IT'S not cute or cuddly but this bat is one of the rarest of Purbeck residents.

Greater horseshoe bats are at the very eastern edge of their range in Dorset and the largest UK landscape study conducted into rare bats is currently under way.

The Purbeck Bat Project is a three-year study, researching the roosts, flight patterns, diets, habitats and effects of farming practices on one of the largest British bats and others such as daubentons and bechstein bats.

With the help of about 20 volunteers, PhD student Jon Flanders of the University of Bristol has been tagging and tracking bats as they fly around the disused quarries of Purbeck.

"The greater horseshoes population is around 4,000 and Purbeck has a significant proportion of these. This year we have located 32," said Angela Peters, Purbeck estate ecologist for the National Trust and project manager.

The NT is one of the main partners along with many landowners including DCC, DWT, MoD, RSPB, Forest Enterprise, English Nature and the Dorset Bat Group.

There is a non-breeding roost of 16 bats at Corfe Castle, some of which have been tagged so their flight lines and feeding habits can be logged.

In a strange social practice, bats swarm at disused quarries, hanging around the entrances, and the researchers hope to find out more about this.

"At the end of the three years we are hoping to collate all this information together and come up with a management plan for Purbeck and for bats and target our conservation work," said Angela.

"Some of the disused quarries are in danger of collapsing and we need to ensure they are made safe."

And they will be able to advise landowners on how to manage their land for bats.

With their 30cm wingspan and scary appearance, greater horseshoes are not the most appealing of creatures, so what's their attraction?

"They are just fascinating creatures," said Angela.

"They are very intelligent. They fly around, you can't hear them and they use sonar to navigate and find their food. They are just amazing."

The project is being funded by SITA UK through the Landfill Tax and the launch of the project takes place at Corfe Castle on Thursday, September 8.

First published: September 6, 2005