Devon Greater Horseshoe Bat Project Hugh Clarke Devon Greater Horseshoe Bat Project Welcome to the GHB Project. My name is Helen Parr and I’m the Community Engagement Officer on the project. Overview of GHB in Devon, and then the project itself. There’ll be time for questions afterwards, but if you want to ask anything as we go along that’s fine.

Greater horseshoe bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum GHB – not the best looking bat but looks weird because of its nose leaf, used for echo locating English Nature 1998 A flying greater horseshoe bat is like a person in fog, with an effective sensory range of only 5 to 10 metres

Greater horseshoe bat Weighs 14-34g Lives up to 30 years Up to 40cm wingspan Weighs 14-34g Lives up to 30 years One young per year Full size at 2 months old Has declined by 98% in 100 years One of the longest lived and largest bats in the UK. They can live for up to 30 years – thought to be due to their large amounts of torpor. However average age is 10 years. Up to one young per year but do not start reproducing until about 6 years of age and tend to have one young every 2 years. Infant mortality is high. Over the last 50-100 years numbers have declined by 90%. Around 10,000 left in UK in the south west and south Wales – one third of these in Devon. Phil Wilson

HUNTING &FEEDing Takes about 30 minutes to catch, dismember and eat a moth Uses temporary roost in between feeding sessions to digest They will fly, catch prey and rest on temporary perches throughout the night English Nature 1998

Close up GHB mate in the autumn but the females delay fertilisation until the Spring. Tracked individuals have been known to travel up to 100 miles during the mating season. Mike Symes

hibernating Underground in caves Will wake and feed for energy Group hibernation puts them at risk Whilst maternity roosts need to be dry and warm, winter roosts must be cold and dry. Normally this will be in limestone caves

habitats Dung beetles are crucial for the mothers and for young bats .. Rich woodlands provide wasps and moths. A healthy habitat is vital to provide plenty of the correct prey. Some worming treatments for cattle make dung sterile so using the right product can make a huge difference. Woodlands, hedgerows and species rich meadows are also essential. Wildflower meadows for cockchafer grubs – adult cockchafers are perfect prey for greater horseshoe bats.

Devon has a landscape with good links such as hedges landscapes Devon has a landscape with good links such as hedges Devon with it’s networks of hedgerows and provides not only wonderful landscapes for people but an ideal habitat for GHB

Habitats 98% of species rich grasslands have been lost 50% Hedgerows have been removed 98% of species rich grasslands have been lost during the last century. Hedgerows have also been lost at alarming rates. The demise of the greater horseshoe bat has mirrored these declines. The decline in GHB mirrors that of hedgerows and species rich meadows. However the biodiversity of these are now well understood and much is being done by landowners to reverse this trend Hugh Clarke

Our project Working with landowners Bringing bats to people Improving our knowledge

Working with landowners Work with farmers to help make good habitats for bats 50 visits done to end year 4 events

Working with landowners RESTORATION HEDGES Connections, good management. Flailed poor, vs diverse

Bringing bats to people School and community groups: learn enhance their surroundings accreditation …to help the bats Schools. 17 schools involved across the county

Improving our knowledge Over 1 million files – 178,672 bat passes; 872,193 ‘noise’ files So far 1,226 GHB (2 of 5 surveys) A lot of work still to do! ….not least securing the 5-year project!

Devon Greater horseshoe bat Project Partnership project