Test yourself, how many of the following statements are true?
- Bats are very clean animals and spend hours grooming.
- Bats often choose to hang up in modern buildings, houses and bungalows.
- Droppings are crumbly, consisting of insect remains which are neither unpleasant nor unhealthy.
- Bats are not likely to attack people or pets. Of nearly 1000 species of bat in the world, only three living in south and central America, feed on blood.
Answer = All four are TRUE
Bats are night creatures, seen only dimly at dusk. Their large wings make them look bigger than they really are, and as they swoop down after insects people may sometimes feel uneasy.
What are bats?
Bats are mammals. Like all mammals including ourselves they have fur on their bodies and are warm blooded. A baby bat feeds on its mother’s milk for a few weeks after it is born. Bats are the only mammal that can fly.
The bat you are most likely to see is a pipistrelle. We now know there are two similar species of pipistrelle living in Britain, sometimes called the ‘brown’ and the ‘bandit’.
Types of bat found in Britain
There are 16 species of bat living in Britain
- Greater horseshoe
- Lesser horseshoe
- Daubenton’s
- Whiskered
- Pipistrelle brown
- Pipistrelle bandit
- Nathusius’s pipistrelle
- Noctule
- Brown long-eared
- Grey long-eared
- Serotine
- Natterer’s
- Leisler’s
- Brandt’s
- Bechstein’s
- Barbastelle
Food
All British bats eat insects. Each species has its favorite insects, hunting them in its own special way. Most are caught and eaten in mid air, though it is sometimes easier to hang up to eat larger prey. All bats have big appetites, flying uses up lots of energy. The tiny pipistrelle can eat over 300 insects in an hour.
Roosts
Bats do not make nests, they choose various places to hang up (roost). Some prefer hollow trees, others caves and some use both. Buildings and roof spaces are very similar to hollow trees or caves and make a suitable substiute.
Female bats gather in a maternity roost during the summer. they have their babies here and stay with them until they are able to feed themselves.
Winter
During winter there are very few insects to be found so British bats hibernate. they find a cool place and tuck themselves away. Their temperature drops and their heartbeat slows. They do occasionally wake up and look for food or water.
If you want to do your bit to look after our declining bat population you can’t go wrong with the Bat Conservation Trust you can find their website here. You can also find out a lot more information on bats.