Innovative mammal conservation
Worldwide there are over 85 species of horseshoe bats. Five are found in Europe, but only two, the greater and lesser horseshoe bat, are native to the British Isles. Horseshoe bats have a circular flap of skin surrounding their nostrils and the horseshoe shape of this ‘nose-leaf’ gives these bats their name.
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It is well known that vegetative cover close to the entrances of the roosts of both greater and lesser horseshoe bats allows them to leave sites in relative security from predators. As the light level is lower, they can also leave earlier than if they had to cross open ground. However, little conclusive evidence of this has yet been published.
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