NATURE
Sussex is the only county in which all eighteen UK species of bat have been recorded, so we asked Ruth Lawrence to meet with Tony Hutson of the Sussex Bat Group to discover more about these elusive mammals, why they are important and how they contribute to the wider environment
I
knew I was at the right house because a bat themed door knocker was discreetly positioned at the entrance to Tony Hutson’s home. And before long, Tony had begun to show me some of the conservation work that has been carried out by the Sussex Bat Group, since their foundation in 1984. A most exciting recent project has been the discovery of a breeding colony of Greater Horseshoe bats in a disused stable and outbuildings in West Sussex. One of the country’s rarest bat species, no maternity roost had been seen
Greater Horseshoe Bat PHOTO: RYAN GREAVES
in the south-east for over a century and the nearest breeding colony is in Dorset. The site is of enormous importance because it has the potential to help recolonise the south-east, and reverse the national decline in this species, of up to 90%, during the twentieth century, due to roost disturbance, crop spraying and wood treatments. The Greater Horseshoe bat got its’ name from the complex horseshoe shaped ‘noseleaf’ echolocator. They often hang from a perch to catch insects, launching off to snatch their
Bechstein’s Bat
July 2022 | SUSSEX LIVING 97
