Brown Long-eared Bat Plecotus auritus
A medium-sized bat immediately recognisable by its extraordinarily large ears, which are almost as long as its body and are folded back under the wings at rest. Pale sandy to buff-brown fur; dark face; slow, highly manoeuvrable flight close to vegetation, frequently gleaning insects directly from leaves. Roosts in roof spaces and open-timber buildings in summer; hibernates in caves and underground sites. Image: © Матвей Киселёв, iNaturalist.
Find out more: Bat Conservation Trust, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, iNaturalist, The Mammal Society
Post-1994 distribution maps (tetrad)
Suffolk’s Priority Bat Species
Key
Listed as a conservation priority in Suffolk’s Biodiversity Action Plan.
Closely associated with Suffolk’s landscape and natural identity.
Identified as a key priority for recovery under Suffolk’s Local Nature Recovery Strategy.
Has a Species of the Month article attached.
2025 Fact Sheet