Mammals · Chiroptera · Vespertilionidae

Western Barbastelle

Barbastella barbastellus

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

Its striking flat, pushed-in face, with large ears joined at the base above the forehead, gives it a look all its own among European bats. It hunts using extraordinarily quiet echolocation calls.

Weight

6 g – 13 g

Size

4 cm – 5.5 cm

Lifespan

20 years

Diet

Insectivore

Feeds mainly on insects and other invertebrates.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Colony

Lives in large concentrations, often for breeding reasons.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

Temperate forestInsectivore Nocturnal Colonial Near Threatened Temperate forest Mammal

45countries 127parks14same family

Fun facts

Its flat, pushed-in face is unmistakable among European bats.
It gives extraordinarily quiet echolocation calls so as to take moths by surprise.
It hunts almost entirely over the canopy of mature deciduous woodland.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Mature deciduous woodland and wooded river valleys across much of Europe, from Portugal to Azerbaijan
Birth weight: Exact weight at birth not found as a precise figure
Size at birth: The young naked at birth, stopping growing at roughly 2 months
Sexual maturity: 2 years
Gestation / incubation: Exact duration not specified as a precise figure
Litter / clutch size: 1 to 2 young per litter

Sources consulted: First-Nature; AnAge (genomics.senescence.info); People's Trust for Endangered Species; Heart of England Forest; Britannica; Animalia.bio; Wikipedia (Western barbastelle)