Bats (Chiroptera) in the collection of the Zoological Museum of Lviv University, Ukraine

Abstract

The theriological collection of the Zoological Museum of Ivan Franko National University of Lviv was amassed during 142 years. It has over 3,800 exhibits, among which 343 (9 %) are bats (Chiroptera) that belong to 32 species. The bat collection is represented by study skins (254 exhibits) which are being preserved in 22 special boxes. Stuffed and almost all fluid-preserved specimens of bats are presented only in the exposition. Besides, there are 6 skeletons and 11 skulls in the collection, which belong to at least 9 species of bats. The main part of the collection was gathered in Western Ukraine, and only a few samples originate from the South and East of Ukraine. In particular, the type series of Khazarian serotine Eptesicus lobatus Zagorodniuk, 2009 was brought from Eastern Ukraine. Tropical species are also presented in the collection: Hipposideros caffer, Epomophorus labiatus, Pteropus vampyrus, and species of the genera Neoro­micia and Rousettus. The bat collection was amassed during 1900–2015. It widely represents the bat fauna of the Carpathian region and Transcarpathian lowland.

Keywords

• bats
• collections
• zoological museum
• Lviv University.
• Lviv University