20 August 2008
Rare bats discovered on Dartmoor
 | A very rare Bechstein’s bat has been discovered on Dartmoor during the second phase of a challenging research project to study the distribution, numbers and feeding habits of another rare bat, the barbastelle. A partnership of Dartmoor National Park Authority, the Woodland Trust and the National Trust (with funding from the SITA Trust, through the Landfill Communities Fund) set up the £25,000 research project last year to shed more light on the ecology of the barbastelle bat. |
The partnership employed Matt Zeale, a PhD student from Bristol University to trap and track these elusive creatures in wooded Dartmoor river valleys. Between July and August this year, Matt caught a further eight barbastelles from the two new breeding colonies discovered during his research last year in the Bovey and Dart Valleys. It was during this research that he discovered the Bechstein’s bat, one of the rarest mammals in the UK!
The bats were captured using acoustic lures that playback the bats’ calls and attract them into nets. This new technology enables researchers to catch bats in remote woods and track them on their nightly forays. Barbastelles and Bechstein’s bats roost under peeling bark and in splits and holes in damaged and dead trees, so it is important that woodland management regimes ensure their roosting sites are not compromised.
Miriam Glendell, Dartmoor National Park Authority Ecologist said:
’We are very pleased with the results of this research. Matt has done a fantastic job in keeping going at night in often very challenging weather conditions. Both the barbastelle and the Bechstein’s bat are rare species of woodland bat, with only a few confirmed breeding colonies nationally, so the Dartmoor discoveries add significantly to our understanding of the ecology and distribution of both species. We are hoping to follow up this research with practical conservation action to secure the bat’s future.’
The research work is helping to implement actions identified in Action for Wildlife: the Dartmoor Biodiversity Action Plan, produced by Dartmoor National Park Authority with partner organisations. The Action Plan sets out a common vision for Dartmoor’s biodiversity, with objectives and targets to achieve this vision.
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For Further Information
Norman Baldock, Principal Ecologist
Miriam Glendell, Ecologist
Mike Nendick, Communications Officer, Dartmoor National Park Authority
Tel: (01626) 832093
Notes for Editors
Matt Zeale can be contacted on 07875 523477
Images of barbastelle and Bechstein’s bats may be obtained from Frank Greenaway, tel: (01403) 753745
For more information on barbastelles and woodland management in Woodland Trust woods contact James Mason, Woodland Officer, tel: (01626) 835897
SITA Trust
SITA Trust was set up in 1997 and runs three funding programmes:
•Enhancing Communities – for community improvement projects around landfill sites owned by SITA UK
•Enriching Nature – for biodiversity projects within the vicinity of landfill sites in England
•GreenPrints – launched in June 2007 to encourage 16-25 year olds to volunteer their time and energy to improving green spaces in their local communities
Each year, SITA Trust commits over £7 million nationwide through the Landfill Communities Fund.
www.sitatrust.org.uk (external link, opens new window)
The Landfill Communities Fund (formerly the Landfill Tax Credit Scheme)
Landfill tax was introduced in 1996 to encourage more sustainable ways of managing waste
The landfill tax legislation also brought about the Landfill Communities Fund. This scheme allows landfill operators to voluntarily donate 6.6% of their landfill tax liability to environmental improvement projects.
The Landfill Communities Fund is independently regulated on behalf of HM Government’s Revenue & Customs by ENTRUST
Barbastelle and Bechstein's bat
There are seventeen bat species in the UK, of which 15 have been found in Dartmoor National Park. Because of their declining numbers in the past, all UK bats are protected by law.
The first breeding colony of barbastelles on Dartmoor was found in 2002 in Dendles Wood National Nature Reserve. Barbastelles are a priority species for conservation under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. There are thought to be only about 5,000 barbastelle bats in the UK but the exact status and distribution is unknown.
Bechstein’s bat is one of the rarest British mammals and a UK BAP priority species, with only 1,500 individuals estimated. It is a southerly species, formerly known only from south-east England but it appears to be increasing its range westwards and northwards. This may be partly due to the improved technology enabling it to be better detected but possibly also due to the warming climate.
The research has shown that Dartmoor barbastelles seem to travel up to 11km to their feeding grounds where they prey on moths over mature hedges. However, one bat from the Bovey Valley colony has been tracked up to 20km towards Teignmouth. The Bovey and the Dart Valley colonies comprise over 24 and 22 bats, respectively – a healthy size population for such rare species. The Dartmoor bats seem to strictly divide their feeding areas between individual bats, which may explain why they are so ‘thin on the ground’.
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This page last updated 20 August 2008
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Page updated 19 August 2008
