The pipistrelle is the smallest and most common of Britain's 18 species of bat. It belongs to the Vespertilionidae family of bats, known as ordinary or earlet bats, and appears earlier in the evening than most other bats.

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Overview

Pipistrelle BatOrder: Chiroptera

Family: Vespertilionidae

Species: Pipistrellus pipistrellus

IUCN Red List Status: Least concern, though numbers are declining in UK

Size: Length : 3-5cm (head and body)

Wingspan: 19-25cm

Weight: 3-9g

Life-span: Average life is 4-5 years. Maximum life-span recorded is 11 years.

Distribution: British Isles and continental Europe (except the far north), south west Asia, north-eastwards to Korea and Japan and east to Kashmir, and also Morocco.

Food: A wide variety of small, flying insects.

Habitat: A wide range of habitats, including mature woodlands, wetlands, grasslands, farms, parks and gardens. Prefers open grassy areas surrounded by trees or bushes. Often seen flying low over water.

Description: A tiny body, short legs, broad flat head; short, broad ears, fairly narrow wings and a short tail. Adults vary in colour from place to place, some colonies are mainly orange-brown and others mainly pale grey-brown. Ears and muzzle are dark.

 

Read More: Introduction

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