Bats about bats! Listen to the latest podcast

Learn all about bats in the latest In Conservation: what makes them so fascinating, how we monitor them, and why it's important to keep track of these marvellous mammals

Episode twelve of the podcast marks a year of these monthly in-depth explorations of our work. I hope you've been enjoying them - or, if you're new to us this episode, that you'll take the time to explore the previous episodes. We've done everything from a wildlife safari of a car park, to getting behind-the-scenes at our beaver release, to chatting about the importance of our work with communities.

This episode is all about bats. Senior Monitoring and Research Officer Gwen Hitchcock knows all about these miraculous mammals through her work recording them, and we find out what it is we do to keep tabs on them - and what amazing creatures they really are - whilst scouting for sites for monitoring them at Strawberry Hill. Find out what links jazz hands, wet slaps and inbuilt ear defenders... hint: it's bats. Amazing!

Credits

Podcast host and producer: Sophie Baker
Interviewee: Gwen Hitchcock
Podcast music: Written and performed by James Williams. Mixed and produced by Jared Wentwick.

Bats in flight (https://youtu.be/IjTydNqfZug)

Gwen Hitchcock

A bat in a black gloved hand with very large ears

Brown long-eared bat by Gwen Hitchcock

Noctule bat in the hand, by Gwen Hitchcock

A small bat tucked into a tiny, rocky crevice

Daubenton's bat tucked into a roosting crevice by Gwen Hitchcock

Gwen Hitchcock

A bat in flight, the light through its wing membrane showing the arm and 'hand' structure

Strawberry Hill bats

During the podcast, Gwen and I were scouting for sites to monitor the bats at Strawberry Hill. Since recording, the monitoring has happened, and two whiskered bats - confirmed by DNA testing - were found.