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and some species can live for 30 years. In
Britain, bats are purely insectivorous and
food is caught in flight, or picked off water,
the ground or foliage. One Pipistrelle may eat
over 3,500 insects each night. During the autumn
bats put on about one-third extra weight and then
hibernate from October to April with their body
temperature down to about 5 C to harmonise with
their surroundings. If disturbed in hibernation
the bat cannot make up the energy loss because
of a lack of insects and may die.