Barbastelle
Encyclopedia
The Barbastelle also known as the Western Barbastelle, is a Europe
an bat
. It has a short nose
, small eyes and wide ears.
It is rare throughout its range. In Britain, only a few breeding roosts are known; Paston Great Barn
in Norfolk
, parts of Exmoor
and the Quantock Hills
in Devon
and Somerset
(see Tarr Steps
), the Mottisfont woodland in Hampshire
and Ebernoe Common in West Sussex
.The UK distribution can be found on the National Biodiversity Network
website here. In Norway, it was considered extinct, having only been sighted in 1896, 1911, 1913 and 1949. However, it was again found in 2004 and 2008.
woods that have a substantial understorey. Damaged or dead trees are the ideal habitat
. They move between the roosts with great frequency.
and may attract a grant under Natural England
s Environmental Stewardship
scheme.
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an bat
Bat
Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera "hand" and pteron "wing") whose forelimbs form webbed wings, making them the only mammals naturally capable of true and sustained flight. By contrast, other mammals said to fly, such as flying squirrels, gliding possums, and colugos, glide rather than fly,...
. It has a short nose
Nose
Anatomically, a nose is a protuberance in vertebrates that houses the nostrils, or nares, which admit and expel air for respiration in conjunction with the mouth. Behind the nose are the olfactory mucosa and the sinuses. Behind the nasal cavity, air next passes through the pharynx, shared with the...
, small eyes and wide ears.
It is rare throughout its range. In Britain, only a few breeding roosts are known; Paston Great Barn
Paston Great Barn
Paston Great Barn is a mediaeval barn, near Paston Hall on the southeast edge of the village of Paston, in northeast Norfolk, England. It is owned by the North Norfolk Historic Buildings Trust. It dates from 1581 and is associated with the Paston family...
in Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, parts of Exmoor
Exmoor
Exmoor is an area of hilly open moorland in west Somerset and north Devon in South West England, named after the main river that flows out of the district, the River Exe. The moor has given its name to a National Park, which includes the Brendon Hills, the East Lyn Valley, the Vale of Porlock and ...
and the Quantock Hills
Quantock Hills
The Quantock Hills is a range of hills west of Bridgwater in Somerset, England. The Quantock Hills were England’s first Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty being designated in 1956 and consists of large amounts of heathland, oak woodlands, ancient parklands and agricultural land.The hills run from...
in Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
and Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
(see Tarr Steps
Tarr Steps
The Tarr Steps are a prehistoric clapper bridge across the River Barle in the Exmoor National Park, Somerset, England. They are located in a National Nature Reserve about south east of Withypool and north west of Dulverton....
), the Mottisfont woodland in Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
and Ebernoe Common in West Sussex
West Sussex
West Sussex is a county in the south of England, bordering onto East Sussex , Hampshire and Surrey. The county of Sussex has been divided into East and West since the 12th century, and obtained separate county councils in 1888, but it remained a single ceremonial county until 1974 and the coming...
.The UK distribution can be found on the National Biodiversity Network
National Biodiversity Network
The National Biodiversity Network is a collaborative venture in the United Kingdom committed to making biodiversity information available through various media, including on the internet via the NBN Gateway, the data search web site of the NBN....
website here. In Norway, it was considered extinct, having only been sighted in 1896, 1911, 1913 and 1949. However, it was again found in 2004 and 2008.
Habitat
They roost in splits or behind loose bark of trees all year, normally in ancient or old growth deciduousDeciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
woods that have a substantial understorey. Damaged or dead trees are the ideal habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
. They move between the roosts with great frequency.
Protection
They are protected under the European Habitats Directive. In the UK their rarity means that Woodlands containing the species may be considered for notification as a Site of Special Scientific InterestSite of Special Scientific Interest
A Site of Special Scientific Interest is a conservation designation denoting a protected area in the United Kingdom. SSSIs are the basic building block of site-based nature conservation legislation and most other legal nature/geological conservation designations in Great Britain are based upon...
and may attract a grant under Natural England
Natural England
Natural England is the non-departmental public body of the UK government responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, freshwater and marine environments, geology and soils, are protected and improved...
s Environmental Stewardship
Environmental Stewardship
Environmental Stewardship is an agri-environment scheme run by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in England. It was formally launched on 18 March 2005, although the first agreements did not start until 1 August 2005....
scheme.