RINGING COMMISSION

The coordination of any marking activities with specific rings designed for bats carried out by members of the association is carried out via the Ringing Commission, which also acts as the endorser for this type of work in Spain as required by the Ministry of the Environment and Rural and Marine Environments.

The scientific ringing of bats allows for the collation of large quantities of information about the longevity and distribution and migratory movements of the marked individuals. Nevertheless, unlike what happens with birds, the handling and marking of bats is a very delicate task as it can cause great disturbance and stress to specimens of some species due to damage during handling and later due to the rejection of the placed ring. Moreover, most bat species are very scarce and listed under the highest protection categories in the various regional red lists of threatened fauna. For this reason the ringing of bats should only be carried out by experienced and authorised personnel. Training in this practice should always be conducted within an established work group where one can obtain the necessary experience in order to work independently if required.

Due to the presence of rabies viruses in several bat populations, rabies vaccinations prior to any handling of bats is absolutely necessary.