The first observation of the Lesser Horseshoe Bat <i>Rhinolophus hipposideros</i> (Bechstein, 1800) outside the northern limit of occurrence in Europe

In 2024 and 2025, during the annual winter bat monitoring organized in Poland, the Lesser Horseshoe Bat was found hibernating in underground sites in north-western Poland. This is the first finding of this species outside the northern limit of its occurrence on the European continent. It is most likely that Rhinolophus hypossideros recorded in the same wintering site year after year is one and the same specimen, which remained in the new site throughout the year until the following winter. Following the observations, recording of the Lesser Horseshoe Bat’s presence in the new area using ultrasonic detectors began in 2025.