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or visit the BCT website https://www.bats.org.uk/our-work/national-bat-helpline
UK Bat Species
The 18 species of bat in the UK make up almost a quarter of our mammal species. Though, we have very few bat species compared to the 1500+ species found worldwide. Bats are found on all continents with the exception of Antarctica. All UK species are insectivorous while bats around the world feed on: nectar, fruit, fish, frogs, and blood.
Generally, the further north you go the fewer bat species found and conversely the further south the more species found. The 6 species of bat not found in Nottinghamshire at present are to be found to the south and west. Five of these species are known to breed in the UK.
- Greater Horseshoe bat
- Lesser Horseshoe bat
- Bechstein's bat
- Alcathoe bat
- Grey Long-eared bat
While the 18th species had only 1 recorded bat until 2023 when a second was found. It is not known if there is a breading colony.
- Greater Mouse-eared bat
In addition to these 18 bats there are 2 species that have been occationally recorded but thought to be visitors from europe but not thought to be resident.
- Parti-coloured bat
- Kuhl's pipistrelle bat
Some species of bat have been recorded north of there generally accepted range. It is thought this may be linked to global warming and more specifically to their insect food sources migrating northward. In a similar manner some of the European species may be expected to become resinent in the UK.
Five breading species of bat found south of Nottinghamshire
Horseshoe Bats Rhinolophidae
There are two species of these bats in the UK. All the other UK bats belong to the Vesper bats Vespertilionidae. These are two different families and have greater differences in anatomy. When roosting their wings wrap around the body rather than fold in at their sides. The horseshoe bats named after the horseshoe shaped leaf of skin around their noses. Their echolocation is also different as call pulses do not start high and fall to lower frequencies like the vesper bats. Instead they start low, rapidly increase to a constant frequency before falling again. The shape is much like a staple. Horseshoe bats also use the doppler shift to sense if insects are flying toward or away from them. The loudest calls are the second harmonic rather than the fundamental (1st harmonic).
Rhinolophus hipposideros
To the right is a Lesser Horseshoe bat echolocation. The 2nd harmonic at around 110kHz with the fundamental just visible at 55kHz. As the frequency is so high we usually slow the time expansion by a factor of 20 rather than the usual 10 times. In heterodyne the calls are not clicks like the vesper bats but sound more like the 80's space invaders games.
The first 2/3rds are recorded in 20x time expansion while the last 3rd is recorded in heterodyne.
Listen to the video below.
Rhinolophus ferrumequinum
This is one of our larger bat species spaning 4 fingers from head to the tail base.
The first 2/3rds are recorded in 10x time expansion while the last 3rd is recorded in heterodyne.
Listen to the video below.
Vesper bats
There are three more bats from the Myotis genus found to the south.
Myotis bechsteinii
The first 2/3rds are recorded in 10x time expansion while the last 3rd is recorded in heterodyne.
Listen to the video below.
Myotis alcathoe
This bat is so similar to the Whiskered and Brandt's bats that it was only identified as a separate species in 2001.
Myotis myotis
This species had a colony which was found in 1969 but was thopught destroyed by a fire in its roost, a cottage. One bat was then found hibernating but thought to be a migrating vagrant.
Plecotus austriacus
This species is very similar to the Brown Long-eared bat but with a very reduced distribution.
Vagrant bats
These bats are worth mentioning as we may find more of them as global warming expands or shifts their distribution.
Vespertilio murinus
In the UK there are records of these bats resting on North Sea oil and gas rigs and in the Shetland Isles.
Pipistrellus kuhlii
There are various recordings of Kuhl's pipistrelle in southern England. Kuhl's echolocation is very similar to the Nathusius' pipistrelle so it may be under recorded here. See the BTO pipeline results here.