An introductory course about bats covering their variety of form, distribution, and ecology. The course begins with a brief review of bat classification and variety on a worldwide scale, emphasising their positive economic and environmental contributions as well as their potential threats to humans as vectors of disease. The course then progresses to species found in the British Isles, how to identify them, and looks at key aspects of their ecology. Because of their largely nocturnal activity patterns the course then examines methods of survey with emphasis placed on a simplistic introduction to the techniques for listening to and interpreting bat calls. Methods of conservation and mitigation will be reviewed particularly in relation to human intrusion, pollution, predation, and disease.  

The course is introductory and not designed for professionals seeking governmental bat licence qualifications.