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How old bats get depends mainly on their living conditions. On average about four years, but they can live to be 20 years or older
How old do bats live?
There are different types of bats in Germany. They also have different life expectancies.
- A common pipistrelle bat, for example, has an average life expectancy of 2.5 years. However, NABU researchers have also identified specimens that live to be 16 years old.
- A so-called greater mouse-eared bat has been proven to be 25 years old. This could be determined on the basis of the ringing.
- It also turned out that bats hardly age at all. They rarely die a natural death, but rather through the influence of humans.
- This phenomenon is very unusual, as the life expectancy of a creature is usually related to its size. For example, a mouse only lives for about three years, while an elephant can live up to 70 years.
How bats live
Bats hibernate from around November to March. They are therefore only active for around seven months of the year.
- This rhythm coincides with their food requirements, as bats feed on insects. However, these are only sufficiently available from spring to fall.
- Bats wake up from April and seek out their summer roosts. Female bats then become pregnant more or less immediately. However, the male has had no influence on this
- Mating has already taken place in the fall. However, the eggs are not yet fertilized, as the female only ovulates after waking up from hibernation.
- A baby bat is born after about 50 days and weighs just two grams. At four to five weeks, it can forage for food on its own
- Female bats live together in colonies during the gestation period and while rearing their young. The males usually spend this time alone or in small groups.
- Once the young are old enough and leave the nest, the big mating season begins. The mating season begins in the fall. The bats also need to provide themselves with enough food to survive hibernation.
