British Bats
Greater Horseshoe Bat Rhinolophus ferrumequimum
| BAT STATS Head-body Length- 7-7cm Weight- 17-34g Wingspan- 35-40cm Tail Length- 3.5-4.3cm |
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DESCRIPTION- The Greater Horseshoe Bat belongs to the Phinolophidae family, only two of Britain's bat species belong to this family. The Greater Horseshoe Bat is Europe's largest horseshoe bat. The fur is soft and fluffy, being a grey-brown colour on the back and a lighter grey on the undersides. The wing membranes and ears are grey. The nose is distinctive possessing a small 'horseshoe' shaped nose leaf. This helps to focus its echolocation calls, which unlike other British species of bat, it emits through its nose rather than its mouth. The ears are large and pointed but do not have a tragus. The wings are broad and rounded. It is a slow flyer but very manoeuvrable.
LIFESPAN- maximum 30 years.
DISTRIBUTION- This bat is most common in southern and central Europe, but is scarce throughout its range. It is endangered and may become extinct in northern Europe. In Britain it is found only in the southwest. Its population and range has declined and contracted greatly in Britain in recent decades.
HABITAT- It feeds over open woodland, pastureland, scrub and meadow land. It rarely occurs at altitudes over 800m. Originally it was a cave dweller, but it has adapted to use buildings as summer roosts. It hibernates in caves, tunnels and mines at temperatures of around 7 to 10 centigrade. During hibernation it hangs freely from the ceilings, sometimes alone, but often in large clusters.
BEHAVIOUR- The Greater Horseshoe Bat hunts very low to the ground, sometimes at heights less than a metre. Occasionally it will hunt from a perch in kingfisher style. It emerges about 30 minutes after sunset. It will often hunt over water and rivers. It rarely hunts in bad weather. Hibernation occurs between October and April. It is very vulnerable to poor weather conditions in early spring, which prevent it feeding. When roosting it characteristically wraps its body with its wings as though it is wearing a coat. It will travel up to 15 km in order to reach its feeding grounds from its roosts.
BREEDING- Mating takes place between October and February. The gestation period is about 10 or 11 weeks. Normally a single young is born in June or July. The maternity roosts of 50 to 500 females are established in April. The young begin to fly from the third or fourth week after being born. Females have false nipple, which give the youngsters something to grip onto when they are feeding.