Pipistrelle bat

When: Alll year but mainly summer and autumn

Scientific name: Pipistrellus pipistrellus

Gaelic name: Ialtag

Scots: Bakie bird

Size: Body length around 4 cm, wingspan between 20 - 24 cm

Where: Best seen flying along tree lines, in clearings, open land.

There are few animals more misunderstood in the world than the bonny bat. Shrouded in superstition, bats have been feared, revered, persecuted and worshipped in equal measure in different cultures worldwide. Ecologically, they are a fine example of how remarkable and varied the wildlife on our doorstep can be!

The common pipistrelle bat is one of the 18 bat species found in the UK, and one of around 3 species that have been recorded around the Inner Forth (the other species being the soprano pipistrelle and Daubenton's bat). Common pipistrelles are the smallest UK bats, often making their homes (or 'roosts') in nooks and crannies of buildings. Being creatures of the night, they emerge after sunset to hunt for small insects, using their incredible echolocation techniques; the bats emit high frequency noises, listening out for the soundwaves to bounce off a nice juicy fly and return to them, guiding the bat to gobble up the unsuspecting insect. Different species of bat echolocate at different frequencies, and so it is possible to differentiate between them by listening to the calls through a bat detector device. 

All bat species in the UK are classed as EU protected species, meaning that anyone who handles them must be licensed, and if they are found to be roostig at a development site, plans must be made to mitigate the affects of human activity on the bats.

Bram Stoker is perhaps to blame for the bat's modern day reputation of being a blood sucking, neck biting fiend, after the creation of his famous vampire Dracula, who embodied other bat-like characteristics. Bats have had a mixed reputation historically however, with people In China associating bats with good fortune and prosperity. To see five bats was to see a representation of the five causes of happiness: wealth, health, long life, virtue and natural death. Although, closer to home, Scots used to believe that to see a bat rise in flight, and then descend eastwards was a sign to stay indoors to avoid grave misfortune!

Amidst all the symbology and folklore, there is in fact a species of Vampire bat that lives in Central and South America, feeding on the blood of larger mammals for sustinence. What is not as widely known is that this bat species is actually proving vital in developments of medical treatment for stroke victims - the anticoagulate that is found in the Vampire bat's saliva is being researched in use for people at risk of blood clots, to help them recover from illness or other medical conditions.

So, the next time you see a dark shape flitting about over the hedgerows of grassland, don't fear! This little bat is saving you from the scourge of the midges!

More information and tips on how to get involved with bat conservation can be found at: http://www.bats.org.uk/