Pipistrellus pipistrellus - Pipistrelle Bat

The smallest and most plentiful bats in Wales, and widespread throughout mainland Britain, the pipistrelles (a female is shown here with her young) is typically 35 to 50 mm head-and-body length and weighs between 4 gm and 8 gm each. Because these very common bats occur in towns as well as in the countryside, and they often fly at head height, they are extremely noticeable despite their small size. Most pipistrelles are somewhat darker brown on the back than they are underneath.

Habitat and flight

Emerging soon after sunset, a pipistrelle can consume up to 3000 insects in a night: that would amount to over million insects per year if the cold winter weather didn't make bats less active (and the insects less plentiful). Pipistrelle bats can live up to sixteen years; so in a lifetime they each do a great deal to control the populations of biting midges that would otherwise make life intolerable for humans.

Roosts

In summer, pipistrelles roost in tree holes, in confined roof spaces and in small crevices on the outsides of buildings. Pipistrelles usually have a single offspring, but occasionally twins, in June or July. The young are fed on their mother's milk until, within three weeks of birth, they are able to make their first flights and begin foraging for food. Maternity roosts are occupied between May and August and sometimes into September, the pipistrelles moving site periodically; this makes counting bat numbers more difficult.

Pipistrelles may use similar roosts in winter - certainly it is rather unusual to find large colonies in underground caves, where many other kinds of bats do indeed spend the winter.

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