Bats are generally smaller than one thinks. Common Pipistrelle bat. Photo: Gilles San Martin
Bats are the only true flying mammal, making up more than quarter of mammal species in the UK. All our native species are insect eaters, beautifully adapted to aerial foraging with amazingly flexible wings, which are actually hands that have adapted for flight. They use sound pulses and the returning echoes to decipher anything that is ahead of them, including the size and shape of an insect and which way it is going.
On Skye, FAS TV has filmed Cathryn Baillie from the Bat Conservation Trust discussing the benefits bats can bring to your farm or croft. her segment starts at 11 minutes. If you want to know which bat species are in your area you can borrow bat detectors from Portree or Armadale. Contact CBaillie@bats.org.uk or visit the website to find out more.