As their name suggests, long-eared bats have strikingly large ears, which are three quarters the length of the head and body. When resting, the ears are folded and held backwards.

Life span
The maximum recorded age is 14 years.

Statistics
Body length: 4-5.8cm, Wingspan: 25-30cm, Weight: 7-14g.

Physical description
Grey long-eared bats are very similar in appearance to brown long-eared bats except for the colour difference. The ears, face and wing membranes are dark grey-black.

Distribution
They range across central and southern Europe. In the UK, grey long-eared bats are restricted to the far south, and are one of the UK's rarest mammals.

Habitat
They prefer cultivated land and are usually associated with areas near to human settlement.

Diet
Grey long-eared bats emerge to feed after dark, hunting moths, flies and beetles. They are skilful fliers and use their large ears to listen out for prey.

Behaviour
In the summer, grey long-eared bats roost in buildings, and in the winter they hibernate in caves, mines and cellars. They hibernate from October to March, usually solitarily.

Reproduction
Little is known about the reproductive behaviour of grey long-eared bats, but they are thought to give birth to one young in mid-June.

Conservation status
Grey long-eared bats are not listed by the 2000 IUCN Red List.