Plecotus auritus

Illustration of a Brown Long-Eared Bat, Plecotus auritus.

Inside some of the most beautiful and ancient libraries in Portugal, such as the Joanina Library at the University of Coimbra or the Library of the Mafra Convent, live colonies of small bats that fly around the book shelves at night. These little night watchmen protect the precious books by feeding on the insects that invade the library and eat paper.

One of the colonies of bats that live in the Library of the Mafra Convent belongs to the Plecotus auritus species, the sweet Golden-Eared Bat.

Here you can see a sample of the reference image research for structure, textures and anatomy. Also some sketches and study of the structure of this small mammal that usually measures 4.6cm.