SPECIES FOCUS
Putting rare bats in the spotlight © Agami Photo Agency / Shutterstock
All bats in the UK are highly protected, but while those such as the common and soprano pipistrelles are relatively common and widespread, others are very rare. Two especially scarce species are Bechstein’s bats and barbastelles, both of which are heavily reliant on trees for roosting sites. This means they’re harder to monitor than those that happily use buildings or other artificial habitats and, as a result, we know comparatively less about these species. If conservation efforts are to be successful, first we need to understand our bats better.
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Wildlife World
