Whiskered bat

Whiskered bat (Myotis mystacinus )

The whiskered bat ( Myotis mystacinus ) is a bat species from the genus mouse ears (Myotis ).

The Whiskered bat is one of the smallest European mouse-eared bat species with a head-body length of about four inches and a wingspan of about 20 centimeters. Adult animals weighing four to eight grams. Overall look very similar whiskered bats of the Brandt's bats. They also have quite long fur. However, whiskered bats act generally rather darker. The coat is at the top of nut-brown to gray- brown, the ventral side is gray. Ears, nose and wing membranes are dark brown. The ears are long and pointed.

The Whiskered bat is widely used in Europe. Only in Iceland, in the north of Scotland, in northern Scandinavia and parts of the Iberian Peninsula, Italy, Greece and Poland it is not common. After the east, their range extends to Japan, south to North Africa.

The Whiskered bat is not as heavily dependent on water and forests as their larger relatives. It also occurs in villages and parks. In the summer she likes to sleep in buildings and forms larger colonies, in winter it seeks to caves and cellars.

The animals are crepuscular, sometimes go but even during the day to search for prey. Their prey, insects of different size, they capture in low flight, like on the aquatic environment.