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Common Pipistrelle


Common Pipistrelle
Photo Information
Copyright: Valerie Schnepp (valy67) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1409 W: 53 N: 1929] (5768)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2006-07-23
Categories: Mammals
Camera: Canon 350D, Canon EF 18mm-55mm f/3.5 - f/5.6
Details: (Fill) Flash: Yes
Photo Version: Original Version
Theme(s): Bats (Chiroptera) of Europe [view contributor(s)]
Date Submitted: 2006-07-26 7:52
Viewed: 1197
Points: 48
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
I found these bats in my grand mother's house. Usually they are hanging under the roof during the day, but it is so hot these last weeks that they crawl on the walls. These three bats were hanging on the wall, heads down, and I was kneeling under them to take the photo. They didn't move, not even when my lens was at 30 cm from them - very cooperative models ! :-)

I'm not 100 % sure about ID, but I think they are Common Pipistrelles.


Common Pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus)

Physical Description : It is the smallest and commonest bat in Europe. Body length 3.5 to 4.5cm. Wingspan 19 to 25cm. Weight 3 to 8g.
Pipistrelles are the smallest European bats. They have dark red/brown fur on their backs and yellow/brown undersides. The ears, nose and wing membranes are black/brown.

Distribution : It has a very large range across most of Europe, North Africa, southwestern Asia, and possibly into Korea. It is one of the most common species in the British Isles.

Habitat : They occupy a variety of habitats, including open woodland, parks, marshes, farmland and urban areas.

Diet : Pipistrelles emerge from their roosts to feed relatively early - sometimes before sunset. They hunt small moths, gnats and other small insects, often returning to their roost after a couple of hours, although they may emerge for another feed during the night. A single pipistrelle may consume up to 3,000 insects in one night.

Behaviour : In the summer they tend to roost in buildings, bat boxes and trees. In the winter they also use trees and buildings, as well as large churches and cellars. They hibernate from mid-November to the beginning of April. They are rapid, agile fliers, flying about 5-10m above the ground.

Reproduction : Males defend their own territories from other males during the mating season (August to September). Females visit these mating roosts, and one male can have a harem of up to 10 females.

The young are born in June/July, and although they usually only produce one infant in the UK, in central Europe they commonly have twins. Mothers recognise their young using smell and hearing. The young are able to fly after 3-4 weeks, and leave the roosts in August/September.

Conservation status
Pipistrelles are not threatened and are the commonest bat in Europe, but numbers have decreased over the past decade.
SkyF, izler, ramthakur, marhowie, claudine, eruyanik, jmp, pvs, liquidsunshine, aido, jeanpaul, manyee, cas_orla, dew77, sandpiper2, jjcordier, Silke, lovenature, cicindela, pablominto has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To cicindela: Your themevaly67 1 06-17 14:55
To rousettus: Thank you !valy67 1 03-11 03:38
To jjcordier: Merci !valy67 1 07-28 05:25
To eruyanik: Draculavaly67 2 07-26 14:51
To izler: Hi Izler !valy67 1 07-26 08:27
To SkyF: Hi Sky !valy67 1 07-26 08:24
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2390 W: 194 N: 1991] (8113)
  • [2006-07-26 7:57]
  • [+]

Bonjour Valerie,
you are brave to get that close, they give me the creeps. Very well captured, sharpness, POV and details are very nice.
TFS..Sky

  • Great 
  • izler Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1383 W: 88 N: 955] (9194)
  • [2006-07-26 8:01]
  • [+]

hi Valerie
beautiful bats photo. amazing exposure. i have never seen like this close up to bat. pov, composition and lighting are great. good job
thanks for sharing
regards
izler

You got them pretty sharp and clear, Valerie.
Well done and TFS.

Wowowwow, bella foto Valerie!
Ottimi dettagli e precisa la messa a fuoco, brava!
Ciao.
Franco

Hi Valerie,
Cool shot, I like it.
Very good detail and use of flash.
I like the POV and framing, great DOF as well :) Excellent note,
Well done and TFS!

Bonjour Valérie,

Comme certains l'on dit, tu es assez brave pour avoir photographié ces chauve-souris à l'intérieur, pas certaine que j'aurais eu ce courage, surtout à 30 cm d'elles...Photo très réussie, de beaux détails et une belle composition, trois à la fois, ce n'est pas rien ;-) Merci,
Claudine

Wow wow! Bats are so interesting creatures and i only saw little ones in flight at night which so different looking to me. These are same kinds for sure but looking to your close-up shot so big they are! and if you ask to me, i call them as a bloody sons of the Kont Dracula! Very interesting subject and great details, i just know them better, thank you Valérie!
Ersin

  • Great 
  • jmp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1836 W: 94 N: 2341] (8407)
  • [2006-07-26 10:55]

Hola Valerie,
¡El sol ha sido útil para algo! Bonita captura de este trío de murciélagos. Acertado punto de vista, buena exposición y una composición buenta con estes tres aturdidos murciélagos.
Un saludo, José M.
PS. Creo que empezarás a comprender qué es el calor.

  •      
  • pvs Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1159 W: 255 N: 2639] (11925)
  • [2006-07-26 11:28]

Hi Valerie,

Nice shots of this bats,never seen them in daytime overhere,but in the night we have them a lot before the windows eating the moths coming towards the light,well captured and TFS,

Paul

Hi Valerie,
Nice captured of these bats. My first time to see a close-up bat picture. POV and composition are great. Wonderful sharpness. Well done and TFS.
JC

Hello Valerie,
This is a great to see these rarely posted Bats.
The details are nice, clear and sharp.
Good colours, lighting and exposure. POV from beneath them is good.
Well composed and nicely framed.
Thanks for posting, have a great week MF.

  • Great 
  • aido Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1095 W: 169 N: 1218] (4046)
  • [2006-07-26 15:50]

Hi Valerie,
It seems your Grandparents have their own nature reserve! You get a lot of interesting shots there. Amazing to see these so close and it seems everybody is suffering from this heat. A nice shot, good detail and exposure, well captured.
Regards,
Adrian

  • Great 
  • manyee Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3119 W: 236 N: 5956] (20112)
  • [2006-07-27 3:15]

Bonjour Valerie,
What good luck for you to find such great subjects to photograph at your grandmother's. It is a great POV, and the details are sharp.
I like the expressions on their faces.
Merci pour le partage. : )

Salut Valerie
Vraiment très beau ! Belle composition, superbes couleurs, excellent encadrement. Très beau travail. Ce sont les premières que je vois sur le site.
Merci et au revoir....JP

  • Great 
  • dew77 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 4964 W: 298 N: 4027] (13131)
  • [2006-07-27 6:39]

Hello Valerie,
Unusual capture.POV,sharpness,clear details and composition are wonderful.Excellent work!
TFS...:-)

Its great to see bats on TN. I posted some ages ago and haven't seen any since.
So your driving the down the wall, ha ha! its really must be very hot for that to happen.
Great sharp image of these lovely mammals.
Well done and TFS.

  • Great 
  • Silke Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 753 W: 108 N: 1730] (5406)
  • [2006-07-28 11:38]

Great shot, Valerie! Amazing that they let you get that close. YOur hair-sharp image allows us to see super details, TFS
Silke

Compte tenu de l'objectif utilisé, tu as dû prendre la photo de très près....ce qui est déjà un exploit pour moi!Un trio bien capturé et éclairé. Beau travail, Valérie!
Amicalement
JJ

salut valerie
c'est bien dee nous montrer ces chauves souries sur le site car il n'y en a pas souvent.merci pour le partage.
laurent

Hello Valerie
Nice capture of these little bats.
Interesting that they just stood still for you so you could get this nice
closeup. The lighting and detail is great.
TFS Janice

  • Great 
  • Graal Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Silver Note Writer [C: 787 W: 31 N: 20] (5002)
  • [2006-07-30 4:41]

Hi Valerie,
interesting bats, good captured, nice colours, interesting note. Well done photo.
Gr., Aleksander

  • Great 
  • Aramok Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 927 W: 103 N: 1420] (4887)
  • [2006-08-08 10:49]

I have to say you have photographed these really well. they remind me of the one I rescued, but I was that busy rescuing it I totally forget to get a photograph.

you have some superb details here, including their eyes open whcih is a real bonus.

TFS
Emma

Species name should be corrected as Myotis blyhthii (lesser mouse-eared bat)

Hello Valerie!
Bats are rather uncommon here on TN so many thanks for showing something interesting. These tree looks really nice :)
Picture has good quality, including DOF, POV and colouration. Also the note is informative.
By the way, if you agree I would like to add this picture to my theme Bats of Europe :>
Best greetings,
Radomir

Hello Valerie,
I'm not quite sure what to think about those, they are amazing animals, but....
You capture the details well here, pity they didn't spread the wings for the photographer, hehehehe...
Greetings,
Pablo -

Bonjour Valerie

Lovely composition.
Good detail and excellent exposure with flash
TFS
Best Regads,
Mark

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