Bats Wings

Bats throughout the world come in all different sizes, but we are going to look at bats that live in the UK.

Have you ever seen a bat flying around your neighbourhood?

Bats found in the UK are mostly very small with a wingspan of around 20 cm which is less than a sparrow. The Noctule has a wingspan of up to 50 cm which is our largest bat. You will find Noctules flying low over water catching insects.

Did You Know? - Pipistrelle bats are our most common and are very small but they are great for eating midges and other insects - up to 3,000 in one night , we found out about midges in mini beast week - they bite us and make us itch so eat up little bats!

Bats wings are made of skin muscle and bone and are connected by their fingers and thumb - their fingers are very long in comparison to their body size. Look at your hand spread open and imagine there being skin connecting all your fingers together - of course your fingers would have to be very very long to make then into wings!