Whiskered Bat
Myotis mystacinus
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So similar to Brandt's bat that for two centuries nobody realised they were two species.
A small bat with shaggy dark grey-brown fur, a blackish face, ears and wings, and a slightly grizzled look. It is very nearly identical to Brandt's bat, and the two were only separated in the 1970s — reliable identification needs a close look at the teeth and, in males, the genitalia, so many records are logged simply as 'whiskered/Brandt's'. It hunts woodland edge, hedgerow and water around Dumfries.
Behaviour
Whiskered bats emerge early, often before it is fully dark, and fly a fast, fluttering, repetitive patrol along a hedge line, treeline or over water, taking small flies and moths. They roost in buildings, under hanging tiles and in tree crevices, and hibernate in caves, mines, cellars and stone structures where the temperature stays low and stable through the winter.
When to see it
Quick facts
- Family
- Vesper bats (Vespertilionidae)
- Size
- Wingspan 21–24 cm
- UK status
- Protected under UK and European law
Photo by Charles J. Sharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons