Greater Mouse-eared

However an emaciated female was found recently (January 2001) in Bognor Regis but died shortly afterwards. It is thought that she may have been moving between hibernation sites and was caught out by the cold weather. From her worn teeth she was presumed to be quite old. She was found within 5 miles of the last known colony. The BCT hope to survey the area this summer to try and see if there are any more of this rare bat 'hanging on in there'.

It is a large bat and would be the largest British bat if it is still present. Its numbers declined in Europe during the 1970's but lately numbers appear to have stabilised.

The Greater Mouse-eared Bat is primarily a cave dweller and suffers from extensive disturbance and loss of roosts. In most caves only a few bats may be found, but some caves are immensely important because thousands of bats from a wide area gather in them. Unfortunately the largest numbers of bats tend to be found in the largest caves, these are generally the most prone to disturbance through vandalism, caving, tourism and waste disposal.

The decline of this bat is also associated with the widespread use of agrochemicals, especially insecticides which can poison bats. The most important agricultural change to affect these bats is the loss of pasture and increase in area of improved grassland. This conversion significantly reduces the quantity and variety of food insects available.

  Greater Mouse-eared bat call on a Time Expansion bat detector.