Wildlife

Serotine Bat Welfare and Agricultural Landscapes

The serotine is one of the UK largest bats and is closely associated with lowland agricultural landscapes, foraging around woodland edges and hedgerows for large moths and beetles.

Key Facts

One of the largest British bats alongside the noctule
Almost exclusively roosts in buildings, particularly old houses and churches
Strong association with livestock pasture for dung beetle prey
Particularly vulnerable to loss of old building roosts
Southern English distribution with strongholds in Sussex and Kent

Welfare Considerations

Serotine welfare is threatened by building renovation without bat surveys, loss of permanent pasture reducing dung beetle prey, and pesticide use. The species requires large roost spaces in old buildings. Livestock farms managed without routine prophylactic ivermectin support dung beetle populations that serotines depend on.

What You Can Do

Ensure bat surveys before any building renovation
Support old church and barn roof maintenance as bat habitat
Advocate for reducing prophylactic ivermectin use in livestock
Join bat group roost monitoring for this scarce species
Report serotine roosts to the Bat Conservation Trust