Sardinian Long-eared Bat
CR

Sardinian Long-eared Bat

Plecotus sardus

DecliningVUEUVUEU

Photo: Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Overview

The Sardinian long-eared bat is a critically-endangered species of bat endemic to Sardinia, Italy.

The Sardinian long-eared bat faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural intensification and urban development across its limited Mediterranean range. Cave disturbance from tourism and recreational activities disrupts critical roosting sites, while climate change is altering the availability of suitable foraging habitats. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to local extinctions from these combined pressures.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species inhabits Mediterranean woodland, scrubland, and agricultural areas, typically roosting in caves, abandoned buildings, and rock crevices. It forages in open woodlands and along forest edges, preferring areas with diverse vegetation structure that support abundant moth populations.

Rocky areas· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies managementSpecies recovery

Other threatened species in VESPERTILIONIDAE

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Rosevear's Serotine

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Corsican MyotisCR

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Threatened in Italy

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Lepiota echinella

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Lyophyllum deliberatum

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Arum apulum

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Pipizella nigriana

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Sardinian Long-eared Bat classified as Critically Endangered?
Sardinian Long-eared Bat is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. The Sardinian long-eared bat faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural intensification and urban development across its limited Mediterranean range. Cave disturbance from tourism and recreational activities disrupts critical roosting sites, while climate change is altering the availability of suitable foraging habitats. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to local extinctions from these combined pressures.
Where does Sardinian Long-eared Bat live?
Sardinian Long-eared Bat occurs in Italy. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Sardinian Long-eared Bat?
The main threats to Sardinian Long-eared Bat are 11.1, ai-1, ai-2, and ai-3. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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