NATTERER’S BAT Myotis nattereri

 

Status: Native; Fairly Common

 

Habitats: Woodland; River/Pond

 

This is a medium-sized bat, with a body length of 5 cm, and a wingspan of around 28 cm.  The fur is fluffy / shaggy and brown on the dorsal (upper) surface, and grey / white beneath.  There is a strong demarcation between the two sides.  This bat has relatively large ears, with a characteristic twist at the tips, and a pointed dog-like nose / snout, and pinkish / bald face.

 

Natterer’s bats are found in a wide range of ‘woodland’ habitats from open parkland and large gardens to dense woodland, occasionally including coniferous plantations; they also hunt above calm water (although they do not skim the surface like Daubenton’s bats).  When flying within woodland, they tend make sharp turns, and are often described as having a ‘flipping’ or ‘tipping’ flight.  Their large, broad wings give them great manoeuvrability, allowing them to catch insects close to foliage; they have even been filmed snatching spiders from their webs. 

 

In order to hunt in such a precise manner, Natterer’s bats need to gather extremely detailed information about the environment in which they are flying – they therefore echo-locate at high frequencies, giving them regular ‘feedback’, and allowing them to home-in on prey. Typically they echo-locate between 30 and 135 KHz (occasionally as high as 150 KHz).

 

This is a species which emerges from its roost long after dark, and normally returns a couple of hours before dawn; their roost sites can therefore be very difficult to find.

 

The Natterer’s bat is found throughout England, Wales and most of Scotland, the estimated British population being 100,000.

 

Natterer’s bat roost in a variety of places, including trees and old buildings.  They seldom use modern houses, but can use bat boxes; bat boxes studies in Dorset found mixed-sexed roosts of up to 37 individuals in boxes, although the average was seven.

 

As with the Daubenton’s bat, Natterer’s bats ‘swarm’ in large numbers in the autumn.  This involves the gathering of large numbers of bats around particular tunnels and cave systems in order for them to mate and socialise.