All About Bats

 

What are bats?

Bats are the only mammals that can truly fly. Almost a quarter of the world's 4000 mammal species are bats! From fossil evidence, we know these elusive creatures have been around virtually unchanged for at least 50 million years. They vary in size - the smallest having a tiny body-length of about 3 centimetres, and the largest a wingspan of almost astaggering 2 metres!

Bats have evolved to eat a wide variety of foods including flowers, nectar, fruit, frogs, fish, insects and of course blood (vampire bats, although everyone has heard about them are represented by only two species, and live only in Central and South America). European bats, including those in Britain, eat only insects.

All British bats echolocate to find their way about and also to find their food. By emitting short shouts of ultrasound (high frequency sound, mostly above our range of hearing) and listening to the echoes, they are able to build up an amazingly detailed picture of their surroundings. In this way they are able to find and catch an insect the size of a midge while flying through foliage in total darkness. We can identify species, and listen to them echolocating, by using a 'bat detector'. This device picks up the ultrasound and lowers the frequency so that we can hear the sounds.

Bats in West Yorkshire

In West Yorkshire we can find up to 9 of our 15 native British species of bat. The smallest and most common is the Pipistrelle, and is the species most likely to be found roosting in suburban houses. It was not until very recently that it was discovered to be two separate species; they look very similar to the untrained eye, but they echolocate at slightly different frequencies. Pipistrelles can eat around 3000 small insects (gnats, midges, etc) in a single night - good news if you like to eat outdoors at barbecues!

Other species include the Daubenton's bat, sometimes referred to as the Water Bat. It spends most of its life over or close to water, typically living in bridges or buildings close to rivers, canals or reservoirs. It often picks insects off the surface of the water with its large feet. Daubenton's bats can live up to 30 years!

The Noctule is the largest bat found in West Yorkshire, with a wingspan of up to 38 centimetres. It's usually one of the earlier species to be seen in the evening, flying high over meadows and around the tops of trees in the early dusk and can easily be mistaken for a late bird.

What do I do if I have bats living in the house?

The answer is 'Nothing!' If you find that they are using your house as a roost, there is absolutely no need to worry! British bats do not pose a health hazard - they are very clean animals. Their tiny droppings are dry and composed of small parts of insect wings and legs and readily turn to dust after a while.

Unlike rodents, bats do not damage your property - they don't gnaw through wiring, chew timber, make nests or try to get into your kitchen for the biscuits! A colony will use a number of roost sites throughout the spring, summer and autumn, spending time at each. So 'your' bats will usually be in residence only for a short time during this period. In winter they normally choose different, colder hibernation sites. They return to the same roosts year after year.

Both bats and their roosts are protected by law. Very strict penalties apply to anyone interfering with bats or their roosts in any way without first consulting English Nature.

What should you do in the rare event of finding a bat inside the living area of your house?

First of all do not panic! Sometimes a bat - particularly a youngster - will make a mistake and enter your house. All it wants to do is get out. If it can't find a way out immediately, it may hide in a corner somewhere, go to sleep and try again the following evening. Just open a window and it will fly out.

Bats In Judy woods

Bats in Judy woods can be seen on warm summer evenings migrating over the open spaces of pasture and field attracted by the waterthey move along the Village Green Corridor and other hedgegrows as staging posts . The bats follow distinct ruins until they reach Bierly cemetry where thy cross and find there way to the numerous tres and in particular the island at Harold Park. This area is rich in midges , flies and other sources of food .As such they are dependent on these tree corridors . The islands in many of the park lakes the district are santuarys for these creatures and the life line often the roosting stages that trees bushes and such corrridors provide

 

 

Brown Long-Eared (Plecotus auritus):

Daubenton’s (Myotis daubentonii):

Noctule (Nyctalus noctula):

Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus & Pipistrellus pygamaeus):

 

Links

 

Rhinolophus ferrumequinum
Greater Horseshoe Bat
SW England and S Wales. Very rare and endangered

Rhinolophus hipposideros Lesser Horseshoe Bat W'spread in SW England and S Wales. Rare and endangered
Barbastella barbastellus

Western barbastelle
Widespread in England and Wales, but rare

Eptesicus serotinus
Serotine
Widespread in S Britain

Myotis bechsteini
Bechstein's bat
Central S England. Very rare

Myotis brandti
Brandt's bat
Common in W and N England, rare or absent elsewhere
Myotis daubentoni
Daubenton's bat
Common throughout much of Britain
Commonly hunts over water
Myotis myotis
Mouse-eared bat
Formerly S English coast. Now extinct

Myotis mystacinus
Whiskered bat
Local. Probably throughout England and Wales

Myotis nattereri Natterer's bat Fairly common throughout much of Britain
Nyctalus leisleri Leisler's bat (Lesser noctule)Widespread but scarce in central Britain
Nyctalus noctula Noctule bat Widespread in England and Wales. Generally uncommon
Pipistrellus nathusii Nathusius's pipistrell Migrant winter visitor
Pipistrellus pipistrellus Common pipistrelle Common throughout most of the British Isles
Plecotus auritusBrown long-eared batWidespread and common
Plecotus austriacus Grey long-eared bat Devon, Dorset, Hampshire and Somerset. Very rare