Alternative Names (Synonyms)

• Vespertilio pipistrellus Schreber, 1774; France.
• Vespertilio pygmaeus Leach, 1925; Dartmoor, Devon, England.

Alternative species names (the second part of the binomial species names): [Genus] aladdin; [Genus] bactrianus; [Genus] brachyotos; [Genus] flavescens; [Genus] genei; [Genus] griseus; [Genus] limbatus; [Genus] macropterus; [Genus] mediterraneus; [Genus] melanopterus; [Genus] minutissimus; [Genus] murinus; [Genus] nigricans; [Genus] pusillus; [Genus] pygmaeus; [Genus] stenotus; [Genus] typus (B141).

Names for new-borns / juveniles

General Appearance

Similar Species

• Simple nose shape (no horseshoe)
• Ears well seperated from one another at base
• Post-calcarial lobe present on membrane
• Forearm less than 37mm long.

Length of first digit from wrist to tip divided by forearm less than 1.25 (versus over 1.25 for Pipistrellus nathusii, (B167)) is also larger, with long shaggy hair, dorsal hair usually having pale tips.

(B142, B167)

References

Species Author

Major References

Husbandry references:

• Wildlife and Countryside Directorate, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR)
• The Mammal Society
• Mammals Trust
• Bat Conservation Trust
• London Bat Group

• --

TAXA Group (where information has been collated for an entire group on a modular basis)

Parent Group

• Insectivorous Bats (Microchiroptera)

Specific Needs Group referenced in Management Techniques

• Insectivorous Bats (Microchiroptera)

Husbandry Information

Notes

• 3g of Tenebrio mealworm larvae eaten per day by pregnant females in captivity (B142).

• Accommodation of Casualty Insectivorous Bats
• Hand-rearing Insectivorous Bats
• Catching and Handling of Insectivorous Bats
• Feeding of Casualty Insectivorous Bats
• Release of Casualty Insectivorous Bats

Measurement & Weight

• Head-body length: 35-45mm
• Forearm length: 28-35mm
• Wingspan: 190-250mm

(B142)

• 3-8g. August to October 5.5-7.5g (Suffolk) (B142)

• April mean 4.2g;
• September mean 5.7g (East Anglia);
• (B142).

• April nulliparous 4.7g, parous 5.15g;
• September nulliparous 6.1g, parous 7.05g (East Anglia);
• (B142).

• Juveniles leaving roost in August: males mean 3.98g, females mean 4.3g (B142)

Head

Nose: Muzzle short, bulbous with glandular swellings (function unknown)(B142, B167).

Ears: well-separated on head; short (8-11mm long) and broad, usually dark brown to blackish (can be pink-brown). Tragus less than half of ear height, with anterior border concave, posterior border convex, tip blunt, rounded (B142, B167).

Legs and Tracks

• Wings narrow, with opaque membranes usually dark brown to black (B142).
• Forearm length: 28-35mm (B142).
• Wingspan: 190-250mm (B142).

Tail

Coat / Pelage

• Dorsal: Orange-brown to very dark brown.
• Ventral: slightly paler.
• Membranes: thick, opaque dull, dark brown to blackish.
• Face and ears: dark brown to blackish.

(B142, B167).

• 1) fur orange brown fur, bare skin pink-brown.
• 2) fur grey-brown, bare skin black

(B142)

Neonate (New-born) Characteristics

Detailed Anatomy Notes
(Summary information provided for pertinent species-specific data cross-referenced in Wildpro)

Natural Diet

• 55kHz pipistrelles: chironomids, ceratopogonids (B143).
• 45kHz pipistrelles: psychodid and anisopodid Diptera (B143).

Detailed Physiology Notes
(Summary information provided for pertinent species-specific data cross-referenced in Wildpro)

Feeding Behaviour

• Forage at distances of up to 5km from roost.
• Often repeatedly circle defined area ("beat") and may move between such areas during a night.
• Summer feeding activity peaks at dusk.
• Winter feeding rate related to ambient temperature.
• Females forage for single period when pregnant but when lactating return to roost in middle of night then re-emerge.
• Take prey in flight.
• Usually eat while in flight.
• May capture 20 insects per minute over short periods when insects abundant.
• Young animals initially less efficient than adults.

(B142)

Parental Behaviour

• Maternal recognition of young by vocal and olfactory cues; suckle own offspring only.
• Cross-fostering reported in captivity.

(B142).

Social Behaviour / Territoriality

Summer:

• females in nursery roosts; may be a few immature males present
• males seperate from females: solitary or in small numbers, in cool sites.
• Average about 60 bats per roost.
• may be upto 100 individuals in one nursery roost.
• Within large nursery colonies, groups of 1-10 bats iwth single territorial male per group (B147)

Winter:

All ages and both sexes mixed within roosts.

(B142)

Sexual Behaviour

• Promiscuous (B142).

Predation in Wild

• Domestic cats (B142).

Activity Patterns

• Often patrol tree lines (B143).
• Females move from winter to nursery roosts in March/April and move away from these once juveniles weaned (B142)
• Into hibernation in late November/December (British data) (B147).

• First emergence about 20 minutes after sunset.
• Emerge earlier on warmer nights.
• On average, for any one roost, males emerge earlier than females.
• First bat to emerge may not be followed by other for 3-7 minutes.
• May forage as little as 5 minutes on cold nights but up to 200 minutes when warm.

(B142)

General Habitat Type

• Farmland, open woodland, suburban gardens, marshes, riparian woodland, lakes, urban areas.
• Not found on open moorland.
• In UK, 55kHz bats found in riparian habitats more than are the 45kHz bats.

(B142, B143)

Nests / Burrows / Shelters

• Mainly trees and buildings (variable including modern buildings and mediaeval churches; occasionally rock crevices, caves (caves more in continental Europe than in Britain).
• Usually in cracks and crevices.
• Do use bat boxes. Rarely found in trees or caves and rarely on walls or gates in the open.
• Nursery roosts: often south or south-west facing modern buildings.
• Hibernation: often between beams in country churches in Britain
• Males may remain in same sites all year, while females move to nursery roosts.

(B142, B143)

Distribution and Movement (Migration etc.)

• Britain: including some of outer Isles, Ireland (B142).

Movements:

• Sedentary.
• Rarely move away from colony, although may move between roosts within a colony.
• Exceptional movements of 19km, 33km and 68km recorded in Britain.
• (B142).

• Vagrants found Shetland (B142).

--.

Intraspecific variation

Pipistrellus pipistrellus mediterraneus Cabrera, 1904 from Spain may be the 55kHz cryptic species.

In UK, Switzerland, southern Denmark, the two cryptic species are sympatric (B143).

Conservation Status

Widespread and abundant, although numbers appear to have been decreasing in nursery colonies in the UK over the last 20 years (B143).

• In Britain: native, common. Pre-breeding population estimate of about 2,000,000, with 1,250,000 in England, 550,000 in Scotland, 200,000 in Wales. Population estimate of this widely-distributed species was based on a limited amount of data and considered likely to be inaccurate by up to 50% in either direction. Likely to be an underestimate rather than an overestimate (B221).

• Bern Convention, Appendix II
• Bonn Convention, Appendix II.
• EU Habitats and Species Directive, Annex IV

(B143)

• All bats are is listed on Schedule 5 (Protected animals) of the LUK2 - Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 of the United Kingdom. (W5.Oct01)
• All bats are listed on Schedule 6 (Animals which may not be killed or taken by certain methods) of the LUK2 - Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 of the United Kingdom. (W5.Oct01)