Ecology

Overview The UK supports 18 bat species, 17 of which are known to breed across the UK. This represents nearly a quarter of the country’s mammal species. Bats are the only mammals capable of sustained flight using a thin membrane of skin supported by what would be their fingers, with the thumb used for climbing. Their family name, Chiroptera, means ‘hand wing’. They navigate using echolocation, emitting high-frequency sounds to detect prey and obstacles. They are nocturnal,