Scientists from the University of Chester say bats have complex social lives

Scientists say bats lead complex social lives, sharing food and actively maintaining friendships.

A University of Chester project monitored 10 different bat roost sites in north Wales.

Scientists have developed ultralight and self-sufficient tracking devices because current GPS systems can be too heavy for flying mammals.

“Our wearable devices will enable us, for the first time, to reliably quantify the movements, behaviours and social networks of individual little bats,” said Dr Christina Stanley.

New, developing nanotechnology enables remote, real-time monitoring of individual bat movements. We hope it will improve tracking of small animals worldwide.

The University of Chester project team, including animal behaviour expert Ms Stanley, Professor Tessa Smith and PhD student Lucy Morison, are working with the Vincent Wildlife Trust and Professor Yu Shi from the University of Leeds.

The research team said bats are a protected species that play a vital role in many ecosystems by controlling insect populations, pollinating plants and dispersing seeds.

However, the animals are said to be at high risk from noise and light pollution, which could impact their ability to forage.

Professor Smith said it was “groundbreaking work to better understand the needs of the wildlife around us”.

The research, funded by the Leverhulme Trust, will be the subject of a free lecture later today at Chester Town Hall as part of the University of Chester’s Festival of Ideas.