 |
|
| Bats action plan |
 |
DOWNLOAD THE FULL ACTION PLAN:
in pdf or text
format
Aims
1. To reverse the current population declines
in London's bats.
2. To redress Londoners' misconceptions about
bats and secure their status as culturally valued species.
Bats are highly adapted nocturnal mammals the only mammals
to have evolved powered flight. Often thought of as flying
mice, they are in fact more closely related to humans than
to rodents, and form a special group of their own: the Chiroptera,
meaning 'hand-wing'. Bats are generally only seen briefly
at dusk and their seemingly furtive nocturnal habits have,
over generations, resulted in popular misconceptions and even
a misplaced fear of them. Modern horror stories, films and
the media quoting fiction as fact have not helped to improve
this tainted public image.
British bats only eat insects. Serving as natural insecticides,
they consume huge numbers and variety of prey - a single pipistrelle
can eat 3000 midges in a night. With the loss of natural roost
sites in trees and woodlands, many bats have adapted to living
in buildings. Some favoured Londoners may therefore be surprised
to discover these unexpected lodgers for a short period during
the summer, when female bats need somewhere warm to raise
their young. Their reliance on buildings for roosting greatly
focuses conservation efforts on people's tolerance and goodwill.
Bats are an excellent indicator of the quality of our environment,
as their complex ecological requirements leave them highly
sensitive to environmental changes. Their serious decline
should be of major concern to us all.
Contact
Mike Waite
Species Action Plan Co-ordinator
London Bat Group
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.londonbats.org.uk
Photo of Long-eared bat © Mike
Waite
This is only a summary
- download the full audit in pdf
or text format
Related documents:
• Advice
for developers on protected species in Greater London
• Advice
for local planning authorities on protected species in Greater
London
• Research
on artificial light and mammal ecology
• Bat
roost creation opportunities in Greater London
Back to top of page
|
|
