Text: Rauno Kalda
Photos of Daubenton's bat: Rauno Kalda, Niclas Fritzén, Rasmus Karlsson
Photo of pond bat: Rasmus Karlsson
Translation: Liis
Daubenton's bat.
Daubenton’s bat is one of the most common bat species in Estonia, while the pond bat only occurs locally. During summer nights both can be see flying above bodies of water, in the country or in cities. Both dislike light. They usually keep away from illuminated ponds and prefer to hunt insects in dark areas.
Characteristic for both species is a brown back and pale belly, with a sharp, clearcut transition between them. The face is generally pinkish and the ears have rounded tips. They can most easily be distinguished from each other by size: the pond bat is clearly larger than Daubenton’s bat.
The pond bat and Daubenton’s bat are both sedentary species. For wintering in Estonia they mainly use large artificial caves where hundreds of them can be found.
European Bat Night: nahkhiired.blogspot.com (In Estonian) or, in English, HERE
Daubenton's bat.
Pond bat.
Daubenton's bat.