A NEW RECORD OF PİPİSTRELLUS PİPİSTRELLUS ALADIDN FOR TURKEY

Between April 1977 and November 1981, during taxonomical researches on Turkish bats in Eastern Turkey, the presence of Pipistrellus pipistrellus aladdin Thomas, 1905, was first recorded from Turkey. This study is based on a total of 163 specimens comprising 131 Pipistrellus pipistrellus pipistrellus (Schreber. mi) and 32 P. p. aladdin. Out of 131 specimens, 81 were obtained from Western Turkey and used only for the determination of the distribution map of P.p. pipistrellus in this papel. Field notes were also recorded. Weight and 37 external and cranial measurements were taken, they were used for comparison and statistical evaluation. The resuİts revealed that two subspecîes of P. pipistrellus^ the nominate form and P. p. aladdin exist in Turkey.


INTRODUCTION
Ellerman and Morrison-Scott (1951) noted that the distribution area of P. p. pipistrellus has inciuded Asia Minör (Anatolia).Lewis and Harrison (1962) recorded the specimens (Nat.Hist.B.M.) from Çankırı as the nominate form.Lehmann (1966) recorded the four specimens from Bedirge near Antakya as P. p. mediterraneus Cabrera, 1904.Neuhauser and DeBlase (1971) stated that two specimens (Nat.Hist.B.M.) from Yalnız near Antalya represented the nominate form.Corbet (1978) also confinned that Asia Minör (Anatolia) was in the distribution area of

P. p. pipistrellus
As a native researchmaker I intended to revise and clarify the situation in this study.

MATERIAL AND METHOD
During our researches, between April 1977 and November 1981, I obtained 82 specimens of Pipistrellus pipistrellus in Eastern Turkey and prepared tbem in the conventional museum type according to Mursaloğlu (1965).
As ali of tbe female specimens except one were obtained from the breeding colonies, the majority of females were either pregnant or nursing adult.Therefore, ali comparisons were made between only these adult females.
Ali the measurements wcre taken according to Thomas (1905b), Harrison (1964) and Albayrak (1985).Weight and 37 external and cranial measurements taken from each specimen were compared and statistically evaluated.For comparison the specimens were divided into age groups: infants, juveniles and adults according to the procedures of Andersen (1917) and Baagoe (1977).Only adult were taken into consideration.
To obtain tbe distribution area cf P. p. pipistrellus in entire Turkey, I considered 81 specimens obtained from the otber part of Turkey but tbeir statistical data were not used.
Alı of the specimens have been deposited in the mammalian collection of the Department cf Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Ankara.

Pipistrellus pipistrellus pipistrellus
Our specimens have the same diagnostic characters as colour and colour pattern recorded befoıe by Schreber (1774).(1971).These authors indicated an additional diagnostic character for P. p. aladdin, a white border, wbich was found in ali of our specimens also.Habitat: The specimens were obtained from a roof coveıing of a small building in the early July.As can be seen in Fig. 1. the four specimens obtained from Bedirge near Antakya and identified as P.p. mediterraneus are located in this blank space that is to say in the transition area between the P.p. pipistrellus and P.p. aladdin. in this case P. p. mediterraneus may be considered as an intermediate form between well defined subspecies, P.p. pipistrellus and P.p. aladdin.This conciusion coincides with that revealed by Neuhauser and DeBlase (1971).

During early
But, Lehmann (1966) identified the four specimens from Bedirge in the vicinity of Antakya as P.p. mediterraneus.However, the taxonomic identity of the four specimens from Bedirge tviU be clarify exactly after obtaining satisfactory sample series from the transition area between the distribution of the well defined subspecies, P.p. pipistrellus and P.p. aladdin.
Habitat: 49 specimens were collected in a very narrow space bctween the walls of two buildings in Artvin and another one was netted during a low flight in the field in Tokat at night.During mid-July the colonies vvere consisting of 40-50 individuals.Adult females w©re either pregnant baving twin.embrios or nursing motber with twin infants.The colonies did not incinde adult males.The daily flight would begin after sunset.The Identification of my specimens obtained from the Western, Middle and Northeast Turfcey showed that the distribution of P. p. pipistrellus covers the whole Western, Middle and Norteast Turkey (Fig. 1) , Specimens exanıined: Total number, 144 from the followiag localities: Balıkesir province, Dinkçiler district (1 adult Ş and 1 adult 181611977); Tokat province, Turhal city, Pazar town (1 juvenile Ş, 12181 1978); Ankara province, Çankaya (2 adult Ş Ş, 231911978); Artvin province, Hotel Genya (22 adult Ş Ş, 14 juvenile Ş Ş and 13 juvenile 161711979); Çanakkale province, Gökçeada (1 adult Ş, 3 July, colonies were consisting of about 100 female individuals.Adult females were either pregnant having embrios or nur sing mother with twin infants.The colonies did not inciude adult males.The daily flight would begin after sunset.Specimens examiued: Total number, 32 from the following locali ties: Kars province.Aralık city, The State Farm of İğdır (not have chance to see the type specimen of P. p. pipistrellus and that of P.p. aladdin, the original descriptions of them are clear enough to differ them easily.Therefore, I could differ them in my specimens from each other basing on the originaJ descriptions, but unfortunately, I could not obtain any specimen from transition area between the two population, P.p. pipistrellus and P.p. aladdin.So I could not give any marginal records.Thus I have to leave a large blank space between two distribution areas in the map, Fig. 1.