Bat Markings

[da2m]

Do bats british bats have markings? if so why? i watched a program on five with Nick Baker and one of the bats he caught had yellow ears and a white line down the middle of it's head and body, why. they were filming in peru.

[JWN Andrewes]

None of the UK bats are all that well marked (although Natterer's (http://www.bio.bris.ac.uk/research/bats/britishbats/batpages/natterers.htm) is quite two tone - brown above & whitish below). Many Bat markings (eg White-lined (http://www.mammalogy.org/mil_images/images/mid/028.jpg) Bats in the Neotropics) help to camouflage them against tree bark. What the purpose is of Spotted (http://www.washington.edu/burkemuseum/collections/mammalogy/mamwash/euma.html) Bat's markings I know not!

James

[da2m]

thanks for the reply. it is strange that these great creatures have marking when they are nocturnal.