Appearance
The common pipistrelle is a very small species of bat. Its forearm is 27.7–32.2 mm long. It has a short muzzle.It is 3.5–5.2 cm long along the head-and-body, with the tail adding 2.3–3.6 cm. The body mass can range from 3.5 to 8.5 g, with the wingspan ranging from 18 to 25 cm. Its brown fur is variable in tone. It is common in woodland and farmland but is also found in towns, where the females roost in lofts and buildings when rearing young.
Habitat
It has a Palearctic distribution. It occurs in the British Isles, southern Scandinavia, much of Continental Europe, and parts of Northwest Africa. It is also found in India, China, and Myanmar in Asia.Reproduction
Males attract females by creating courtship territories approximately 200 m in diameter; these territories are maintained from mid-July through the end of October, with particularly intense activity in September.Courtship territories are usually in the vicinity of popular winter roosts for the species.
Males will patrol these territories while "singing" to attract the attention of female bats as they travel to winter roosts.
Male courtship territories are densely-packed, offering female choice akin to a lek mating system. While copulation occurs in the fall, fertilization does not occur until after its hibernation due to female sperm storage. Females are pregnant in May and June.
Pregnant females form large aggregations in roosts, called maternity colonies.
Colonies can consist of dozens or hundreds of individuals.
Parturition usually occurs in June. The litter size is usually one young, called a pup, though in some populations, twins are regularly produced. Females nurse their pups through July; pups are usually weaned by August. Females reach sexual maturity at one year of age.
Food
The common pipistrelle is an edge specialist, preferring to forage along woodland edges and along isolated tree lines. It is insectivorous, preying on flies, caddisflies, lacewings, and mayflies.Mosquitoes, midges, and gnats are particularly favored prey items.
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