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Devon Bat Group facts for kids

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Pipistrellus pipistrellus lateral
Common Pipistrelle

The Devon Bat Group (DBG) is a group of people who love and protect bats in Devon, England. They started in 1984 to help bats and their homes. They also care for injured bats and teach people about these amazing flying mammals.

How the Group Started

The Devon Bat Group began in 1984 in Devon, England. People were worried because the number of British bats was going down. Devon is a very important place for bats. Most types of British bats live there. The group works hard to keep these different kinds of bats safe. They also want to learn more about them.

The Devon Bat Group is part of a bigger network. This network includes many bat groups across the UK. They are all part of The Bat Conservation Trust. This Trust started in 1991 to help all the bat groups work together.

What the Group Does

People who join the Devon Bat Group include those who want to learn about bats. It also includes people who want to help with group activities. Some members are even professional scientists who study nature.

The group does many cool things:

  • They visit places where bats live, called roosts.
  • They set up bat boxes for bats to live in. They check these boxes regularly.
  • They do bat surveys to count bats and see where they are.
  • They give talks to schools and other groups about bats.
  • They lead bat walks so people can see bats flying at night.
  • They care for bats that are sick or hurt.

Some members have special licences. This allows them to visit bat roosts for Natural England. The whole group has meetings every three months. There are also smaller local groups in Exeter, Plymouth, and North Devon. These local groups plan activities closer to home.

The Devon Bat Group works with many other groups in Devon. They team up with the South West Lakes Trust. Together, they watch bat populations at places like Roadford Lake. They also help with the Devon Greater Horseshoe Bat Project. This project includes groups like Devon Wildlife Trust and Devon County Council.

In 2014 and 2015, they ran a project called The Big Exeter Bat Survey. This was a citizen science project. It helped them find out which bats live in Exeter and where they are. The group's bat survey information was also used for the re-opening of Hemerdon Mine. This helped create a plan to protect bats from the mining work.

Bat Species in Devon

Devon is home to many different kinds of bats. Out of the 18 types of bats that live in the UK, 16 have been found in Devon. The only two types not found there are the Greater Mouse-Eared bat and the Alcathoe bat.

Here are some of the bat species you can find in Devon:

Barbastelle

  • Barbastella barbastellus: barbastelle

Serotine

Myotis Bats

Noctules

Pipistrelles

Long-Eared Bats

Horseshoe Bats

See also

  • List of bat roosts
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