European Free-tailed Bat

Тhe only representative of this family of  bats in Bulgaria is Tadarida teniotis, which is very poorly studied to date. Until recently only one locality in Southwestern Bulgaria was reported. This species is among the largest bats occurring in Europe. Its coat is gray or brown, lighter at the base of the hairs, and the ears and flying membranes are dark. The free-tailed bat prefers karstic and rocky places, but also occurs in settlements. It lives in small colonies ranging from 5 to 50 individuals, hiding in cracks in rocks, caves or cavities in buildings. It hunts late at night, flying at high altitude and eating its prey in flight.