• Bat facts

    Chiroptera

Species

There are 18 species of bat in the UK, 17 of which are known to be breeding on our shores. All 18 species of bat are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. The common pipistrelle and soprano pipistrelle are the most common British bats.

Scientific Names:

Alcathoe bat: Myotis alcathoe

Barbastelle: Barbastella barbastellus

Bechstein's bat: Myotis bechsteinii

Brandt's bat: Myotis brandtii

Brown long-eared bat: Plecotus auratus

Common pipistrelle: Pipistrellus pipistrellus

Daubenton's bat: Myotis daubentoniid

Greater horseshoe bat: Rhinolophus ferrumequinum

Grey long-eared bat: Plecotus austriacus

Leisler's bat: Nyctalus leisleri

Lesser horseshoe bat: Rhinolophus hipposideros

Nathusius' pipistrelle: Pipistrellus nathusi

Natterer's bat: Myotis nattereri

Noctule: Nyctalus noctule

Serotine: Eptesicus serotinus

Soprano pipistrelle: Pipistrellus pygmaeus

Whiskered bat: Myotis mystacinus

Facts

Size:The larger bats in the UK are the noctule and greater horseshoe bat, with a wing span of up to 38cm. The pipistrelle is also the smallest British bat, but, despite the pipistrelle being small in stature (weight approximately 5 grams),they can eat up to 3,000 insects in a single night.

Diet: Insectivores: British bats eat insects and nothing else. This makes them valuable friends and allies, as many farmers and gardeners seek to reduce insect numbers- some insects can cause damage to valuable crops and flowers.

Average Lifespan: The lifespan of a UK bat can vary a lot. The most common species, the pipistrelles, have an average lifespan of four to five years. The longest-lived species include Brandt's bat, which can live up to 40 years, and the greater horseshoe, which can make it to 30 years.

When to see them: April to November

UK conservation status: The grey long-eared bat is endangered; the barbastelle and the serotine are vulnerable. Leisler's bat and Nathusius' pipistrelle are classed as near vulnerable

Behaviour

Bats catch their food (flying insects)by using a remarkable form of 'radar'! As the bat flies through the air, it emits a series of ultrasonic squeaks (about12 - 15 per second). The sound waves from each squeaking call are projected out in front of the flying bat. As these sound waves come into contact with objects along the flight line, they bounce echoes back to the bat's receiving gear, allowing the bat to avoid obstacles or to hone in on insect prey.

Bats play an important role in the ecosystem. Many plants depend, partly or wholly, on bats to pollinate their flowers or spread their seeds; they play a vital role in protecting our environment.

Breeding: Bats mating season usually occurs throughout autumn. Males will breed with several females in a group. The female bats then have delayed implantation until the warmer weather arrives in spring. In early summer, pregnant female bats gather together and form a maternity roost to have their babies, with gestation usually between 44-50days.

Their Threats

A reduction in food source is a major threat to bats. The use of pesticides, intense farming, and habitat loss, have all reduced the number of insects on which bats rely as their food source.

It is not widely reported, but light pollution is also affecting their natural feeding routine.

How you can help

There are a number of simple ways you can help bat species:

>Plant night-scented flowers, such as Evening Primrose and Honeysuckle, these will attract moths and, in turn, any bats looking for an insect-filled dinner.

>Provide drinking water
. Many bat species are fans of ponds and lakes, not only to rehydrate, but for an easy meal made up of mosquitos and other flying insects.

>Reduce or remove any artificial lighting.
Artificial lighting can alter the time a bat emerges from its roost. This then reduces their foraging time, and risks them missing the peak time of insect abundance (just after dusk). It can also increase their risk of predation.

>Provide a bat box.
Many bat species are in decline because of the increasing loss in suitable and safe roosting sites. Similar to a bird box, but with a gap at the bottom rather than an entrance hole, bat boxes are easy to make and widely available to buy.

Useful contacts

Bat Conservation Trust (national): 0845 130 0228 / www.bats.org.uk

Surrey Bat Group: http://www.surreybats.org.uk/

Frequently Asked Bat Questions

Bats have a very sophisticated system for finding their way around in the dark, but, despite this, some do end up getting trapped inside buildings. This happens most often between mid-July and mid-August, when baby bats are learning to fly, and they are inexperienced in using their newly-developed echolocation skills. This means that when they are finding their way back to the roost after hunting, they might crawl through the wrong gap or through an open window, especially if this window is beneath the roost entrance; they will then find themselves inside the house, rather than in the roof. Bats are very small and need only a very small space in order to gain access, so sometimes it can be very hard to tell how a bat got in.

NEVER try to catch a flying bat - you are likely to injure it severely and it may even bite in self-defence.

So what do you do? If it's a warm evening, the best course of action is to close the door to the room, and to open the windows to the outside as widely as possible, dim the lights and give the bat the chance to find its own way out. Bats navigate by sending out high-pitched sounds and listening for the echoes, so the bat should soon detect any opening that leads out of the room. If it does not find its way out, it will roost somewhere in the room when it becomes light, and will appear again the following evening, at dusk. If you wish to search the room to ensure the bat has gone, the best places to look are in the folds of curtains and behind picture frames, and other places that are high up, where the bat can roost, out of the light. However, bats have been found hanging from the tassels at the bottom of an armchair, so do check at a lower level, as well.

At all other times, such as during daylight hours or during the winter, wait until the bat lands. Sometimes young bats, which are inexperienced flyers, will become exhausted before finding the way out. They may try to land on a wall or curtains, or they may crash-land on furniture or the floor. In this case, you should contain the bat and then release it in the evening.

To contain a bat:
Place a box (which should be shoe box or ice cream tub-sized) over the bat and slide a piece of cardboard under the box to make the floor of the container. If this is not practical, then put on a pair of thick protective gloves and pick up the bat and put it in the box. It is recommended that people wear thick gloves to handle bats because there is a tiny risk of some bats in Britain carrying a rabies-related virus, which could be transmitted through a bite or a scratch. Bats are not vicious, but a frightened wild animal may become distressed and bite.

Put a piece of cloth, such as an old tea towel, loosely crumpled, in one corner of the box. The bat will feel safer if it has something to crawl into and hide. Put a few small air holes into the lid and a very shallow container (such as a foil milk bottle top) of water in one corner, so the bat can have a drink.

To release a bat:
When releasing the bat, you should wait until dusk, or as near to that time as possible. It should be a warm, dry night. Place the box on its side, so the bat can crawl straight out. Bats need to drop and swoop to become airborne, so the box should be on the top of a wall or on a shed roof, at least five feet off the ground, as near as possible to where the bat was found. It should be placed somewhere safe from predators. The bat can then crawl out of the box and fly away, when it is ready.

If the bat does not fly away within 2 hours, it might need further attention, so take it back inside, as it will need to be passed on to a bat rehabilitator. If you pass the bat on to a bat rehabilitator, it is important to, also, pass on details of who found the bat, where and in what circumstances it was found.

Adopt a bat

By adopting a bat with the Wildlife Aid Foundation, you will be providing vital funds to support the rescue and rehab of injured, sick and orphaned animals. For just £3 per month, your kind adoption will help provide the expert care, treatment and food they require before they are safely returned to the wild – where they belong.

And that's not all. As a bat adopter, not only will you be providing invaluable care and helping countless animals, but you will also receive an exclusive bat adoption pack, including cuddly toy, species brochure, certificate of adoption, photo, annual updates and more.