British Bats
| BAT STATS Head-Body Length- 42-51mm Weight- 4-12g Wingspan- 220-260mm Tail Length- 34-55mm |
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DESCRIPTION- The Common or Brown Long Eared Bat is instantly recognizable because, as its name suggests, it has extremely long ears, which are about three quarters as long as its body. The ears, which are, up to 28mm long and oval shaped give the Common Long Eared Bat a comical but charming appearance, which is unmistakeable. Fine struts of cartilage support the ears and help keep them in an upright position during flight. When resting the ears can be pulled down like a concertina, so they do not get in the way. The spear like tragus is correspondingly as large as the ears. The Common Long Eared Bat is a medium sized bat. The fur on the underside is grey-brown; on the dorsal side it is a light brown. The eyes are large and bright and set well back on the face. The snout is usually pink with little hair cover. The ear and wing membranes are brown. The wing membranes are large and broad which means its flight is slow but highly manoeuvrable. As you would expect the ears are not really aerodynamic, but as the bat does not fly at and great speeds, this is of little importance. The lips are a noticeable pink colour.
HABITAT- Its manoeuvrable flight means it can fly with ease around small spaces, and in and out of vegetation. It is predominately a woodland living species, happy around dense vegetation and a 'cluttered' environment. It can be found in deciduous and coniferous woodland, parkland and gardens. It is happy also in built up areas, where it will fly around and between buildings. Hollow trees, bat boxes, and buildings are all used for summer roosting. In winter it hibernates in cellars, mines, old stone buildings, and caves. It prefers the coldest for the south. It is the second most common bat species in Britain after the Pipistrelle.
LIFESPAN- average of 4 years, although a maximum of 22 years has been reported.
BREEDING- The mating season is from October until the following March. 10 to 50 females are found within the nursery roosts, which are established in April. Immature males can be often found in the nursery colonies. 1 or 2 young are born in June or July. There eyes open on the 4th day after birth, the ears become erect by the 11th day, and they begin to fly by the end of July. Juveniles are paler than the adults. Normally they reach sexual maturity by the second year.
BEHAVIOUR- They emerge about 30 minutes after sunset to feed. They normally hunt in close proximity to their roosts. Rather than using echolocation to catch prey, they use their long ears to listen to insects, which they glean from vegetation. Their echolocation calls are faint. They feed intermittently throughout the night. It is very agile in flight, able to hover in flight and circle with ease. Hibernation takes place between October and April.