The Bats Of Beer Quarry Caves

Beer Quarry Caves is internationally important as a bat hibernaculum. Greater and Lesser Horseshoe bats, along with a few other types use the caves to hibernate in the winter. During hibernation they often wake up and move in their search for suitable temperatures. Greater horseshoe male bats often hibernate in clusters, but females and all lesser horseshoes tend to be more solitary.

The horseshoe bats can be distinguished from other British bats by the presence of a complex horseshoe-shaped nose leaf which is related to their particular type of echo location system. When roosting they hang free with the wings more or less enfolding their body.

The Greater Horseshoe bat is one of our largest bat species, the size of a small pear. It's head and body length is 57 - 71mm (2.2" - 2.8") and Wingspan is 350 - 400mm (13.8" - 15.7") and eats Chafers, dung beetles, noctuid moths, crane flies and caddis flies. They have an almost constant echo location frequency call of about 82kHz. On a bat detector a series of continuous warbles can be heard.

The Lesser Horseshoe bat is one of the smallest British species, being around plum-sized. It's head and body is 35 - 45mm (1.4" - 1.8" and wingspan 200 - 250mm (7.8" - 9.8") and eats flies (mainly midges), small moths, caddis flies, lacewings, beetles, small wasps and spiders. They have an almost constant echo location frequency call of about 110kHz. On a bat detector a series of continuous warbles can be heard.

Many other of the 17 varieties of English bats use the caves to hibernate, but in much fewer numbers including Daubenton's Bat, Natterer's Bat, Whiskered Bat and even the very rare Bechstein's Bat.
The numbers hibernating year to year will vary considerably.

Bat Count 16th January 2012 - There were 220 bats in total, which is very good for a mild winter.
Greater Horseshoes - 140 (Including 104 on 3 close wires), Lesser Horseshoes - 68.
Brandt's bat - 3, Daubenton's bat - 2, Natterer's bat - 1, Whiskered bat - 4, Myotis unknown - 2.

This video from East Devon AONB shows how 'Looking out for bats' is arranging special behind the scenes access for local school groups.

Will I See Bats on the Tour?

That depends on when you visit. A few Bats can be found right up to the end of May, but during the Summer months they are in their Maternity roosts in old barns etc. During late September and October you may be lucky and see the odd bat maybe flying around.

The bats never fly too close to the groups and they are not dangerous, but they will amaze you with their flying speed and dexterity.

Click here for a BBC One Show video of Greater Horseshoe bats.

104 Greater Horseshoe Bats on 3 Wires

These are mostly male Greater Horseshoe bats on 16th January 2012.
21 bats are on the near bright string, then 43, finally 40. In 2012 there were 140 Greater and 68 Lesser Horseshoe bats.
This is just off the Wagon Road.

92 Greater Horseshoe Bats on a Wire

These are mostly male Greater Horseshoe bats on 26th Jan 2010.
It doesn't look like 92 as they are all huddled together. In 2010 there were 119 Greater and 133 Lesser Horseshoe bats.
This is the start of the Norman section of the Caves.

41 Greater Horseshoe Bats

These are mostly male Greater Horseshoe bats on 11th Jan 2011 tightly huddled together.
In 2011 there were 118 Greater and 127 Lesser Horseshoe and 12 Myotis unrecognised.
This is quite deep in the Caves as it was a very cold winter.

Greater Horseshoe Bats on the roof

The horseshoe's mostly like to cling to wire, but these are on the roof.
Taken January 2011

Greater and Lesser Horseshoe Bats