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Amazing Bats

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Bats are brilliant

Bats are the only true flying mammals

Oldest bat fossil from 52 million years ago

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Our British bats

18 native species – 17 of which are known to be breeding in the UK
One third of all our mammal species!
All British bats are insectivorous
All bat species and their roosts are protected under British law

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How do bats get around in� the dark?

Bats are not blind but they hunt insects in flight in the dark by sound
Bats use sound above our hearing (ultrasound) and we need bat detectors to listen to their calls

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What do British bats eat?

Insects
A pipistrelle bat can eat over 3,000

midges in one night

Noctule bats eat large beetles, cockchafers and moths
Brown long eared bats

specialise in catching moths

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Where do bats feed?

Bats need good foraging habitat near to where they roost
Bats will feed over water, woodland and open grassland
Urban gardens can provide good foraging for bats, especially if they include night flowering plants which attract nocturnal insects

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Where do bats roost?

Bats roost in buildings and trees
Bats increasingly choose to roost with us in our homes

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What do bats do through the year?

Bats emerge from hibernation in March/April
Put on weight
Females move to maternity

roosts

Young born in June/July
20-30% of mother’s weight

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What do bats do through the year?

Bats mate in autumn
Gain weight prior to hibernation
Bats hibernate, as few insects active in winter

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What do bats do through the year?

Young are born naked and blind
Young fed on milk
Female can carry young bat with her
Young can fly at around 3 weeks old
Independent at 6 weeks

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Going batty!

Batty things you can do:

Go on a bat walk
Make a bat box
Grow some ‘bat friendly’ plants in your

garden

Join your local bat group!
Take part in the National Bat

Monitoring Programme

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Common pipistrelle

Common pipistrelle - our smallest and most common bat
Roosts in buildings, behind hanging tiles or boarding and in cavity walls and also uses trees
Emerges around15-20 minutes after sunset
Small bat, weighs 4-7g
Wingspan, 18-24cm
Erratic bouncing flight just above

head height

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Soprano pipistrelle

Very similar to common pipistrelle bats
Roosts in buildings, behind hanging tiles or boarding and in cavity walls and also trees
Soprano pipistrelles often feed close to lakes and woodland
Pipistrelle bats can eat 3000

midges per night

Soprano pipistrelles often roost

in large numbers

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Noctule

Large bat - predominantly tree roosting
Emerges just after sunset, often while still light
Long thin wings, flies high and

fast in straight lines

Wingspan 32-45cm
Very loud echolocation calls,

this bat is 4 times louder than

the legal limit of a night club

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Daubenton’s bat

Medium sized bat – also known as the water bat
Emerges between 30-60 minutes after sunset
Skims very low over water

surface to feed

Wingspan 23-27cm
Has large hairy feet

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Brown long-eared bat

Brown long-eared bats are widespread and abundant
Roosts in houses and

barns

Very quiet bat that sneaks

up on its prey

Wingspan 24-28cm
Brown long eared bats are

often described as

‘whispering bats’

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Securing the future of bats in a changing world

Discovering how bats are faring and how they use the landscape

Taking action on the ground in partnership with volunteers, professionals and government

Inspiring people to appreciate and support bats and their environment

- We are the leading NGO solely devoted to the conservation of bats and the landscapes on which they rely.

We are working to secure the future of bats in our ever changing world by tackling the threats to bats from persecution to loss of roosts and changing land use.

As the authority on bat conservation we work locally, national and internationally to deliver our vision of a world where bats and people thrive together in harmony.

For 20 years we have been working to secure the future of bats supported by 5000 members, over 2000 volunteers and around 100 local bat groups. To do this we focus our work in 3 areas: discover, act and inspire

Discovering more about bats and how they use the landscape. The more we understand and learn bats the better we can protect them and secure their future. Our range of monitoring programmes (such as the National Bat Monitoring Programme) and conservation research in partnership with universities are unlocking the mysteries of the some of the most complex creatures on the planet.

Taking action to secure and enhance bat populations, such as protecting roosts on the Bat Helpline, running the Investigation project into bat crime, lobbying for bats and putting to effect best practice and guidance for all those who work or come into contact with bats such as with planners, landowners, woodland managers, roost owners and the construction to help everyone accommodate bats

People are central to bat conservation. Bats have adapted to share both urban and rural environment with us, this leaves them vulnerable to our actions but also presents a huge opportunity to inspire everyone everywhere about bats, and engage communities with bat conservation. We are pioneers in inclusive conservation, bats are great at connecting people to our environment, bats are part of nature in we can all enjoy and share. Bats are the wild, mysterious and unique on your door step and we want to keep them that way.

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How you can help bats

Join

Volunteer

Give

None of this is possible without your support.

Bats need all of our help. To help bats you need to get involved and you need to do it now. But don’t worry it is easy, from planting a bat friendly garden or simply writing A cheque to be proud of! Each of you to make a commitment to do at least one of these 3 things:

JOIN THE BAT CONSERVATION TRUST. The single best way show your support for bats (and learn more about them) is through membership. Your subscription helps support our work and your name as member demonstrates that bats can’t and won’t be overlooked.

2) BAT CONSERVATION IS WORKING. VOLUNTEER & join one of the most successful conservation movements ever. Bats are being saved and populations secured everyday thanks to the efforts of volunteers. You can help on our out of hours helpline, get stuck in with a local bat group or simply spend a summer evening counting bats for our National Bat Monitoring Programme, what could be better.

3) GIVE: It is the easiest way to help. We rely on your generosity and commitment to bats. From donations, leaving a gifts in your will, to running a marathon there are lots of ways to help us help bats even more.

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What are you going to do to help bats?��www.bats.org.uk �

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Many thanks to the following people for the kind use of their images and footage:

Hugh Clark�Rob Parkin�Tina Wiffen�Pat Morris/Ardea�John Altringham�Hayden Smith

�

None of the images can be reproduced, distributed or edited without the prior consent of the Bat Conservation Trust.

Philip Briggs

Jules Agate

Roger Jiggins�Anne Youngman�Shirley Thompson