Feisty bat shows off his gnashers to rescuers

The pipistrelle bat was found in Rodwell Close in Rotherham.

RSPCA animal welfare officer Liz Braidley went to collect the youngster as he was struggling to fly.

She said: “The young bat had been found grounded and was struggling to fly so I went to collect him and took him to a specialist Bat Conservation Trust volunteer carer.

“He has a small tear in one of his wings so he’ll remain with his rehabilitator while it heals and then he’ll be released back into the wild.”

In the UK there are a total of 18 different types of bats. Common pipistrelle bats are the most often encountered species of bat and typically measure between 35mm-45mm with wing spans of up to 235mm. Common pipistrelles can weigh up to about 8.5g.

They feed on a range of small flies as well as aquatic midges and mosquitoes. These bats feed in a wide range of habitats ranging from woodland, hedgerows and grassland to farmland and suburban and urban areas. They generally leave their roost around 20 minutes after sunset and fly around searching for their insect prey and during this time can eat 3,000 tiny insects in one night.

If you see a bat in need contact the RSPCA’s emergency line on 0300 1234 999. For more information about bats see our ‘Living with bats’ factsheet online.

To help the RSPCA keep rescuing animals and keep our animal hospitals and centres running for emergency treatment and round the clock care through these unprecedented times, please donate whatever you can spare at www.rspca.org.uk/covid.

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