Bat Activity in South Mediterranean Forests: A Seasonal Acoustic Survey

South Mediterranean forests are known for their spatial and temporal variability in fauna and flora species abundance. Using acoustic surveys and generalized linear models, we investigated the nocturnal activity of bats in five forest sites in northeast Algeria from March to November. A total of 12 species were detected: Rhinolophus blasii, R. hipposideros, Tadarida teniotis, Miniopterus schreibersii, Eptesicus isabellinus, Hypsugo savii, Pipistrellus kuhlii, P. pipistrellus, Plecotus gaisleri, Myotis cappaccinii, M. emarginatus, and M. punicus. Activity levels varied significantly among months and sites. Overall bat activity and P. kuhlii activity increased from spring to summer, peaked in August, and slightly decreased in early autumn. Activity levels also differed markedly among forest sites, with low activity levels in the urban forest site, and E. isabellinus was mostly active in only two forest sites. These results suggest that both environmental conditions and location-specific factors shape the activity patterns.