Bats in Scotland

There are nine species of bat found in Scotland. The nine are: Pipistrelles, commonly referred to as the 55 kHz Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus), and the 45 kHz Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus), Nathusius Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus nathusii) . Brown Long Eared (Plectus auritus), Daubenton’s (Myotis daubentonii), Natterer’s (Myotis nattereri), Whiskered bat (Myotis mystacinus), Noctule (Nyctalus noctula), Leisler’s bat (Nyctalus leisleri) and Brandt’s bat (Myotis brandtii). The most common bats are the Pipistrelles and Brown Long Eared, which commonly use houses to roost in. During the summer the females give birth to their young in maternity roosts often in houses and they spend the summer there. Around September they leave the summer roosts to mate and to look for good winter roosts as the summer ones will be too warm. As bats hibernate during the winter they need a cold place with a steady temperature in order to survive a period when their food source, insects are far less abundant.

Bats are very seasonal in their use of roosts. The important maternity roosts are generally close to good insect habitat, e.g. broad-leaved woodland and water. Adult females gather together in maternity roosts in late May to early June to give birth and rear their single young. The bats usually stay in the maternity roost until early September then move on. The young are on the wing in July and they usually leave the roost last. Outside of the period June to August a large variety of roosts are used, some only for a matter of days.

Bats and the Law

Bats are a European protected species under Annex II and IV of the Council Directive 92/43/EEC 1992 of the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora (EC Habitats Directive) and are also the subject of a UK wide Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP). They are fully protected under the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c) Regulations 1994 (as amended) in Scotland, these are commonly know as the ‘Habitats Regulations’. The Habitats Regulations transpose the Habitats Directive to give bats, their breeding sites and resting places a high level of strict protection. In summary, it is a criminal offence (subject to certain specific exceptions) to:

• capture or kill a bat
• disturb a bat whilst in a place of shelter or rest; or
• damage or destroy a bat’s breeding site or resting place.

For the purposes of development where a roost would be affected, a section 44 (Habitats Regulations) licence may be granted by the Scottish Government, if the following three tests are met:

 that the licence application must demonstrably relate to one of the purposes specified in Regulation 44(2) - in the case of development, the purpose is defined as

1. “Preserving public health or public safety or other imperative reasons of overriding public interest, including those of a social or economic nature and beneficial consequences of primary importance for the environment”.

2. that there is no satisfactory alternative; and

3. that the development will not be detrimental to maintaining the populations of the species at a favourable conservation status.

If Bats are found:

If bats are uninjured, allow them to fly out of the way. If injured or sluggish remove to an empty dark box, only if wearing gloves. Keep box still and cool. Do not give food or drink. Call for assistance. IN ALL CASES WHERE BATS ARE FOUND TO OCCUPY TREES OR BUILDINGS, YOU SHOULD INFORM SCOTTISH NATURAL HERITAGE (SNH) IMMEDIATELY.