Kuhl's pipistrelle
Pipistrellus kuhlii
angel_trres · Barcelona
Key facts in one look
- Diet
- Insectivore: mayflies, mosquitoes, moths
- Status in Georgia
- Native; mainly in the east
- Size
- Body 4–4.8 cm, weight 5–10 g
- Habitat
- Settlements, open country, water
- Family
- Vespertilionidae
- Conservation
- LC / LC
Kuhl's pipistrelle (Pipistrellus kuhlii) has a white stripe along the outer edge of its wing and tail membranes, which sets it apart from other pipistrelles. It is a tiny bat of 5–10 g, with fur on the back from pale sandy to brownish. It is used to human settlements and lives in crevices of buildings, in cellars and between window frames. Georgia has 83 records of it, mostly from the east: at the lakes and reservoirs of Tbilisi, near Rustavi, at Jandari lake, in Chachuna and at Gareji. It looks like the common pipistrelle, but if you notice the white edge, it is a good clue to the species. Still, do not touch it.
Identification
Kuhl's pipistrelle: how to identify it
A small, pale pipistrelle, with a back from pale sandy to golden-brownish and a paler, whitish belly. The main clue is a white stripe along the edge of the wing and tail membranes. The width of the stripe varies from bat to bat, and on some it barely shows.
A white stripe runs along the free edge of the wing and tail membranes, from the tail to the wing. It is usually well visible, but its width varies. Other pipistrelles have no stripe or only a very narrow one, so the stripe alone will not reliably name the species.
Size: body 4–4.8 cm, tail 3–3.4 cm, forearm 31–37 mm, wingspan 21–24 cm, weight usually 5–10 g. The common pipistrelle is slightly smaller, weighs 3–8 g and is darker brown. The measurements partly overlap.
The echolocation call is loudest at about 40 kHz. Nathusius' pipistrelle sounds similar, at about 38 kHz, so the two are hard to tell apart even by call. The exact species is checked by the teeth, which only a specialist can do.
Colour
The back is pale sandy, golden or greyish-sandy, sometimes brownish. The belly is whitish-sandy, paler than the back. The ears are reddish brown. The wing and tail membranes are dark, with a white stripe along the edge.
Swatches are illustrative. Do not identify a species by colour alone.
Kuhl's pipistrelle is a bat of open country and human settlements: it lives by fields, gardens, in villages and in towns. By day it hides in crevices of buildings, behind window frames, in masonry, in cellars, and also in crevices of trees and cliffs. In buildings it often roosts in groups of 3–20. It winters in buildings and cellars. Georgia has 83 records of it, from 1940–2022, mostly from the east. Many are by water: in Tbilisi at Lisi lake, the Tbilisi reservoir and Kustba lake, at Jandari lake, at the Dali reservoir, at fish ponds of the Gardabani managed reserve and in the riverside forest at Rustavi. It has been found in the Chachuna managed reserve, near Samreklo, near David Gareji and on the Iori river. In Shida Kartli it is known near Uplistsikhe, Urbnisi and in the Ateni gorge. In the west the records come from Zestaponi, Samtredia, Tskaltubo, Anaklia, Adjara and Sokhumi.
The Kuhl's pipistrelle map combines public iNaturalist observations. Regions are taken from the records-by-region table, and the status column separates regions with enough records from regions with too few records. Record counts reflect observation effort rather than population density. Records are still too few: no region has enough records yet.
Data: Reptiles.ge + iNaturalist · Methodology
- Field observation
- Photo record
- Region with records
Kuhl's pipistrelle feeds on small flying insects: mayflies, mosquitoes, moths and other flying insects. It is a very agile flier. It hunts at night, low over water, waste ground, yards and streets. It catches insects in the air, with its wing or tail membrane.
Kuhl's pipistrelle is probably sedentary: it moves up to 5 km between roosts. It winters in buildings, cellars and between window frames. In Georgia it has been recorded in almost every month, most often in July. Mating takes place after the young are weaned or in winter roosts. Males give mating calls, often in groups, to attract females. Maternity colonies usually hold 30–100 females, rarely hundreds, while males live apart. In late May or early June each female has two young.
Globally Kuhl's pipistrelle is Least Concern (LC, 2016): it is widespread and common, and its range is growing. In Georgia's 2021 national assessment it is also Least Concern (LC), with a stable population. The main threat is the redevelopment of buildings where its colonies live. It is one of the most common bats in Mediterranean settlements.
Related guides
Continue with related pages
Yes. The country's bat data hold 83 records of it, mostly from the east. It has been found in Tbilisi at Lisi lake and the Tbilisi reservoir, near Rustavi, at Jandari lake, in Chachuna and near David Gareji. In the west it is known from Zestaponi, Samtredia, Tskaltubo and Sokhumi.
First of all by the white stripe along the edge of the wing and tail membranes. The back is pale sandy or brownish, paler than in the common pipistrelle, and the ears are reddish. The width of the stripe varies and is sometimes hard to see, so the exact species is checked by a specialist from the teeth. Do not catch a bat for this.
It does not attack you, but do not touch it with bare hands. A bat bite can be so small that you may not notice it, and direct contact with a bat is treated as a serious rabies risk. After a bite or scratch, wash the spot with soap and water for at least 15 minutes and see a doctor. In an emergency, call 112.
Stay calm and take children and pets out of the room. Close the doors to other rooms, open the windows wide, pull back the curtains and switch off the light. Then leave and give it time: a bat usually finds the way out on its own. Do not try to catch a bat in flight.
Small flying insects: mayflies, mosquitoes and moths. It hunts at night, low over water, yards and streets. It catches insects in the air, with its wing or tail membrane.
It is not threatened. Globally it is Least Concern (LC, 2016), and Georgia's 2021 national assessment also lists it as Least Concern (LC), with a stable population. The main threat is the redevelopment of buildings where colonies live. If bats live in your house, do not try to poison them or shut them in.
References
What this profile is based on
Species profiles are compiled from peer-reviewed literature and established biodiversity databases, and are reviewed as new taxonomic and conservation data become available.
Prepared by the Reptiles.ge editorial team from the sources listed here.
