The fur is brown, darker at the base than the tip unlike that of the common noctule which is the same colour along its length.

[4] The lesser noctule is found locally across Europe and western Asia, eastwards as far as the Urals and Himalayas.

It is typically found in forests, both coniferous and deciduous, but has also adapted to parkland and urban areas and frequently roosts in buildings.

Due to the lesser noctule's ubiquity in Ireland, the island is also considered its global stronghold.

Threats to its survival include declines in large insects, loss of forest and hollow trees and toxic chemicals found in treated timber in buildings.