Natural forests are essential for bats. They offer both varied hunting grounds and old trees with numerous living cavities. Even in small natural forest areas, many species can be found.
- Share on Facebook
- Share on Twitter
Bats are fascinating because they find their way in a world that is almost completely closed to humans – darkness. Their sense of hearing and locating is so fine that they can detect insects only a few millimeters in size during flight. The different bat species differ in the technique they use to hunt prey. The fringed bat, for example, hunts just above the ground for small mosquitoes – gladly near damp areas. The Bechstein’s bat, on the other hand, relies not only on ultrasound but, thanks to its large ears, can hear the crawling sounds of insects on dry leaves – and pick the prey directly from the ground. The long-eared bat, on the other hand, has such high-resolution ultrasonic hearing that it can detect the subtlest of movements, such as the crawling of a beetle. While hovering, they scan the bark of trees or branches for prey and grab the insect as soon as it moves. All in all, bats consume enormous amounts of insects and spiders. In order to become full, a bat must consume a quantity of food in one night, whose weight is about 2.000 mosquitoes.
The most important bat habitat
In Germany, there are more than 20 different species of bats, with some species being widespread throughout the country and others occurring only in certain regions. The different hunting and living habits of the various bats ultimately lead to the fact that most species are found in near-natural forests. Only here they find a colorful mosaic of open and closed areas, and old and young tree stands. Bat experts agree that natural forests in particular are ideal bat habitats. This is because, in addition to the varied hunting grounds, these also offer the tree hollows that are so important for bats as roosts.