• There are seventeen species of bat in Britain.
• All bats in the UK are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.
• British bats feed entirely on invertebrates.
• The Pipistrelle is the smallest, lightest and most common bat in Britain at just 5cm and a wingspan of 20cm.
• The largest bats in Britain are the Greater Horseshoe and Noctule bats, which are still only about 8cm long , but they have a wingspan of up to 40cm.
• While bats tend to mate in Autumn, they delay fertilisation until the warmer weather arrives in Spring
• In Winter, when there are few insects to feed on, bats hibernate until the following Spring.
• During hibernation, bats slow down their heart rate, breathing and other body functions, to conserve energy.
• Noctule bats fly before sunset, whereas Pipistrelles appear soon after sunset.
• A baby bat is called a pup and a group of bats is called a colony.

Incredible Facts About Bats

• The Pipistrelle bat weighs just 4 grams, which is about the same weight as a 2 pence coin.
• Bats are capable of hearing a higher sound frequency than any other mammal.
• Bats are the only mammals that are capable of controlled, self-propelled flight.
• Despite the old saying "As blind as a bat", bats actually have fairly good eyesight, however, they use a type of radar to locate objects.

Strange Facts About Bats

• Bats were once known as flying or 'flitter' mice.
• With limbs unable to support their weight, bats hang upside down when resting.