A population of Egyptian spiny‑mouthed fish has been discovered in Europe after two centuries

• Acoustic monitoring in Pantelleria recorded the Egyptian mongoose.
• Echolocation signals and calls of the Egyptian mongoose have been recorded.
• A small population of this species likely lives on the island.
• The opening was published in the journal Global Ecology and Conservation.

A recent study by zoologists confirmed that a member of the family Hipposideridae indeed inhabits Europe – the Egyptian fruit bat (Hipposideros egyptiacus). Previously, information about its presence in this region was based only on rare mentions from the 19th century, which remained unconfirmed for a long time.

Historical context

In the late 19th century, several naturalists recorded observations of fruit bats on the islands of the Mediterranean Sea, but the lack of modern data made scientists treat these reports with caution. Since then, the question of the actual distribution of the Egyptian fruit bat in Europe has remained open.

Research Methodology

As part of a project on acoustic monitoring of bats, scientists chose the island of Pantelleria, located 100 kilometers south of Sicily. Over several nights, ultrasonic detectors capable of recording both echolocation signals and social calls of bats were set up on the island. The recorded data was then analyzed by specialists familiar with the characteristic spectra of various species.

As a result of the monitoring, several recordings were obtained, in which signals typical of the Egyptian mole rat were clearly traced. One recording, in which the voices of two individuals sounded simultaneously, attracted particular attention, indicating the presence of multiple individuals in one population.

Results and their significance

The acoustic data obtained allow us to confidently assert that there is a small but stable population of the Egyptian mole rat on the island of Pantelleria. This discovery expands the known range of the species, which was previously thought to be limited to Africa and the Middle East.

The presence of mole rats in Europe is significant for the biological diversity of the region and raises questions about the need to include this species in conservation and monitoring programs. Further research will help clarify the population size, its genetic structure, and possible migration routes.

The results of the study were published in an international scientific journal Global Ecology and Conservation, where they received positive feedback from specialists in bats and Mediterranean ecology.

Source: N+1