| Pipistrelle bat - Pipistrellus pipistrellus - Family: Vespertilionidae
 Pipistrelle bat - Pipistrellus pipistrellus© Hugh Clark (Avico Ltd)This tiny species is our smallest and most numerous bat, hence its nickname of the 'common pipistrelle', although numbers are thought to be declining. It is so small that you can fit an adult pipistrelle inside a matchbox and more than 500 in a shoebox! The fur is a dark chestnut brown and the ears and wing membranes are almost black. It appears at dusk and makes irregular twists and dives when flying, usually just above head height. It is found almost anywhere there are trees, hedges, ponds or places where small insects gather, even in towns. It roosts in houses, usually between the tiles and roofing felt, but also uses cavity walls and other external features such as soffit boxes. The pipistrelle bat was thought to be a single species until around 1998, when it was found that there are two genetically distinct species, the larger common pipistrelle and the smaller Pipistrellus pymaeus or 'soprano pipistrelle', so-called because its echolocation call is at a frequency of 55kHz as opposed to the common pipistrelle, which echo locates at 45kHz. New research into these two species is showing that they also have different preferences for food and habitat. The 55kHz bat prefers wetland and lives up to its German common name of 'midge bat'. Bats consume huge numbers of gnats and mosquitoes and are useful animals to have in a garden. All species of bat in England are strictly protected by law. If you are doing roof work and find bats in loft space, do not disturb them but notify the local office of English Nature. Bats have few natural enemies but kestrels have been recorded as preying on them, with birds hunting cooperatively. The hobby, another falcon, will also take small bats occasionally: pipistrelles may feed in daylight hours when they make themselves vulnerable to birds of prey. FoodSmall flying insects, especially midges and caddis flies. PlantsSessile oak PreyCuliseta annulata, Mosquitoes and midges, Moths, Water invertebrates PredatorsKestrel, Sparrowhawk |
