Here are ten interesting facts about bats in the UK. These mysterious creatures are found all over the UK and tend to come out to hunt at night.

If you would like to know more about legislation to do with bats read our article; Bats & Tree Work.

1. There are about 4,500 different species of mammal in the world and 1,000 of these are bats. Out of those 1000 species of bats, only three species drink blood and they all live in South America. All UK Bats only eat insects.
2. There are only 17 types of bats that are found in the UK
3. Britain’s most common bat, the Pipistrelle is only 4cm long and weighs less than a 2p coin!
4. British bats only eat night-flying insects but tropical bats also eat many other foods such as fruit, flowers, frogs, fish and even other bats.
5. Bats don’t build nests – they live in roofs or creep into holes and cracks in trees, walls and buildings to avoid the light.
6. Many UK bats live for around five years although some have been known to live up to 30 years!
7. In winter, when there aren’t many flying insects, bats hibernate in cold damp places inside buildings, caves and hollow trees. Their heart beat-drops to two beats per minute and they live off a special brown hibernation fat in their bodies.
8. Bats are often found in new buildings – half of known Pipistrelle bat roosts are in houses less than 25 years old.
9. Bats produce the largest babies in the animal kingdom. An 8 gram mother Pipistrelle bat may produce a 2 gram baby which is 25% of its body weight. They can only produce one baby a year.
10. Bats are not blind but they ’see’ in the dark by listening to very high-pitched echoes of their calls bouncing off objects around them.

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