New underground sites for bats (Mammalia: chiroptera) in Orhei National Park, Republic of Moldova

The studies were performed in May 2025 in two important underground site for bats within Orhei National Parc - Jeloboc limestone mine, that haven"t been studied for 60 years, and Furceni limestone mine - new site for bat roosting. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the diversity of bat fauna and to highlight the importance of the underground sites for bat conservation in the central part of the republic. In Jeloboc mine 6 bat species were registered with low number, which prove that the site is used in summer only as temporary roost for resting during the day. In the new site - Furceni mine 3 species were registered and a large maternity colony of the species Rhinolophus hipposideros was recorded, counting about 500 pregnant females. This is the largest known maternity colony of the lesser horseshoe bat in the republic. All the species recorded in the mines are listed in the Red Book of the Republic of Moldova. Thus, both sites are important underground roosts for bat conservation in the central part of the republic.