First capture of bat species illuminating
A SPECIES of bat has been recorded in Guernsey for the first time after last weekend’s successful Channel Island Bat Conference.
The conference was hosted by La Societe Guernesiaise and Annyctalus Ecology and 78 bats of five species were caught and released at seven sites in Guernsey by licensed individuals.
The most exciting discovery at the conference was the Kuhl’s pipistrelle bat, as three of the species were caught for the first time in the island.
All were juveniles and are breeding here.
Ani Binet, founder and research ecologist of Annyctalus Ecology said: ‘There is still so much we don’t know about bats across the Channel Islands that we are discovering more information all the time.
‘It was great to be able to come to Guernsey and carry out the first dedicated bat trapping surveys for the island.
‘The discovery of the Kuhl’s pipistrelle’s and my first capture of a Channel Islands greater horseshoe bat were the icing on the cake of a fantastically batty weekend.’
One greater horseshoe bat – a species which feeds on large insects, such as dung beetles and may bugs, which was only discovered in the island in 2016, was also caught.
It is estimated that the number of greater horseshoes has declined by 90% in the past 100 years.
‘Bats are amazing creatures and are indicators of the health of our environment. Information such as this is so useful to help inform up on how our environment is fairing,’ said biodiversity education officer Julia Henney.
‘These insights into Guernsey’s bat species would not have been possible without the amazing hard work and generosity of La Societe Guernesiaise, Annyctalus Ecology and the visiting ecologists from across the Channel Islands and UK.
n Annyctalus Ecology is a not-for profit organisation based in Jersey which specialises in bat research and training.