There are over 900 different species of bats in the world equating to around a quarter of all the mammal species.

They play an important part in the worlds ecosystem with many species acting as pollinators for plants that provide food for the human race such as bananas.

Bats are one of the few mammals that live in close proximity to people with many species choosing to roost in houses and other buildings.

Bats are at the top of their food chain and so a healthy bat population indicates a healthy environment

The 16 species of bats found in the UK represent a third of our total mammal species.

All UK bats are insect eaters and are therefore an important natural controller of insect populations.

Bats in suffolk

Three of these species, lesser horseshoe, barbastelle and pipistrelle are subject to both local and national Biodiversity Action Plans (BAP's)

Further information about bio-diversitiy action plans

Bat Conservation
Bats have declined drastically in the past 50 years so much so that they became totally protected under the 1981 Wildlife & Countryside Act. The Act not only protects the animals themselves but also their roost sites even when the bats are not in residence. Any activities likely to change or destroy a bat roost requires consent from English Nature;

Bats and the Law

Bat facts

Bats are true flying mammals

Bats can live for up to 30 years

Bats only have one young per year

All British bats eat insects

A single pipistrelle needs to catch and eat at least 3000 small insects every night during  the summer

Bats are not blind they have good eye sight and but see in the dark using echo location or sonar

The mouse eared bat is now virtually extinct in Britain the first mammalian extinction in UK since the wolf vanished 250 years ago