NOCTULE

(Nyctalus), any of about nine species of bats of the common bat family, Vespertilionidae, found in Europe and Asia. Noctules are yellowish to dark brown and 510 cm (24 inches) long without the 3.56.5-centimetre tail. They are swift, erratic fliers and commonly leave their roosts (generally in caves or buildings) at or before sunset. They eat insects and apparently are fond of beetles. The best known and most widely distributed species is the Eurasian N. noctula, a reddish brown, migratory inhabitant of wooded regions.