BAT lovers will have been indulging in midnight flits last Friday to celebrate International Bat Night - but these fascinating creatures of course don't just make an appearance on special occasions.

They can be seen on every night of the week - and there are a large number of bats residing in the UK, including across Wales.

In the UK, there are 18 species of bats and 17 of these are known to be breeding in the UK too. According to the Bat Conservation Trust, this makes up almost a quarter of the mammals in the UK.

All bats are a protected species and are nocturnal – feasting on flies, insects and moths, so you are more likely to see them during the late evening and into the night.

But what bats can you see in south Wales and where?

Barbastelle

The Barbastelle bat is a rare species so you would be lucky to see it, but there are known to be some across South Wales, including around the Newport area.

They forage for insects across a wide area, but prefer ‘pastoral landscapes with deciduous woodland, wet meadows and water bodies.’

To know if you see a Barbastelle bat, it has a distinctive pug-shaped nose, broad ears which are joined across its head by skin and have gingery-brown fur on the rear surface.

Bechstein’s Bat

At a time, the Bechstein Bat was one of the most common bats in the UK, now it is one of the rarest bats you can find but there are known to be roosts in south-east Wales.

The Bechstein’s Bat is found exclusively in woodland areas. There are known roosts in the Monmouthshire area, close to the border with England.

To know if you see a Bechstein’s Bat, it has a pink face and pale to reddish-brown fur on top, with grey fur underneath.

Brandt’s Bat

Brandt’s Bat is a common bat across the UK, with several known roosts in Wales. It is very similar to the whiskered bat and was only named a distinct species in 1970.

The Brandt’s Bat is found in woodlands and in old buildings so this is one of the species that are able to be seen easier than some of the others. There are known roosts in the Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent areas.

The Brandt’s Bat is slightly larger than the whiskered bat. It has a dark grey or brown fur with golden tips on the back and greyish colour underneath. The face and base of the ears is often a pinkish colour.

Brown long-eared bat

The Brown long-eared bat is found all across the UK, including all parts of Gwent. It is a common species that flies close to the ground and through foliage to catch prey.

They tend to be found in older buildings, barns, churches and trees in the summer and caves and tunnels in the winter.

To know if you see a Brown long-eared bat, you should note the ears which are nearly as long as the body. But when the bats are at rest, they curl their ears back like rams horns or tuck them under their wings.

Adults have light brown fur with a pale underneath. Juvenile brown long-eared bats can get confused with their grey long-eared counterparts because their fur is a greyish colour. However, there are no grey long-eared bats in Wales and these are known to be extremely rare in the UK, so if you see a grey long-eared bat it is most likely to be a juvenile brown long-eared bat.

 

Common Pipistrelle

The common pipistrelle is the most common of all the bats in the UK. It is found throughout all of the UK including all areas of Gwent.

If you see bats out, this is the one you are most likely going to see. They are fast and jerky in flight. They are likely to be found in woodland, hedgerows, grassland and farmland as well as suburban and urban areas. Their roosts tend to be inside buildings.

The common pipistrelle has a medium to dark brown fur and usually has dark patches around the eyes. It is very similar to the soprano pipistrelle – they were only separated as a species in the 1990s – and are usually told apart by the frequency of their echolocation calls.

Daubenton’s Bat

The Daubenton’s Bat is commonly known as the water bat. It is found near rivers, canals and streams. It is commonly found across all of Wales as well as the UK.

They have a steady flight and fly within a few centimetres of the water’s surface. They have been reported to be flying like a hovercraft.

They usually feed around 6km from their roost but have been known to follow canals up to 10km away from their roost. They usually roost in sites close to water and hibernate in caves.

Daubenton’s Bats have red/brown fur and are pale underneath. They have a pinkish face which looks bare around the eyes.

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Greater Horseshoe Bat

The Greater Horseshoe Bat is known to roost on the edge of Monmouthshire and in pockets across parts of southwest Wales. It is now rare in the UK, being found in the south only.

They were found to roost in caves, however many use buildings – mainly larger, older houses, churches and barns.

The Greater Horseshoe Bat is one of the largest species in the UK and measures about the size of a pear. It has a complex horseshoe-shaped noseleaf. Adults are a buff-brown colour while juveniles are a greyish colour.

Lesser Horseshoe Bat

The Lesser Horseshoe Bar is found across Gwent and Wales. While known to be declining in numbers in the UK as a whole, there has been a marked increase in their numbers in Wales.

Their habitats are the same as the Greater Horseshoe Bat but they mainly feed among vegetation.

They are one of the smallest bats in the UK – about the size of a plum. They also have the complex horseshoe noseleaf. Adults have a pinky buff-brown fur while juveniles have a greyish coloured fur.

Natterers Bat

The Natterers Bat can be found across Gwent. However they are scarcely seen but have a large number of recorded roosts. The UK’s population of Natterers Bats is very important internationally.

They roost in barns and old stone buildings with timber beams. They are slow fliers and are mainly found flying through trees, but occasionally can be seen flying over water.

The Natterers Bat has narrow ears which are fairly long and slightly curve backwards at the tip. The inner lobe of the ear is long, narrow and sharply pointed.

It has stiff bristles along the trailing edge of its tail membrane and has pinkish limbs. The fur is light, buff-brown on the back and white underneath and it has a bare, pink face.

Noctule

The Noctule bat species is found in most parts of Gwent. They are found in trees and woodpecker holes.

The Noctule bat has a powerful, direct flight on narrow pointed wings. They fly in the open, above treetop level and are seen doing repeated steep dives to catch prey. They are one of the largest species in the UK and is usually the first bat to emerge after dusk.

They have broad, brown ears and distinctive mushroom-shaped tragus. Adults have sleek, chocolate brown fur while juveniles and some females have a dull chocolate brown fur.

Serotine Bat

There Serotine Bat can be found in the Monmouthshire area. It is not a very common bat and the numbers have declined.

The Serotine Bat tends to roost in buildings – mainly in older buildings but can also occasionally be found in some more modern ones.

They fly at treetop height and close to vegetation. They will also feed around streetlamps and sometimes catch prey from the ground. You may see a Serotine Bat flop onto foliage with its wings outstretched to catch large insects.

They have broad wings and fly leisurely and in a highly manoeuvrable, flapping flight. They sometimes have short gliding periods and do steep dives.

They have dark brown fur on top and pale underneath. They also have a black face and ears.

Soprano Pipistrelle

The soprano pipistrelle is one of the most common of all the bats in the UK. It is found throughout all of the UK including all areas of Gwent.

If you see bats out, this is one you are most likely going to see. They are fast and jerky in flight. They are likely to be found in wetland, hedgerows, grassland and in suburban areas and parks. Their roosts tend to be inside buildings.

The soprano pipistrelle has a medium to dark brown fur and usually has pink patches around the eyes. It is very similar to the common pipistrelle – they were only separated as a species in the 1990s – and are usually told apart by the frequency of their echolocation calls.

Whiskered Bat

The Whiskered Bat is found across most of Gwent. It is very similar to the Brandt’s Bat and was only separated from it in the 1970s.

It is slightly more common than the Brandt’s Bat and they tend to be found in buildings. They have a fast and fluttering flight and fly up to 20m high and fly along a hedgerow or woodland edge.

They have dark grey or brown fur with golden tips on the back and a greyish colour underneath.

For more information on the bats in the UK, visit the Bat Conservation Trust on https://www.bats.org.uk/about-bats/what-are-bats/uk-bats