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Plecotus auritus - Brown Long-eared Bat
Phylum: Chordata - Class: Mammalia - Order: Chiroptera - Family: Vespertilionidae

Brown Long-eared Bats are second only to pipistrelles in their abundance in the British Isles. A long-eared bat has ears almost
as long as its body. You might not notice this feature when the bat is at
rest, because at that time its ears are usually curled back or even
tucked out of sight beneath its wings, leaving only the inner lobe, called
the tragus, showing.
The Brown Long-eared Bat is 4 to 5cm head-and-body length and weighs 6
to 12gm. It is in most respects very similar in appearance to its close
relative the rather larger Grey Long-eared Bat (Plecotus austriacus),
a rare species sometimes seen in southern England. It is very difficult to
differentiate between the two long-eared bat species.
Habitat and Flight
Capable of eating quite large insects,
including moths and beetles, Brown Llong-eared Bats capture and consume
much of their food in flight; however, they also take prey back to
favoured perches, which are easily identified by the piles of discarded
insect wings that build up beneath them. They also fly close to the
ground, occasionally alighting to seize an insect, and that makes them
vulnerable to nocturnal mammals, and in
particular prowling cats.
Rarely do these bats emerge until after dark. Then their favoured
haunts are trees at the edges of woodland or parks. Sea trout fishers on
the famous sewin rivers of Wales may catch fleeting glimpses of Brown
Long-eared Bats on moonlit nights.
Roosts

Brown Long-eared Bats mate in the winter months and usually have just
one offspring at the end of June or early July. They live in colonies of
typically 25 but occasionally 50 or more bats, and their lifespan can be
as long as 30 years.
Summer roosting places include hollow trees and the roof spaces of large buildings, where they cling to beams near the
apex.
In winter these bats are known to roost in caves and mine shafts, and it is
likely that they also roost in hollow trees and in the roof spaces of large
houses.
Acknowledgements
This page includes pictures kindly contributed by Melvin Grey.