Mediterranean Horseshoe Bat, Bats of Cyprus Thematic Issue, Republic of Cyprus

Mediterranean Horseshoe Bat, Bats of Cyprus Thematic Issue, Republic of Cyprus

Postage stamps--Cyprus--History

Γραμματόσημα--Κύπρος--Ιστορία

Of the twenty-six terrestrial mammal species in Cyprus, six teen are bats. The Mediterranean Horseshoe bat is one of them. It is a medium sized bird 4.5 cm long and with a wing span of 33 cm. It forms large colonies and lives in caves, mines and stables. It gives birth to one young and feeds on small insects and butterflies. It appears certain that bats arrived in Cyprus naturally and were not introduced by man. Very little is known about bats in Cyprus and more needs to be learnt about their habitat selection, behavior, reproduction, population sizes and migration habits. Usually they make their roost sites in caves and mines. The loss of their habitats is one of the major factors affecting their population size. In 2001 a roost of Geoffroy ’s bats was spotted near Kalavasos at the border of Limassol and Larnaca districts. Bats have a life expectancy of 30 years. Of some 4,500 different species of mammals in the world, nearly 1,000 are bats.

Cyprus Post, Republic of Cyprus

Κυπριακά Ταχυδρομεία, Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία

Cyprus Post, Republic of Cyprus

Κυπριακά Ταχυδρομεία, Κυπριακή Δημοκρατία

Library of Cyprus University of Technology

Digital Heritage Research Lab of Cyprus University of Technology

12th June 2003

Designer: O. Bell

Απαγορεύεται η δημοσίευση ή αναπαραγωγή, ηλεκτρονική ή άλλη χωρίς τη γραπτή συγκατάθεση του δημιουργού.

www.cypruspost.gov.cy

TIFF

EL, EN

Image

2003-BATS-25

35.160417, 33.346556

Alex Matsoukis, Athens