A medium size bat with an unforgettable gargoyle face. It was one of the first bats to be mentioned in Europe. On the back, the fur is long, silky, black at the base with whitish hair tips as if frosted. It's a discrete, shy and wandering specie. The barbastelle is considered to be very rare and, in northern Europe, it has already been extirpated from many places. Around Bourges, colonies of from 10 to 30 bats are often found roosting between two barn beams sligthly separated.