Pipistrelle Bat Face
Photograph of a Pipistrelle Bat hanging by its sharp claws
Pipistrelle Bat Face
Pipistrelle Bat Face
Photograph of a Pipistrelle Bat hanging by its sharp claws
Ialtóg
Bats are small, furry, intelligent animals. Almost one quarter of all land mammals in Ireland are bats. Despite this, very few people have ever seen a live bat!
Would you know a bat if you saw one?
Lets learn some more about the Irish Bats.
The Irish Bat
Seven different types of bats have been found in Ireland. They are:
- Lesser Horseshoe - a special bat
- Pipistrelle - a small common bat
- Daubenton's - the water bat
- Longeared bat
- Natterers - not common
- Leisler's - Ireland's largest bat
- Whiskered - a rare bat
Lifestyle of a Bat
Irish bats like to live in dry, safe places, like buildings. Buildings help to protect them from animals that hunt bats.
Bats go out hunting at night. They like to eat insects of all sizes, from tiny insects you can hardly see to big moths and beetles.
Bats hibernate in the wintertime. This is because there aren't many insects to eat in wintertime. When they hibernate, their heatbeat slows down. Their body temperature is also lower. This helps them to save their energy and survive the cold wintertime.
Did you know that a group of bats is called a colony?
The bats in Ireland belong to two different families. The Rhinolophidae (horse-shoe bats) and the Vespertilionidae (evening bats). All of these are very small.