Mammals
Soprano Pipistrelle
Pipistrellus pygmaeus · also called pygmy pipistrelle
Over a quiet European lake at dusk, a soprano pipistrelle flickers across the surface, a bat whose calls sit a little higher than its look-alike cousin’s, and which scientists took decades to tell apart.
Overview
The soprano pipistrelle, Pipistrellus pygmaeus, is a Least Concern bat found across much of Europe and parts of western Asia. Its higher-pitched calls, taste for waterside hunting, and recent recognition as a separate species make it one of the more interesting small bats of the Old World.
A twin of the common pipistrelle
The soprano and common pipistrelles look almost identical, which is why they were treated as a single species until their calls revealed the difference.
Status
Least Concern, widespread and common across much of Europe.
Soprano Pipistrelle: common questions
Why is it called the soprano pipistrelle?
Its echolocation calls are pitched higher than those of the common pipistrelle, like a soprano voice.
Is the soprano pipistrelle the same as the common pipistrelle?
No, the two were long lumped together but are now recognised as separate species.
Where does the soprano pipistrelle hunt?
It favours rivers, lakes, and wetlands, as well as woodland.
Where is the soprano pipistrelle found?
It lives across much of Europe and parts of western Asia.