Bat conservation in Cornwall

There are officially 17 species of bat native to the United Kingdom. The Environmental Records Centre for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (ERCCIS) hold records for the following British bat species recorded in Cornwall:

Two other British bats, the Serotine (Eptesicus serotinus) and Leisler’s Bat (Nyctalus leisleri) have also been recorded but there are only isolated records. Some vagrant speciessuch as the European Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida teniotis) have also been recorded in Cornwall. Visit ERCCIS’s web site for more details.

European Free-tailed Bat (Tadarida teniotis)
a vagrant species taken to the Cornwall Bat Hospital.
 Photograph by David Chapman

Unfortunately bats seem to have a very bad public image, mainly through mythology and misinformation. The fact that bats come from the night doesn't help, nor that people see pictures of devils with bat wings or hear tales of vampires. Bats are not scary - they are fascinating.  They are sociable, warm-blooded, flying mammals, in many ways very much like us. All British bats eat insects, not fruit or blood as in some other countries. The law now protects all species of British bats because their numbers have decreased alarmingly and they need our help.

• Bat help-line numbers
• How you can help bats
• A year in the life of a bat
• Batty quiz  
• Echo-location  
• European folklore on bats
• Bat legends
• Some simple batty facts
• Bat training opportunities

• Cornwall Bat Hospital

• Education and volunteer opportunities

• Cornwall Bat Group
• Send us your Cornish bat records

• Mammals in Cornwall
• Cornwall Mammal Group

Noctule bat (Nyctalus noctula) one of the largest British species
photograph by David Chapman

Other items that may be of interest:

• Visit the ERCCIS web site for Bat Detectors – A Beginner’s Guide for Orthopterists and audio recordings of grasshoppers and crickets.
• Visit the ERCCIS’s web site for details of mammals recorded in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
• Visit the Celebrating Cornwall's Mammals
  from dormice to dolphins! web site.
• Visit the The Bat Conservation Trust web site.

Bats ... Introduction A year in the life Batty quiz Bat help-line Bat legend Echolocation Some simple facts Folklore Bat Group How you can help Send your records SEARCH . . . . . . . . .