- Lifespan
- 10–20 years in the wild, with some individuals recorded living over 30 years in captivity
- Size & Weight
- 53–64 mm body length, wingspan 35–40 cm, weight 17–34 g
- Habitat
- Wooded valleys, pastures, and farmland with access to caves, mines, or large buildings for roosting and hibernation.
- UK Distribution
- Resident in south-western England and south Wales, with populations concentrated in Devon, Somerset, Dorset, and Carmarthenshire. Non-migratory, though some local movements occur between summer and winter roosts.
- Diet
- Insectivorous, hunting medium to large flying insects including beetles, moths, caddisflies, and dung flies, often taken in slow, fluttering flight or gleaned from vegetation.
- Prey
- Beetles (Coleoptera), moths (Lepidoptera), caddisflies (Trichoptera), craneflies, and other medium to large insects
- Predators
- Sparrowhawks, tawny owls, and weasels; barn owls occasionally take young bats
- Mating Season
- August to November, with mating occurring in autumn before hibernation
- Breeding
- Single offspring born May to June after 8-week gestation; lactation lasts 5–6 weeks; one brood per year
- Behaviour
- Highly sedentary, with individuals returning to the same roosts year after year. Largely solitary or found in small groups; highly vocal with distinctive echolocation calls. Hibernates for 5–7 months, with heart rate dropping to just 10 beats per minute.