One of the 29 bats on WAnimals
Mammals · Chiroptera · Vespertilionidae
Madeira Pipistrelle
Pipistrellus maderensis
It faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. See full glossary
The Madeira pipistrelle is a small pipistrelle endemic to Macaronesia: it lives on Madeira and on the western islands of the Canary archipelago. It is one of the smallest bats in the region and hunts insects on the wing over ravines, terraced crops, laurel forest and village lights. It breeds in rock crevices, tree hollows and buildings. Its total population is small and fragmented among a few islands, which makes it very sensitive to the loss of roosts.
Weight
4 g – 6 g
Size
4 cm – 5 cm
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
Hard
Fun facts
- It is one of the few land mammals native to Macaronesia: it reached the islands under its own power, flying hundreds of kilometres over the Atlantic.
- It can be seen hunting around the street lamps of the island villages, taking the moths drawn in by the artificial light.
Life cycle & biology
- Skeleton type
- Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (mammal)
- Habitat & environment
- Laurel forest, ravines, terraced crops and settlements of Madeira and the western Canary Islands
- Litter / clutch size
- 1
Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/
Where to watch it
Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented.
Related species
Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Madeira Pipistrelle — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.
Canary Shrew
Crocidura canariensis
Greater Mouse-eared Bat
Myotis myotis
European Free-Tailed Bat
Tadarida teniotis
Boettger's Wall Gecko
Tarentola boettgeri
Serotine
Eptesicus serotinus
Western Barbastelle
Barbastella barbastellus
How to help
The madeira pipistrelle is classified as endangered. Organizations such as UICN, WWF y Wildlife Conservation Society work specifically on its conservation and that of its habitat; looking into their programs is a good starting point if you want to get involved.
It's documented in 4 real protected areas — part of why protecting these places matters for its conservation.
Keep exploring
Based on what we already know about madeira pipistrelle.
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