Bats can be difficult to identify. In the UK we have 18 species and most of our bats have closely related species that look similar to each other. For example, we have three pipistrelle species and seven Myotis species. This means that it can be difficult to separate similar species from a photograph.
Please note: It is a criminal offence to intentionally or recklessly disturb a bat in its roost. Photographing bats can disturb them, especially if bats are in their roosts (or entering and existing their roosts) and if you are using a flash/lighting. This sort of activity may therefore require a licence.
There are many identification guides online that you might find helpful, for example, this one produced by the Nottinghamshire Bat Group which is aimed toward those who are likely to see bats up close (e.g. bat workers and volunteers).
You might also find our ‘What Bat Is That’ leaflet helpful for identifying common bats in flight and local bat groups can sometimes help identify the bats you have seen locally.
You can submit photo by emailing enquiries@bats.org.uk and we will do our best to identify the bat for you. We also accept video and sound files send as attachments (we will not download any externally hosted files). Please note we receive a very high volume of enquiries, especially in the summer, so it may take several weeks before we can respond to you.
Important: the bat you have found may be in need of rescue if it grounded, injured or exposed in the daylight. Please see our Help, I’ve found a bat section for further advice and guidance on what to do next.
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