pipistrelle

mammal
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://mainten.top/animal/pipistrelle
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

Also known as: Pipistrellus

pipistrelle, (genus Pipistrellus), any of about 68 species belonging to the vesper bat family (Vespertilionidae). Pipistrelles are found in almost all parts of the world. They are grayish, brown, reddish, or black bats that are about 3.5–10 cm (1.4–4 inches) long, not including the tail, which may be 2.5–6 cm (1–2.4 inches) long.

Erratic fliers, they appear before most other bats in the evening and sometimes even fly about during the day. Representatives include P. pipistrellus of Eurasia and the eastern (P. subflavus) and western (P. hesperus) pipistrelles of North America.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Amy Tikkanen.