PRESS RELEASE

Thursday 4th October

Batting about in the Cheshire countryside

When it comes to public perception of bats, myths and legends have a lot to answer for, which is why, as bat numbers dwindle nationwide, Cheshire Wildlife Trust is determined to protect the nine species of the nocturnal mammal that have been spotted in our county over recent years to make sure that bats continue their contribution to the environment. All UK bats are protected species so its essential we treat them with respect, and in return, they will help us by eating up to 3,000 insects per night.

Most major threats to bats come from human disturbance; whether this is inappropriate building practice, which leads to the loss of roosting sites through barn conversions and demolition of buildings, or the new trend to replace wooden soffit boxes with plastic ones resulting in loss of old roosts and preventing access to new roosting sites.

Changes in agricultural practice have also had an adverse affect on the animal and some common problems for bats include heavy use of pesticides reducing available food sources, loss of important landscape features such as hedgerows leading to fragmentation of the landscape which stops bats commuting between roosting sites and feeding areas. And the common trend to heavily illuminate our night skies which deters the bats from using potential good roosting sites.

Another explanation for the demise in bat numbers is their low reproductive rate with females giving birth to only one young per year. Autumn is the mating season so observers may be fortunate enough to see bats swarming around specific sites such as underground tunnels and cave systems. Autumn is also the time when bats feed intensively to store up energy to see them through the winter.

Cheshire Wildlife Trust is urging more people to plant appropriate insect attracting plants and provide foraging sites. And to help keep bats in the dark and free to forage at leisure, limit use of outdoor lighting.

Dr Elizabeth Barratt, Cheshire Wildlife Trust's bat expert, says: "We know a lot about the Pipistrelle bats in Cheshire as these are found in people's houses, but we are looking for information on species that roost in trees such as the Noctule and the Daubentons bat. If anyone knows of a tree with bats in could they please let us know."

To report a sighting in Cheshire, for more information about bats or if you would like to get involved in a local bat group visit www.cheshirewildlifetrust.co.uk or call 01948 820728. The Bat Conservation Trust also has detailed information about the 17 species of bats found in the UK at www.bats.co.uk

Top tip
The best place to watch bats in Cheshire is over Budworth Mere at Marbury Country Park near Northwich.

Ten bat facts
1. Bats are the only mammals that can fly.
2. Bats can live for up to 30 years.
3. Bats are very sociable animals and live together in female social groups with the boys hanging out in batchelor groups.
4. Bats are not blind and have very good eyesight. They also use a form of radar called echolocation to navigate.
5. There are around 1,000 species of bat worldwide and 17 in the UK. Six of these are classed as endangered or rare.
6. The most common species is the Common Pipistrelle, which weighs in at the same as a two pence coin - that's just 5 grams. The Noctule is one of Britain's largest bats, weighing up to 40 grams.
7. All bats in the UK eat insects.
8. The world's smallest mammal is the bumblebee bat of Thailand , which weighs less than a penny.
9. The bones of a bat's wings are the same as a human's arms with a thumb and four fingers.
10. Bats do not attack humans or fly into human's hair, they are naturally timid creatures, which avoid humans.

Ends