What is "barbastelle"

n. A relatively rare European bat, ''Barbastella barbastellus''

The barbastelle (Barbastella barbastellus), also known as the western barbastelle, is a European bat. It has a short nose, small eyes and wide ears.

It is rare throughout its range. In Britain, only a few breeding roosts are known; Paston Great Barn in Norfolk, parts of Exmoor and the Quantock Hills in Devon and Somerset (see Tarr Steps), the Mottisfont woodland in Hampshire and Ebernoe Common in West Sussex. The UK distribution can be found on the National Biodiversity Network website here.

Barbastella barbastellus, Joint Nature Conservation Committee, retrieved on September 1, 2008. In Norway, it was considered extinct, having only been sighted in 1896, 1911, 1913 and 1949. However, it was again found in 2004 and 2008.