Brandt's Bat (Myotis brandtii) lives in temperate forests across Europe and Asia. It feeds on insects and spiders. Its conservation status is Least Concern.
Fascinating facts about the Brandt's Bat
- Brandt's bat now roams from sea level to 1,800 m (6,000 ft) across Europe and western Asia, even popping up in Ireland for the first time in 2010. Its presence stretches from Great Britain and western Europe through Central Europe, Fennoscandia and western Russia, but in the Balkans it sticks to the mountains.
- Female Brandt's bats gather in summer maternity colonies, each raising a single pup that learns to fly after roughly one month. Some females can become sexually mature at three months, but most wait a year. Mating happens in the fall, yet females store the sperm through winter, only fertilising in spring.
- Brandt's bats live far shorter lives than their Siberian cousins, with individuals near Saint Petersburg reaching about 8.5 years and those in the Baltic capping at 18.5 years. Yet molecular studies reveal changes in growth-hormone and IGF-1 receptors that hint at a built-in potential for longevity. By roosting in caves and hibernating through winter, they dodge harsh weather and predators, showing how behavior and genetics together shape their lifespan.
- At just 3.8-5.0 cm long with a 21-24 cm wingspan and weighing only 4.5-9.5 g, Brandt's bat.
- When hunting, Brandt's bat fires ultrasonic calls that sweep from 32 to 103 kHz, peaking at 51 kHz, each pulse lasting about 4.2 ms. These high-frequency clicks act like a sonar ping, painting a detailed picture of tiny insects in total darkness.
Sources
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At a glance
RangeEurope and Asia
HabitatTemperate forests
DietInsects and spiders
About the Brandt's Bat
In the velvety blackness of a summer evening, the Brandt's bat emerges, its delicate silhouette etched against the sky as it embarks on a whirlwind hunt for insects, its leathery wings beating at a hypnotic pace. With an agility that belies its tiny frame, this diminutive creature dances through the air, its high-pitched calls piercing the night as it navigates the intricate web of sound and shadow. As it flits and weaves, the Brandt's bat embodies the very essence of nocturnal magic, a whispered promise of wonder in the darkest hours.
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