Endangered bats in the Republic of Croatia and their protection

Ovaj rad prvenstveno se bavi najugroženijim vrstama šišmiša, razlozima njihove ugroženosti te nalazištima njihovih kolonija u Republici Hrvatskoj. Navedene su zakonodavne mjere koje su već propisane, a predložene su i dodatne mjere zaštite s ciljem sprječavanja izumiranja vrsta. Navedene su i značajke reda šišmiša, s naglaskom na podred Microchiroptera. Objašnjeni su njihov razvoj, specifične prilagodbe i karakteristike, kao i način života. U slučaju vrsta zabilježenih na području Hrvatske posebna pažnja je pridana čimbenicima koji ih čine ugroženima, rasprostranjenosti njihovih kolonija te nalazištima koja su potvrđena terenskim istraživanjima, kao i zabrinjavajućim nestancima mnogih kolonija s ranije pronađenih lokacija. Zaključeno je da se zbog nedostatka recentnijih podataka o rasprostranjenosti te ekologiji mnogih vrsta istraživanja trebaju nastaviti kako bi se zaštitne mjere za svaku vrstu mogle što bolje definirati.This paper primarily deals with the most endangered bat species, the reasons for their endangerment and the locations of their colonies in the Republic of Croatia. Legislative measures that have already been implemented are listed and additional protection measures are proposed in order to prevent the extinction of species. The characteristics of the Chiroptera order are also introduced, with emphasis on the suborder Microchiroptera. Their development, specific adaptations and features, as well as their way of life are explained. Regarding the species in Croatia, special attention was paid to the factors of their endangerment, the distribution of their colonies and sites confirmed by field research, as well as the concerning disappearances of many colonies from previously marked locations. Due to the lack of more recent data on the distribution and ecology of many species, it is concluded that research needs to be continued in order to determine the best possible protection measures for each species