Grey Long-eared Bat (Plecotus austriacus)

A rare species in the UK, the Grey long-eared bats current range in confined to parts of southern England counties including Devon, Dorset, Hampshire, Sussex, Somerset and the Isle of Wight.

They are generally slightly larger than the brown long-eared bat and have a dark face. Their ears are nearly as long as their body, but at rest they curl their ears back or tuck them away under their wings.

Very little information exists on habitat use of the grey long-eared bat. Some studies have shown that individuals tend to forage over large open spaces such as meadows, grasslands and gardens. They eat moths, crane flies and small beetles. Their breeding colonies gather in roosts during April and May. They give birth to a single young in late June/early July.

Roosts are typically observed in old houses/buildings with open roof voids to allow flight. Preferential choose locations on or above ridge beams. 

• 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.
• Other viable sample types include fur/hair, tissue and blood.
• Samples can be taken using a bat dropping collection kit or using your own secure containers/resources.