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EUROBATS Species

There are 55 bat species occurring in the EUROBATS area and listed under the Agreement. For more details on a particular species, please click here and find some examples below.

Pipistrellus kuhlii

Kuhl's pipistrelle is a rather small bat with a fur colour varying from pale beige to ochre. In addition to its reddish-brown ears, this species usually exhibits a white edge of variable width at the free edge of the wing and tail membrane. The species dentition is particularly helpful in distinguishing it from other pipistrelles.
Abundant in the Mediterranean basin, Kuhl's pipistrelle is comfortable in both agricultural and urban habitats. It is often associated with human settlements and roosts in tree/cliff crevices and in building gaps and cellars.
This is a very agile species, which can feed on mayflies, mosquitoes, moths and other insects while in flight. Kuhl's pipistrelles can become rather sedentary.
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Myotis punicus

Although difficult to distinguish from M. myotis and M. blythii, M. punicus has very large and wide ears and fluffy light brown fur.
It is known to forage over areas with little or free of vegetation, such as semi-deserts. This species roosts mainly underground and in small crevices and can share nurseries with other species (e.g. M. schreibersii).
The diet of the Maghrebian mouse-eared bat consists mostly of grasshoppers, crickets, beetles and moths, which are either picked from the ground or caught in flight.
This species is believed to be largely sedentary as there are no records of long-distance migration.
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Hypsugo savii

Savi's Pipistrelle is a bicoloured bat; its long dorsal fur is dark brown at its base and golden at the tips, and its ventral fur is mostly light. As for its ears, they are short, broad and black.
This species inhabits both the coastal and mountainous habitats of the Mediterranean, including sparsely vegetated landscapes. H. savii roosts in tree holes and cliff crevices during summer, and can hibernate in underground sites during winter.
Thanks to its quick flight at high altitude, Savi's Pipistrelle catches its prey exclusively in flight. Its diet consists mostly of cicadellids, moths, aphids and other insects.
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Rhinolophus ferrumequinum

R. ferrumequinum is the largest European horseshoe bat with a wingspan of 330-400 mm and its soft fur changes from grey as a juvenile to grey-brown in adulthood. As with other Rhinolophidae, it has a complex nose structure which resembles a horseshoe and contributes towards its highly specialised echolocation system.
This species can be found in temperate Mediterranean habitats (e.g. hardwood and riparian forests, pastures) though it is present in some select central European areas. During summer, it roosts in warm attics of buildings and underground sites, while in winter the colonies tend to gather in large caves, tunnels and mines. Maternity colonies can reach 1 000 individuals though more often than not they are clusters of 100-200 individuals.
An insectivorous species, R. ferrumequinum feeds on beetles, moths and other insects it catches using aerial hawking and flycatching techniques. The Greater Horseshoe bat is a rather sedentary species and the distance between its roosts ranges from 20-50 km.
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Vespertilio murinus

The Particoloured bat is a medium-sized (wingspan 270-310 mm), robust bat with dark brown snout and membrane, and short broad ears. Its long fur is unmistakably bicoloured: a dark brown base and silver white tips, lending this species a permanently 'frosted' look.
This species can be found in both urban, mountainous and agricultural areas. It is known to roost in crevices of buildings and trees during the summer; during winter, crevices in buildings are preferred to underground sites.
With a rapid and agile flight reminiscent of Nyctalus species, V. murinus usually hunts swarming midges and other small insects. This species prefers to forage over open spaces and using aerial hawking techniques.
This is a migratory species with a maximum recorded travel of 1 780 km.
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Rhinolophus hipposideros

The Lesser Horseshoe bat is the smallest European horseshoe bat with a wingspan of 190-254 mm. It has soft, fluffy brown fur, small strong feet and very broad, rounded wings, with which it wraps itself during hibernation. It can be distinguished from other Rhinolophidae not only because of its size but also because of its longer and pointier sella tip.
Distributed across most of Europe, it can be found in warmer regions with woodlands, riparian forests and pastures. The selection of roosts depends on the temperature; large rock crevices and attics of buildings are chosen for summer, while caves, tunnels and mines are used during winter. Maternity colonies can reach 500 individuals but these hang individually and not in clusters.
R. hipposideros are very agile, which allows them to quickly narrow the distance between them and their prey. While in flight, they are able to glean crane-flies, lacewings, moths and spiders from branches. Similarly to other Rhinolophidae, the Lesser Horseshoe bat is rather sedentary and the average distance between its roosts ranges from 5-50 km. Longer migrations have also been recorded.
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Miniopterus schreibersii

Schreibers' Bent-winged bat is a slender medium-sized bat with a characteristic domed forehead. It has a short snout, widely separated triangular ears and grey-brown to dark grey dorsal fur. This species seems to favor hard-wood forest-rich habitats and mainly roosts in colonies in karst caves, mines and cellars with other cave-dwelling species.Fast flight and maneuvers with its broad tail membrane allow the hunt for moths, beetles, Lepidoptera larvae and even spiders.Schreibers' Bent-winged bats can migrate multiple times a year depending on the weather conditions. The average distance between summer and winter roots can range from 40 to 100km but longer distances have been recorded.
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