Wildlife
Soprano pipistrelles have recently been recognised as a species separate from common pipistrelles. These two can only be reliably told apart by the different frequencies of their echolocation calls: 55 kHz for the soprano rather than 45 kHz for the common. It has been suggested that British soprano pipistrelle roosts are more common in Scotland and parts of Ireland. In the August and September mating season, males defend their mating roosts from other males. Females visit the roosts, and one male can have a harem of up to 10 females.
Scientific name: Pipistrellus pygmaeus
Rank: Species
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Swarming sopranos
Soprano pipistrelles return to the roost in droves early in the morning.
Soprano pipistrelles return to the roost in droves early in the morning.
Species range provided by WWF's Wildfinder.
The Soprano pipistrelle can be found in a number of locations including: Europe, Mediterranean, Russia, United Kingdom, Wales. Find out more about these places and what else lives there.
The following habitats are found across the Soprano pipistrelle distribution range. Find out more about these environments, what it takes to live there and what else inhabits them.
Discover what these behaviours are and how different plants and animals use them.
Additional data source: Animal Diversity Web
Least Concern
Population trend: Unknown
Year assessed: 2008
Classified by: IUCN 3.1
The soprano pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pygmaeus) is a small bat that was only formally separated from the common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) in 1999.
The two species were first distinguished on the basis of their different-frequency echolocation calls. The common pipistrelle uses a call of 45 kHz, while the soprano pipistrelle echolocates at 55 kHz. The two species are sometimes called the 45 kHz pipistrelle and the 55 kHz pipistrelle, or the bandit pipistrelle (common) and the brown pipistrelle (soprano). Since the two species were split, a number of other differences, in appearance, habitat and food, have also been discovered.
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Oak wood
Beech wood
Marsh
Broadleaf forest
Coniferous forest
Urban
Helpless young
Carnivorous
Colonial
Adapted to flying
Hibernation
Maternal care
Echolocation and ultrasound
Viviparous