Daubenton's bats leave their roosts to hunt at twilight, and they are fast agile fliers.

Life span
The maximum recorded age was 22 years.

Statistics
Body length: 4.5-5.5cm, Wingspan: 24-27cm, Weight: 7-12g.

Physical description
This is a small species, with a pinkish-brown face. The fur on their upper-parts is dark grey/brown and the under-parts are silvery grey. The wings and tail membrane are dark brown. They have large furry feet, which they use to grab prey from the surface of water.

Distribution
Daubenton's bats range across most of Europe, with the exception of northern Scandinavia and in the south of Bulgaria, Romania, Greece and Albania.

Habitat
Their preferred habitat is wooded country, usually near water.

Diet
Daubenton's bats hunt over the open water and around trees, preying on small flying insects such as mosquitoes, gnats and moths.

Behaviour
During the summer they roost in tree holes and attics, and in the winter they roost in caves, tunnels and cellars. The roosts need to be between 3-6 decrees Celsius and to be high in humidity. They hibernate from September to April, and females enter the hibernacula before the males. There may be several thousand individuals in one colony.

Reproduction
The females give birth in June and July. The young can fly after about three weeks, and leave the nurseries in August.

Conservation status
Daubenton's bats are not threatened in the UK, but they are endangered in West Germany and Austria. They are not listed by the 2000 IUCN Red List.