Bats are the longest living mammal for their size.  Myotis Brandtii (Brandts) is the world record holder for bat longevity – a male bat first captured and banded in 1962 was recaptured in 2005, making it at least 41 years old! 

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Bats make up a quarter of the world's mammals and they are the only mammal capably of powered flight.

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All of the UK bats species eat insects – a Pipistrelle can eat up to 3,000 insects in a night, they’re great for getting rid of the pests in your garden.

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Bats don’t build nests; they hang upside down or find nooks and crannies to rest or sleep in during the day. This can be in buildings, trees or caves or anywhere that provides the right environmental conditions.

 

Bats usually hibernate in winter in sheltered places called hibernacula. They lower their heartbeat to 20 beats per minute in order to conserve energy.

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In flight a bat's heart beats approximately 1000 times per minute!

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Bats only usually have one baby each year – called a pup, which is fed on milk from the mother.

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Bats are not blind. They can see as well as you or I can but also use echolocation to find their way in the dark and find food. It’s thought that bats fly at night to avoid predators and take advantage of night flying insects.

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Despite the bat having names such as Chauve Souris (bald mouse in French) and Fledermaus (fluttering mouse in German), bats are more closely related to humans rather than a rodents.

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Bats are found in almost every habitat.  They are not found in extreme deserts or the polar regions.

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The smallest bat is the Kitti's hog-nosed weighing a massive 2 grams.  The largest bat is the giant golden-crowned flying fox weighing in at 1.1kg.

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In the UK bats act as insect controllers.

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The largest bat roost in the world is found in Bracken Cave Preserve in Texas.  There are between 15 and 20 million Mexican free tailed bats roosting.

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