Bats are the only mammals which can fly. To find their way around bats combine their acute sight with a complex, advanced system of "echolocation" which allows them to orient themselves by "bouncing" their sounds off objects in their vicinity, both to avoid collisions, and to find and hunt their prey.

In Europe, bats eat flies and moths and other insects. Some European bats also serve as pollinators and seed dispersers of many plants important to humans.

To scotch some myths...

There are no vampire bats in Europe, and only one fruit-eating bat (the Egyptian fruit bat that belongs to the sub-order Megachiroptera).

Bats are not only the best insect-repellant, but they are also one of the best natural indicators of the health of the environment around us. This is because bats flourish best where the ecosystem is healthy and stable.

Threats to Bats’ Survival

All European bats are to a greater or lesser extent endangered with extinction. Some have even become extinct in certain countries. The reasons for this are mainly:
- loss of roosts
- loss of feeding areas and increased use of pesticides, both in agriculture and in the protection of building materials against pest action, which in turn poison the bats who consume them
- misunderstanding and prejudice arising from ignorance about bats and their lives and habits.

You can read more interesting facts about bats and the Agreement in the new EUROBATS leaflet, which is available online and in a printed version. To see the pdf-version, please click here. To get a printed copy, please contact the Secretariat.

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