Bats inhabit the world more that 50 million years, but people – only 3 million years.
Although at present 1000 species of bats are already discovered, research still continues…

Are bats birds or mice?
Actually, neither. Bats in contradistinction to birds are mammals, in common with mice, but of all the mammal species, in their turn, the only ones who are capable of a long flight.

How much species of bats live in Latvia?
In all, 16 species, however a part of them stay here only in the summer.
Until now the only greater mouse-eared bat found in Latvia is considered to be a matter of chance.

Where are bats found most frequently?
In the summertime bats are there where suitable feeding grounds are – by lakes, rivers, pounds, in parks, forests and gardens. More rarely they live in the places with a homogeneous landscape – in large farmlands and undergrowths. In towns, when it is getting dark, northern bats and noctule bats like to feed under the streetlights.
In winter bats mostly stay in caves and cellars.

What are bats eating?
All the bats inhabiting Latvia feed on insects, which they catch on the fly at dusk and during the night hours. Bats orientate themselves to their surroundings and find their food sending out a series of short high pitched sounds – ultrasonic sounds, using their mouths. These sounds bounce off an object, creating an echo. Thus, with hearing bats assess the distance of the object, its shape and size and get impression about their surroundings. Brown long-eared bats can detect spiders and caterpillars, which are sitting on the branches and leaves of the trees, but Daubenton’s bats with their feet catch insects which are swimming over the water.
Bats that live with us do not eat vegetables and don’t drink blood.

How are bats breeding?
Bats breed in autumn or at the time of hibernation, but fertilization takes place in spring after the hibernation. In April or May pregnant females gather in groups of several hundred individuals or nursery colonies.
In June-July one mother bat has 1-2 offspring, who feed on mother’s milk. On the second half of July or at the beginning of August babies already are able to fly.

What are bats doing during the daytime?
During the day bats roost in different places on earth – in the hollows of trees, in the cracks behind the bark and external walls of buildings, in attic and in-between roof planking. At dusk they fly out to the feeding grounds, but early in the morning come back.

What are bats doing during the winter?
Because flying insects are not available as food during the winter, bats hibernate like hedgehogs and mice.
In Latvia, where the air temperature in winter is from 0°C to +8°C, as winter dwelling places serve caves, cellars, strongholds, also cracks under the bridges and wells.
At least 6 species hibernate on the ground; therefore at the beginning of the winter they need to make long flights from Latvia to Central, Western and Southern Europe, where the climate is more appropriate to hibernate in the cracks into the external walls of buildings, woodpiles and tree hollows.
In Latvia ringed Nathusius’ pipistrelles have been found in areas suitable for hibernation in the distance of 700 to 1905 km from the place where they had been ringed.

Are bats dangerous for people?
If you catch a bat it can try to bite you to protect himself. Bats of a larger size can bite man’s skin.
To avoid rabies of what in very rare cases fall ill also bats, it is not advisable to take them into hands without gloves.
Other diseases or parasites of bats are not dangerous for people.

Do we need to protect bats?
Equally as in other parts of Europe, all the species living in Latvia are protected.
It is forbidden by the law to catch, kill and deliberately disturb bats in their summer and winter habitat.

In 2003 bats were chosen as the symbol of the Gauja National Park. And several projects were begun to promote the protection of the bats and to educate the society.
We ask you to inform us about your observations of bats and to protect them!