Hey Brits, keep an eye out for this little critter – it may be your last chance. The grey long-eared bat is one of the rarest mammals in the UK, and there may be only 1000 left in the country.
These survivors hang out along the south coast of England, the Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands, although one has been recorded in south Wales too. They favour lowland meadows and marshlands, but many such habitats have disappeared in the UK over the past 50 years. Monitoring and protecting remaining roosts is essential to the bats' survival, says Orly Razgour, co-author of a report on their conservation.
That work isn't made easier by brown long-eared bats, a related species also found in the UK. Greys tend to have greyer fur on their backs and whiter on the front, just like the one above, but younger browns can easily be confused for greys thanks to their darker colouring. Only careful body measurements or genetic analysis can distinguish them.
We dubbed another long-lobed species, the desert long-eared bat, the toughest bat in the world due to its habit of scoffing poisonous scorpions. Meanwhile, bats in the US are in the fight of their lives against deadly white nose syndrome.
Report: "Conserving grey long-eared bats in our landscape"
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