Bats

Home › Animals › Mammals

The bat order (Chiroptera) represents the second largest group of mammals, after the rodents, with about 1,240 species that represent about one-fifth of all known mammals. In Britain, we officially recognise 16 resident species (2 horseshoe bats, 3 pipistrelles, a serotine, 2 noctules, 5 little brown bats, a barbastelle and 2 long-eared bats), all of which are legally protected.

Species

An introduction to the natural history of the bats.

Questions

How is moth evolution linked to bat echolocation?

Some research suggests moths may evolve to hear echolocating bats, helping them avoid being caught.

Is the expression “blind as a bat” justified?

Contrary to popular misconception, bats are not blind and some even have colour vision.

What bat species are found in the UK?

The UK is home to 16 species in seven genera.

What is echolocation & how do bats use it?

Bats bounce sound off objects in their environment and listen for the return "echo" to help them hunt prey in the dark.

What is hibernation?

Hibernation is more than a winter sleep. It's a complete physiological readjustment.

What it the “Pipistrelle Split”?

The realisation that one species of pipistrelle in the UK was actually two!

What should I do if I find an injured bat?

Secure the bat in a small box with air holes, offer water and call your local bat group.

Bibliography

A Field Guide to British Bats - by Frank Greenaway & A. M. Hutson
Bruce Coleman Books -- 1990 -- ISBN: 978-1872842004

A Guide to British Bats (3rd Edition) - by Kate Jones & Allyson Walsh
Field Studies Council -- 2006

Bat Ecology - by Thomas Kunz & Brock Fenton
University of Chicago Press -- 2005 -- ISBN: 978-0226462073

Bats - by Phil Richardson
Natural History Museum -- 2011 -- ISBN: 978-0565092757

Bats of Britain & Europe - by Christian Dietz & Andreas Kiefer
Bloomsbury -- 2016 -- ISBN: 978-1472922021

Bats of the British Isles - by A.A. Wardhaugh
Shire Publishers Ltd. -- 1995 -- ISBN: 978-0852638569

British Bats - by John Altringham
Collins New Naturalist -- 2009 -- ISBN: 978-0007308682

Echolocation in Bats and Dolphins - by Jeanette Thomas, Cynthia Moss & Marianne Vater
University of Chicago Press -- 2004 -- ISBN: 978-0226795997

Environmental Artbook Series: Australian Bats - by Jim Morris & Lynne Tracey
Greater Glider Productions -- 2003 -- ISBN: 978-0947304089

RSPB Spotlight Bats - by Nancy Jennings
Bloomsbury Wildlife -- 2018 -- ISBN: 978-1472950055

Silently by Night: About the little-known but fascinating world of bats - by Russell Peterson
Longman Ltd. -- 1966

The Biology of Bats - by Gerhard Neuweiler
Oxford University Press -- 2000 -- ISBN: 978-0195099515

The Complete Bat - by James Robertson
Chatto & Windus -- 1990 -- ISBN: 978-0701135003