DOI: 10.1515/mammalia-2026-0147 ISSN: 0025-1461
Record longevity in Brandt’s bat: Myotis brandtii aged at least 36 years and 7 months from Estonia
Oliver Kalda, Christel R. Bachmann, Lauri Lutsar, Maris Pärn, Rauno KaldaAbstract
Here, we report an exceptionally long-lived Brandt’s bat ( Myotis brandtii Eversmann, 1845) from the Piusa sand mines in south-eastern Estonia. During a survey in February 2026 we recorded a male bat bearing a metal ring (Estonia Matsalu 1128509). The national ringing database showed that the bat had been ringed as an adult on 9 March 1990 in the same part of the mine system. Given the interval between ringing and recovery, and its adult status when ringed, the bat had reached a minimum age of 36 years and 7 months, a new age record for the species.