A species of bat that has never been seen before in the United Kingdom has been found in caves in Yorkshire and Sussex - although they are now believed to be present in other parts of the country.
Identified by researches from Leeds and Sheffield universities as part of a recent Europe wide bat survey, this new species - known as the Alcathoe's bat - had probably managed to escaped detection because of its size. Its tiny - even for a bat - no more than the size of the end of your thumb.
Surprisingly, the Alcathoe bat was first discovered in Greece in 2001 and is considered to be a native of continental Europe. The reason why this new species has only recently come to light is because its appearance is so similar to other species. In fact it was only a few years ago that the UK’s most common bat - the pipistrelle - was actually found to be made up of two different species.
Identified by researches from Leeds and Sheffield universities as part of a recent Europe wide bat survey, this new species - known as the Alcathoe's bat - had probably managed to escaped detection because of its size. Its tiny - even for a bat - no more than the size of the end of your thumb.
Surprisingly, the Alcathoe bat was first discovered in Greece in 2001 and is considered to be a native of continental Europe. The reason why this new species has only recently come to light is because its appearance is so similar to other species. In fact it was only a few years ago that the UK’s most common bat - the pipistrelle - was actually found to be made up of two different species.
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Previously thought to be too small and weak to have crossed the Channel, the survey suggests that the British population may be quite large. The bats were trapped as they flew into underground swarming sites where thousands of bats from many species mate before hibernating for winter.
This discovery now takes the number of bat species established in the UK from 16 to 17.
This discovery now takes the number of bat species established in the UK from 16 to 17.
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