Greater Horseshoe Bat (Rhinolophus ferrumequinum)

Horseshoe bats can be distinguished from other British bats by the presence of a complex horseshoe-shaped noseleaf which is related to their particular type of echolocation system. Formerly a cave-dweller, the greater horseshoe bat now tends to roost in old houses, churches and barns. The greater horseshoe bat is one of our largest bat species, the size of a small pear. It is one of two horseshoe species in the UK. The decline of the greater horseshoe bat may be due to factors such as disturbance of roosts and intensive agricultural practices including loss of permanent pasture. These bats are particularly sensitive to disturbance at their nursery and winter roosts. Those sites need to be specifically protected and entrance holes left unobstructed.

• A dropping sample with sufficient biological material to be used as a reserve is required in case the extraction is unsuccessful the first time.
• The fresher a sample is, the more likely the test will be able to extract viable DNA.