Alternative Names (Synonyms)

• Common long-eared bat
• Oriellard roux (French)
• Braunes Langohr (German)
• Murciélago orejudo dorado (Spanish)
• Vespertilio auritus L. 1758; Sweden.
• Plecotus brevimanus Jenyns, 1829; Grunty fen, Cambridgeshire, England.

Alternative species names (the second part of the binomial species names): [Genus] brevimanus; [Genus] communis; [Genus] cornutus; [Genus] megalotos; [Genus] homochrous; [Genus] montanus; [Genus] ognevi; [Genus] otus; [Genus] peronii; [Genus] puck; [Genus] sacrimontis; [Genus] typus; [Genus] uenoi; [Genus] velatus; [Genus] vulgaris; (B141).

Names for new-borns / juveniles

General Appearance

Similar Species

• Nose with simple shape (no horseshoe).
• Base of ears joined at top of head.
• Ear more than 25mm long when extended: nearly as long as body.

Distinguished from Plecotus austriacus - Grey long-eared bat by: tragus less than 5.5mm wide at widest point, long (usually over 6.2mm) slender thumb, second upper premolar more than half of height of first upper premolar and usually brown or pink face.

(B142, B147, 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

• 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: 37-48mm (B142).
• Forearm length: 3442mm (B142).
• Wingspan: 230-285mm (B142).

Head

Nose: Pointed, relatively long; nostrils on top. Glandular masses on muzzle (B142, B147).

Ears: long (29-38mm, 75% of head-body length). Joined at bases by prominent interauricular septum. Sides appear parallel when ears erect. Brownish. Often folded back to give "ram's horn" appearance when at rest. Tragus nearly half length of ear, with anterior border almost straight, posterior border proximally convex but distally straight or slightly concave, and tip rounded. While torpid ears usually folded beneath wings, but appear to have small 'ear' as tragus of each ear remains erect (B142, B147, B167).

Legs and Tracks

• Forearm length: 3442mm (B142).
• Wingspan: 230-285mm (B142).

Tail

Coat / Pelage

• Dorsal: yellow buff to light or mid-brown. Neck shows indistinct demarcation line from:
• Ventral: buff, yellow-brown, cream or white.
• Face: pink to light or mid brown; little hair
• Membranes: brown, translucent.

(B142, B167)

Neonate (New-born) Characteristics

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

Natural Diet

• Noctuids, beetles, bugs, earwigs, spiders, other insects.
• Diet may vary depending on prey available.
• Lepidoptera and Diptera preferred (B143).

(B142, B147)

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

Feeding Behaviour

• Forage at height of thickest foliage in woodland (5-6m above ground level); also around isolated trees
• Feed both by foliage gleaning and catching prey in flight, including within roosts and hibernacula.
• Probably locate prey by sight and sound not echolocation when foliage gleaning
• Small prey items may be consumed on the wing, larger prey are taken to feeding perch.

(B142, B143)

Parental Behaviour

Social Behaviour / Territoriality

• In hibernacula: solitary or small groups.
• Nursery colonies formed May or June, usually among beams in attics (adult females with a few immature animals of both sexes). Usually 5-10 bats (B147).

(B142, B147)

• In hibernacula: may form clusters with bats of other species (B142).

Sexual Behaviour

Predation in Wild

Activity Patterns

• Flight: slow, fluttering, very agile, commonly hovering. Flight is usually close to trees.
• Hibernation: begins November, ends late March (England and Europe).
• May be active at temperatures down to 1°C.
• When hibernating: wings usually folded loosely around body, with ears under wings and legs bent.

(B142)

• Daytime: roost in confined spaces (hang from rafters with wings spread if temperature >40C).
• Active within roost from about 40 minutes before sunset (stretch, groom, short flights).
• Emergence about 40 minutes after sunset.
• May remain out until dawn, except for females returning after 1-2 hours to suckle offspring.
• Emergence may be prevented by heavy rain, strong winds.

(B142)

General Habitat Type

• Britain: sheltered valleys.
• Continental Europe: mountainous woodland.

(B142).

Nests / Burrows / Shelters

• Summer roosts: Buildings (particularly older, wood-lines buildings near to woodland) and treeholes.
• Hibernacula: caves, also buildings, trees, mines.
• Preferred hibernacula temperature mean 6°C, range 1-8°C.
• Cool outer regions of caves preferred; found in crevices
• Often use bat boxes, including for nursery colonies.

(B142, B143, B147).

Distribution and Movement (Migration etc.)

• From Britain and Ireland eastwards across Europe and (disjunct distribution) Asia to Mongolia, south-eastern Siberia, north-west China, Sakhalin, Japan, Himalayas. In Europe, south to southern Portugal, Italy, Greece and north to 63-64°N (B142, B143, B147).
• Britain and France to north-east China, Korea, Japan, possibly northern India (B51)
• In Britain: almost everywhere; not found in exposed areas of northern and north-western Scotland and off shore islands in these areas (B142).

Movement:

• Generally considered stationary, with longest flight in Europe measured as 42km (B142).
• Some immigration to Britain from continental Europe may occur (B142).
• Longest flight recorded 66km (B143).

--.

Intraspecific variation

Two subspecies recognised in Europe:

• Plecotus auritus auritus.
• Plecotus auritus begognae de Paz, 1994 (central Iberian Peninsula) - larger than nominate form.
• (B143).

Conservation Status

Generally abundant in northern Europe; rare in southern Europe. Declines some areas e.g. locally in Netherlands and in central Germany (B143).

• In Britain: native, common. Pre-breeding population estimate of about 200,000, including 155,000 in England, 27,500 in Scotland, 17,500 in Wales. Population estimate is "based on a very limited amount of information for the species" although additional knowledge "may not necessarily have made a substantial difference to the estimate". (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)

• Timber treatment chemicals used in roost buildings (B142, B143, B147, B221).