina. The most renown landmark of the village is Yagodinska Cave, the longest in the Rhodope Mountains and one of the longest in Bulgaria. There are numerous tourist trails in its vicinity, leading to other caves, such ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stalactite
A stalactite (, ; from the Greek 'stalaktos' ('dripping') via ''stalassein'' ('to drip') is a mineral formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves, hot springs, or man-made structures such as bridges and mines. Any material that is soluble and that can be deposited as a colloid, or is in suspension, or is capable of being melted, may form a stalactite. Stalactites may be composed of lava, minerals, mud, peat, pitch, sand, sinter, and amberat (crystallized urine of pack rats). A stalactite is not necessarily a speleothem, though speleothems are the most common form of stalactite because of the abundance of limestone caves. The corresponding formation on the floor of the cave is known as a stalagmite. Mnemonics have been developed for which word refers to which type of formation; one is that ''stalactite'' has a C for "ceiling", and ''stalagmite'' has a G for "ground". Another example is that ''stalactites'' "hang on ''T''ight" and ''stalagmites'' "''M''ight grow up" ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Serotine Bat
The serotine bat (''Eptesicus serotinus''), also known as the common serotine bat, big brown bat, or silky bat, is a fairly large Eurasian bat with quite large ears. It has a wingspan of around and often hunts in woodland. It sometimes roosts in buildings, hanging upside down, in small groups or individually. The name serotine is derived from the Latin ''serotinus'', which means 'evening', while the generic name derives from Greek ἔπιεν and οίκος, which means 'house flyer'. Taxonomy The following subspecies have been recognised. *''Eptesicus serotinus boscai'': southern Iberia and Morocco *''Eptesicus serotinus pashtonus'': Pakistan and Afghanistan *''Eptesicus serotinus serotinus'': northern and eastern Europe and western Asia *''Eptesicus serotinus turcomanus'': central Asia and Xinjiang The Oriental serotine (''E. pachyomus'') and its constituent subspecies were formerly considered a subspecies of ''E. serotinus'', comprising its eastern populations, and is st ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Daubenton's Bat
Daubenton's bat or Daubenton's myotis (''Myotis daubentonii'') is a Eurasian bat with rather short ears. It ranges from Ireland to Japan (Hokkaido) and is considered to be increasing its numbers in many areas. This bat was first described in 1817 by Heinrich Kuhl, who named it in honour of French naturalist Louis-Jean-Marie Daubenton. Description Daubenton's bat is a medium-sized to small species. The bat's fluffy fur is brownish-grey on the back and silvery-grey on the underside. Juveniles have darker fur than adults. The bats have reddish-pink faces and noses, but the area around the eyes is bare. When the bat is agitated, the ears are held at right angles. The wings and tail membrane are dark brown. Daubenton's bat is typically 45 to 55 mm long, with an average wingspan of 240 to 275 mm, and weighs between 7 and 15 g. Lifespan Daubenton's bats can live for up to 22 years. Habitat Daubenton's bat is found throughout Ireland and Europe, and as far as Japan and Kor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Whiskered Bat
The whiskered bat (''Myotis mystacinus'') is a small European bat with long fur. Although uncommon, ''M. mystacinus'' is often found around human habitation and around water; it is similar to Brandt's bat (''Myotis brandtii''), from which it was distinguished as a separate species only in 1970. Overview The analysis of morphological, behavioural, and especially genetic characters have since identified further cryptic species of whiskered bats in the genus ''Myotis'', including ''Myotis alcathoe The Alcathoe bat (''Myotis alcathoe'') is a European bat in the genus ''Myotis''. Known only from Greece and Hungary when it was first described in 2001, its known distribution has since expanded as far as Portugal, England, Sweden, and Russia. I ...'' (described in 2001 from Europe). '' Myotis aurascens'' and '' Myotis ikonnikovi'' are other similar species. ''Myotis hajastanicus'' was also included in ''M. mystacinus'' until recently, but it was differentiated on the base of morpholo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lesser Mouse-eared Bat
The lesser mouse-eared bat or lesser mouse-eared myotis (''Myotis blythii'') is a species of insectivorous bat in the family Vespertilionidae. Distribution Lesser mouse-eared bats can be found in the following countries: Afghanistan, Albania, Austria, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Mongolia, Pakistan, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Syria, Turkmenistan, and Ukraine. Threats The species is decreasing in population due to the pollution and changes in land management. Construction noise has disturbed populations in southern Spain; the population in Andalusia decreased from 30,000 to 14,000 between 1994 and 2002. Herders in Syria and Turkey light fires at cave mouths for their livestock disturbing the bats. Conservation It is protected in most of Europe by Bonn and Berne Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greater Mouse-eared Bat
The greater mouse-eared bat (''Myotis myotis'') is a European species of bat in the family Vespertilionidae. Description ''Myotis myotis'' is a large bat with a long, broad muzzle and big, long ears. The body's dorsal side is brown to reddish-brown, while the ventral side is dirty white or beige. The tragus forms half of the ear, with a small black tip in most individuals. Wing membranes are brownish in colour. The Greater mouse-eared bat is relatively large for a member of the genus ''Myotis'', weighing up to and measuring 8 to 9 cm from head to tail (a little larger than a house mouse, ''Mus musculus''), making it one of the largest European bats. It has a 40 cm wingspan, with a forearm length of 6 cm, and a 4 to 5 cm long tail. The average lifespan of a greater mouse-eared bat is 3–4 years, although particular individuals have lived up to 14 years. Distribution The greater mouse-eared bat can be found throughout Europe, with populations in most European ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geoffroy's Bat
Geoffroy's bat (''Myotis emarginatus'') is a species of vesper bat. Description ''M. emarginatus'' is a medium-sized bat with long and woolly fur. The dorsal side of the torso is rust-brown to fox-red and the ventral side is a poorly delineated pale yellowish-brown. The young animals are almost fully grey. The face is light brown. The ears are brown and they have an almost right-angled notch at the outer edge and many scattered, wart-like growths on the auricle. The tip of the tragus does not reach the notch on the edge of the ear. The wings are brown and broad. The edge of the tail membrane is supported by a straight calcar and part of it has short, straight and soft hairs. Ecology Geoffroy's bat feeds primarily on spiders and flies. It forages chiefly in scrubland and grassland, but is also known to frequent olive plantations and in livestock sheds. It typically roosts underground and in human buildings, often together with '' Rhinolophus'' species. Distribution Geoffr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bechstein's Bat
Bechstein's bat (''Myotis bechsteinii'') is a species of vesper bat found in Europe and western Asia, living in extensive areas of woodland. Description Bechstein's bat is a medium-sized and relatively long-eared bat. The adult has a long, fluffy fur which is reddish-brown above and gray-white below. It has a pinkish face, and its ears are long and broad. The wings are dark brown and rather broad, with the membrane attached to the base of the feet. Its wingspan measures up to 30 cm (11.8 in.) and it has a head-to-body length of 5 cm (1.9 in) Habits Bechstein's bat feeds chiefly on flying prey such as moths, dipterans, neuropterans and other small nocturnal insects. Analysis of droppings from the Isle of Wight and Wiltshire shows a diet consisting of dung flies, grasshoppers, nut weevils, and moths. Populations cut off from forest land are recorded to shift to a diet of terrestrial insects and spiders caught from the ground. Bechstein's bats typically forage within one or two ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greater Horseshoe Bat
The greater horseshoe bat (''Rhinolophus ferrumequinum'') is an insectivorous bat of the genus '' Rhinolophus''. Its distribution covers Europe, Northern Africa, Central Asia and Eastern Asia. It is the largest of the horseshoe bats in Europe and is thus easily distinguished from other species. The species is sedentary, typically travelling up to between the winter and summer roosts, with the longest recorded movement being . The frequencies used by this bat species for echolocation lie between 69–83 kHz, have most energy at 81 kHz and have an average duration of 37.4 ms. Description The greater horseshoe bat is the largest horseshoe bat in Europe.Schober, W., E. Grimmberger. 1997. It has a distinctive noseleaf, which has a pointed upper part and a horseshoe-shaped lower part. Its horseshoe noseleaf helps to focus the ultrasound it uses to 'see'. The greater horseshoe bat also has tooth and bone structures that are distinct from that of other rhinolophids. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cave Pearl
A cave pearl is a small, usually spherical, speleothem (cave formation) found in limestone caves. Cave pearls are formed by a concretion of calcium salts that form concentric layers around a nucleus. Exposure to moving water polishes the surface of cave pearls, making them glossy; if exposed to the air, cave pearls can degrade and appear rough. Composition A cave pearl is composed primarily of calcite (calcium carbonate aCO3. Cave pearls are generally not considered to be a type of oolite. Other minerals found in small quantities in cave pearls include quartz (silicon dioxide iO2, apatite (a group of phosphate minerals), iron, aluminum, and magnesium. Formation Cave pearls form when water dripping into a cave loses carbon dioxide and precipitates calcite. A cave pearl forms when the water is moving too vigorously to form a stalagmite. A nucleus of matter (such as a grain of sand) becomes coated with calcite, and the current then provides a rotation to the nucleus in such ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
