A bit about bats.....

There are 17 species of bat in the UK, with an 18^th recently confirmed as being resident. They are all what is known as ‘microbats’ i.e. they all belong to the suborder Microchiroptera and they all eat insects. The smallest is the Soprano Pipistrelle, which weighs only around 5g, and the largest is the Noctule, which is still small enough to fit in the palm of a hand.

6 species of bat are known to live in Central Scotland, plus several others that might – there are no recent records of them, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t out there! They have all adapted to their own niche in the world – they roost in different places, feed in different ways and often echolocate, or navigate, differently.

There are lots of myths about bats – not many are true. For example, bats do not drink human blood and they will not get stuck in your hair! They are not blind, they have very good eyesight during dusk and dawn, but as they hunt at night they use echolocation instead. They won’t chase you either, they’re more likely to ignore you on their hunt for food!

Why do we need a year of the bat.....

Bats are misunderstood and much maligned, but  very necessary to the health and well-being of our environment. They are essential for pollination, seed dispersal and insect control to name just a few vital services they provide, and they are also excellent ‘biodiversity indicators’ – they can tell you all about the health of the environment. Defra has included 6 UK species on their biodiversity indicators list.

Year of the Bat aims to improve the image of bats and correct some of the urban myths surrounding them, as well as encourage more active involvement in bat conservation and recording. More information on the International Campaign is available.

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