Identifying bats
Even experts find bats difficult to identify, as most species look similar. The ones that stand out from the crowd are the long-eared bats, whose ears are almost as long as their bodies, and Daubenton's bats whose habit of flying low and fast over water makes them easy to identify in flight. The following table lists the different species of bats that are found in Scotland.
| Species in houses | Frequency | Main distribution in Scotland and the rest of Britain | Main roosts |
| Common pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pipistrellus) | Common | Throughout mainland Britain and some islands including the Orkney, Inner Hebrides and Lewis. | Buildings |
| Soprano pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pigmaeus) | Common | Throughout mainland Britain and some Inner Hebridean islands. | Buildings |
| Brown long-eared bat (Plecotus auritus) | Common | Throughout mainland Britain and some Inner Hebridean islands. | Buildings |
| Daubenton's bat (Myotis daubentonii) | Fairly common | Throughout mainland Britain as far north as Sutherland, and possibly on some of the larger Inner Hebridean islands. | Trees, buildings, caves |
| Natterer's bat (Myotis nattereri) | Uncommon | Throughout mainland Britain as far north as Inverness and on some Inner Hebridean islands. | Buildings, caves |
| Whiskered bat (Myotis mystacinus) | Uncommon | England, Wales and southern and central Scotland. | Buildings, caves |
| Noctule (Nyctalus noctula) | Rare | England, Wales and southern and central Scotland. (May occur farther north). | Trees |
| Leisler's bat (Nyctalus leisleri) | Rare | England, Wales and the south-west of Scotland. (May occur farther north). | Buildings |
| Brandt's bat (Myotis brandtii) | Rare | Difficult to separate from whiskered bat. Range and status unclear but may occur in southern Scotland. | Buildings, caves |
| Nathusius' pipistrelle (Pipistrellus nathusii) | Rare | Range and status unclear. Occurs as a migrant and may be breeding in Scotland. | Trees, buildings |