Western Barbastelles presumably get their name from the Latin words "barba" and "stella," meaning star-beard and referring to the superficial star-shaped mustache apparent on the upper lip.
Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
Barbastella barbastellus populations throughout Europe have been declining and it is now listed as vulnerable worldwide. It is disappearing in Western Europe due to the loss of hollow trees, habitat disruption and pollution. It is found only rarely throughout most of its habitat. (Nowak 1999, Stebbings and Griffith 1986)
US Federal List: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: near threatened
Western Barbastelles consume large quantities of insects which may benefit humans in the surrounding areas.
Moths account for a majority of its diet (73-94% by weight in Germany and Switzerland), and there is an absence of dung beetles or other hard-bodied insects. Evidence suggests a gleaning or aerial-hawking method of hunting, with feeding usually taking place 4-5m above ground. (Rydell et al. 1996)
Barbastella barbastellus is distributed over most of Europe. It is also present in the southern half of Britain as well as islands of the Mediterranean, Morocco, and the Canary Islands.
Biogeographic Regions: palearctic (Native )
Western Barbastelles typically occupy forested upland areas. During the summer months they are found roosting in domestic dwellings and hollow trees. Their winter hibernation habitat usually consists of fissures in underground structures such as caves and mines with low ambient temperatures and dry air. (Rydell and Bogdanowicz 1997)
Terrestrial Biomes: forest
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 21.0 years.
The Western Barbastelle is medium sized and has long black pelage with white or yellow tips. The underside of the body is somewhat paler. Fur covers parts of the uropatagium and the wings, and the tail is nearly as long as the body. It is distinguishable among other European bats by its short wide ears that face forward and connect across the brow. The female is significantly larger than the male; combined ranges of measurement are as follows: head and body, 45-60 mm; wingspan, 245-300; tail length, 36-52. (Nowak 1999, Rydell and Bogdanowicz 1997)
Range mass: 6 to 10 g.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Females become sexually mature during their first year of life and give birth to usually one and sometimes two offspring. There is sexual segregation in the summer with fertile females forming colonies of 5-30 females. Mating seems to occur in the late summer and early autumn, but winter mating has been reported in parts of their range. Young are born from May to early August and reach full size in 8-9 weeks. (Rydell and Bogdanowicz 1997, Nowak 1999)
Range number of offspring: 1 to 2.
Key Reproductive Features: seasonal breeding ; gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual ; viviparous
Average number of offspring: 2.
