The mammals of Australia: the national photographic index of Australian wildlife

AUSTRALIAN MUSEUM/REED BOOKS !D THE MAMMALS OF !D U5JRAlR The National Photographic Index of Australian Wildlife EDITED BY RONALD STRAHAN REED ,\1 iSTRAl.lAN 1\1 II S E IJ 1\1 o ){ 1) I; Rei I I R () P T F I{ /\ Scotorepens sanborni Size Head and Body l.enot]: 48~52 mrn Tid 1 Length 31-34 mm Forearm Length 31-35 mm Weight 68 g (females usually larger than males) Identification Hrown with a slight rl'lldish tillgc above: slightly lighter below. Dark snout. Only two uppcr incisors. Recent Synonyms Scote;nllS sanbovni . Other Common Names Little Northern Broad-nosed Bat. Status Common, limite-d. Subspecies Llucc-r tain . Extralimital Distrihution New Guinea. Reference Troughton, E. lc G. (1937). Six new hats (Microchiroptera) [rom the Australian rcgion. Aust. Zool. 8: 274-281. FolIO\ving oxtensiv« clearing of coastal forests for sugar cane farming in northern Queensland, houses are becoming Irr-quent roost sites. Such roosts can contain up to several hundred hats hut most colonies in natural roosts, such as treehollows, consist of 10 20 bats. Little is known of breeding hut, since preg nant females have heen captured in August and September and the high-pitched cries or young hats han' I)('cn heard in Nove-mbe-r, it ;lppl',lI'S th,lt most young an' horn tow.uds till' cnd of t luYl'ar. As with many in srrt ivo ro ux hats, colonil's .uc: clil [icult to locate in wiut cr. Females are larger than males hut sin' is vari ,lble, e-ve-n ,llllollg nll'llIlll'rs of olle cololl),. TIl(' dis t rihution of the species ove-rlaps with that of the Eastern Broad-nosed Bat in the coastal strip hetween Cairns and Ingham and separation or the two species on external characters is very difl'icult. L.S. I L\II GA HOYE rile lnland Forest Bat inluihits grussltuu! aiul sauanna IIlId is ab!« to ruost ill quit» lull' trees. Inland Forest Bat Vespadelus baverstocki Kitchener, Jones and Caputi, 1987. \('sll'-all-day' Ius h,l\'-er-stok'-l'l': 'Ban-rstock's hiddcn-hat' t 'on uuou .uu] \\ilk" di." ril iu t c-d ill 11'llt r,lI Australia, this hat inhahits grassland, savanna and .,hruhland. In adaptation to xt unt cc] \('gl'lation, it roosts in tree-hollows that can he c x trr-mclv small and in trees that mal' he onlv a few metres ~ ~ high. Ahandoned huildings are sometimes used as roo.,! Sitl'S. Colonies range in size from a few individuals to as l11<1ny<IS 50 or so. In eMly SUl11nHT, Ic-malcs congreg<lte to rai:«. )'Ollllg in colonies 1'1'0111whic]: 111<1les<lIT excluded except (app.m-nt lv) for l11ating vixitx. The single young is carried hy its mother until its \\l"iuht afl"cels lu-r fliuht .uid is b ~ then left in the roost. Vespadelus bciverstocki r ;\ M I I. Y V ESP E IZ TIL ION I D ;\ E Vespadelus baverstocki Size Head and Body l.enqt]: 3643 (40) 111m Tat! l.cnqt], 26-34 (30) mm Forearm l.enqt]: 26 32 (29) mrn IVeiHhl 36 (5) g Identification Dorsal fur pale sandy brown, much paler ventrally where the hair shafts are bicoloured, being dark brown at the base with cream or very pale brown tips. Similar in appearance to other Ve,pmlelLls, but skin of ears and Illembl"anes is pale grey (not dark grey as in other species). The pale tragus is distinctive, as is the funnel-shaped glans of the penis. The femur of both the Inland forest Bat and Finlayson's Cave Bat (VJlnlaysoni) is furred halfway to the knee; but is furred two-thirds of the way in the Eastern Cave B<lt (I: lTOuBhlOni); and only sparsely haired in the Little Forest Bat (I: vult ur nusv, These three species may he syrnpatric with the Inland Forest Bat at the boundaries of the arid zone. Recent Synonyms None. Other Common Names None. Subspecies None. References Kitchener, D.]., B. Jones and N. Caputi (1987). Revision of Aust ralian El'lesicLls (Mierochiroptc-ra: Yespertilionidae). Hec. lIest. ALlSt. .l/m. 13: 427 500. Reardon, TB. and S.C. navel (1987). A guide 10 t lic liut , "{S,,ulh Austrat,«. South Australian Muxc-uru , Adelaide. Thl' foraging hc.h.iviuur of the Inland hJlTst B,\t i.s "Jlllropri,lk to its open hahit"t. It flies rapidly, cO\'lTing a hroad search area, hut is sufTiciently manoeuvrable to PUI"Slll' moths that may attl'mpt to ,lvoid C,1ptUI"l'. G.c. H.ICHAIWS 535 ORDER CIIIROPTER./\ The Western Caue Bat inhubits rocky country ill tile northern Kimberley alit! Northern Territory. Westerll Cave Bat Vespadelus caur uius (Thomas, 191 L~) kor-ccn ' -us: 'north-western hidclon-bat ' The Western Cave Bat occurs only in the far northern parts of the Northern Territory and Kimberlev of Western Australia. It is rvasonablv common throughout its range and is frequently encountered in caves and disused mine-s. In this respect, it clillc-rs from other northern species or Vespadelus, which arc mainly tnT-lkelling. Ot.hrr species, such as the Dusky Leaf'nosed -hat and Common Shcatluail-hat., oltcn share its can' roosts. Mr-tvillc I~ Vespadelus cauritius 536 Vespadelus caurinus Size Head and Body Length 30-40 mm Forearm Length 26--35 mm IIcil/ht 3-5 g Identification Small in size. Distinguished by darkly pigmented bare skin regions and cavedwelling habit. Separated from other species of Icspadelus on cranial, dental and baculum characteristics. Recent Synonyms Eptesicus putnilus courinus, Fptesicus caurinus. Other Common Names Northern Brown Bat, Little Brown Bat, Little Northern Cave Bat. Status Common. Subspecies Nunc. References Kitchener, D.]" B. Jones and N. Caputi (1987). Revision of Australian Eptesicus (Microchiroptera: Vespertilioniclae). ReI'. West. Aust. Mus. 13: 427-500. Thomson, B.G. (1989). A Field Guide to Bats ~rthe Northern Territory. Conservation Commission of the N.T., Darwin. At dusk, it enlnges to Il)rage lor smalillying insects in tropical vvoocll.md , grassland or patches of vine thicket. Within a roost, it is usually found in small groups or as solitary indi vi.lu.rls. Mall'rnity colonivs may cont ain several hundred individuals. One young (rarely two) is born in October or Novembe-r and is initiallv carried on j the mother while she forages. As the young increase in size, they arc left in small creches on the cave roof. Maternity colonies arc par ticularlv sensitive to disturbance by human intrusion. Predators include various pythons, the Brown Tree-snake, goannas and owls. Ghost Bats also prey on the Little Northern Cave Bats, sometimes taking them in Ilight ncar roost entrances. B. THOMSON The Large Forest Bat has longerfur than allY other member of its genus. Large Forest Bat Vespadelus darlin qtoni (Allen, 1933) dar!' -iuo-tun-r-c: 'Darlington's hidden-hat' t-> ~ The long fur ,1I1dgn',Ill'r sizl' that separate the Large' Fon'st Bat from ot lu-r numlu-rs of its genus enable it to lin: in regions of cooler climate on the cont inent. Restricted to montane areas above )00 nlt'tres in the north of its range', it cx tc-nds to lower altitudes towards the southern limits: in Tasmania, it occurs at sea-level. Extending into Queensland ncar the New South Wales border, it is common in the extcnsi vc rainforests that cover the McPhnson Rang"s. It utilises .1wid« variety of habitats from rainforests, through wet and dry eucalypt lorcsts and subalpine woodland to alpine moors. At lowe-r alt itudr-s it is replacl"d by the Sm,lll lort-xt Bat. Within the last seven million years it has colonised Lord Howe Island, where it occurs to sealevel. The moderating effect of the surrounding ocean on the climate of this small island has allowed the Large Forest Bat to utilise elevations which it docs not occupy on the adjacent mainland. Adapted to cool climates, it is able to forage for small insects during mild nights in winter when other species are in hibernation, It is thus able to feed with little competition at a time of year when food is scarce. Colonies of up to 60 b,lts han' lxcn found in hollows in old eucalypts Vcspculelus darlinqtoni o ~ \J 537 () R D ERe II I R 0 I' T E R /\ Vespadelus darlinqtoni Size Head and Body l.etiqt]: 38-50 (44) mm Tail Len81h 31--38 (34) mm forearm l.cnqt]: 32--37 (34.5) mm Weight 6--10 (8) g Identification Largest Vespculcl us species inhabiting forests of cast coast of Australia. Distinguished lrom I: putnilus and J: vult urnus by longer forearm (more than 32.5 mill) and longer fur. Males separated from those of I: rcalllus on shape of glans penis. Females difficult to idcntilv except by skull characteristics. Recent Synonyms EptcsiClls putnilus, ScolOphilus pumilus, Eptesicus saqiu ula . Other Common Names Large Forest Eptesicus, Large Forest Vespadelus. Status Restricted to montane areas above 300 m in northern part of range but more widespread in southern end of distribution, extending to sealevel in Tasmania. Often locally common. Subspecies None. References Kitchcncr, D.]., B. Jones and N. Caputi (1987). Revision of Australian Eptesicus (Microchiroptcra: Vespertilionidae). Bee. II'Cst. A ust . Mus. 13: 427-500. McKean, J.L., G.c. Richards and W.j, Price (1978). A taxonomic appraisal of Eplcsicus (Chiroptcra: Mammalia) in Australia. Alii/. J. Zool. 26: 529-537. in southern New South Wales and Tasmania. Study of a colony on the central coast of Ne\\' South Wales showed that single youllg arc born from late November to early December and that juveniles arc free-flying by late January or early February. Males arc sexually active in late February and early March. G.A. IIOYE 538 Tile little-knoum Yellou-lippctl fiat roosts in cares, Vespadelus douqlasorum Kitchcncr 1976 , cluo ' -Ias-or '-urn ': 'Douf;las' hidden-hal' b ~ Because this bat is known onlv from the remote Kimberlev region of Wcst crn Australia and has ollly recelltly been recognised as a species, little is known of its biology. It is usually collected over creeks or ncar pools from those north-western parts of the Kimbl'l"ley ren'i\'illg annual rainfall in excess of 800 millimetres and has not been recorded in areas receiving less than 600 millimctrcs. The Yellow-lippnl I\;\t is insc-ct ivo rous alld appears to be a strict c;l\(·dweller, roosting in colonies of up to SO individuals. Although it has Iwen caught in the sallH' mist-nets ;1S the lit tlcCave Lp(('sicus, it is not known to share roosts with that species. That it forms rnat crn i t v groups is indica(('d I1\' the fact that scvrn or rio ht inclivid- ~ b uals t rapped in a cave in March wc rv females with l'nl;\rgl'd tcat s: t h« o t lur heing a juvenile malc-. Like llIan)' ot lu-r northern vcspcr-i ilionids it appears to gin' birth to a single young within the period from the end of the dry season to the middle of the wrt season. D.J. KlIlIIL.NI:I~ Vespadelus douqlasorum Size Head and Body Length 3+-43 (39) mm Tail Length 32-39 (36) mm Forearm Length 34-38 (36) mm Weight circa 5g Identification Bodv arevish to olive buff; ,b , head, feet and forearms yellow; patch of light yellow fur on the undersurface, posterior to arms. Distinguished from V pumilus b)' longer forearm, vellow colour of head, feet and forearms. Light colouration of face highlights glandular pads at sides of mouth, giving face a less pointed appearance that in V pumilus, Recent Synonyms Eptesicus JOllglasi. Other Common Names Large Cave Eptesicus, Yellow-lipped Eptesicus. Status Rare, scattered. Possiblv underestimated. Subspecies None. Reference Kitchener, D.]. (1976). Eptestcus JOllglasi, a new vespertilionid bat from Kirnber icv, \Vestern Australia. Rcc. Wcst. .luxr. JllIS. 4: 29:;- 30 1. cor Vespadelus dou qlasorum FAMILY VESPERTILIONIDAE Finlayson's Cave Bat Vespadelus finlaysoni Kitchener, Jones and Caputi, 1987 fin' -Iav-sun-ee: 'Finlayson's hidden-bat' Fin lavsons Cave Bat was first described as a separate'species in 1987 during a taxonomic revision of Australian species of Ept.esicus . It was named after the South Australian biologist, Hccllcv Finalvson in honour of his work on mamn~als of 'arid Australia. Throughout its present range, it is easily distinguished b) the combination of its small size and dark hr-own -r ust red colour. Howcve r, present distribution records show that its rang" abuts that of other Icspa,fcllls and PiplS1rclllls ,pecies from "hich it is less rcadilv distinguished. Should further c(JIIecting ,h:JW that its range docs overlap with these ~pecies, char actcr isrics such as hum cr us length and shape of teeth and penis will need to be examined for identification. Of the four cave-dmJling i'espculciu, species, Fin lavsons Cave Bat has b) far the broadest oeoG~aphic ranee. Ire; habitat extends from the Jes~ts of Cen~al Australia (where annual rainfall can be less than 100 rnillirnctrcs) to coastal cut.alvp t-rl orn inatc-«] shr ublands with rainfall Vespadelus Jinla)iSOni )39 Vespadelus jinla)'soni Size Head and Bod)' Length 34.3-46.4 (40.1) mm Tail Length 30.7----42.0 (35.2) mm Forearm Length 29.8-36.7 (32.8) mm H"eight 3-7 g Identification Back fur dark brown but with rust-red hue. Bell:' fur lighter in contrast. Long fur extends from forehead well onto rostrum. Skin of ears and wings dark. The only other member of the genus in the range, V baverstocki, is readily distinguished bv having light brown fur. Recent Synonyms Pipistrellus [inlavsoni , ,l ~ .J J ./ Eptesicus finl a)'Soni, Eptesicus pumilus, Scotophilus pumilus. Other Common Names Little Cave Eptesicus, Little Brown Bat. Status Abundant. Subspecies None. 540 more than 800 millimetre's per year. \Vithin this broad range, it i, neve-r far from rock:' outcrops or hil lv t cr raiu \\ here can's, cracks and fissures provide nat ural roost sites .. '\bandoned mine shafts and ad it s an' al-.o utilised. :\ .'iingk colon: m ax c:\lTl'd :;()U indiviclualbut much smaller group' arc usual. In lan's, fis'iUIT' and mines it orcasionallv roo.st:.; in the abandoned nc'sts of Fairy :'vlartins. at the cnt rancc or under rocky mcrhangs. In the northern half of its range, Finlavson 's Can' Bat often cohabits wit h the much larger Hill':.; and Common Shcathtail-bats. It has also been re(onkd as <har in« cavrs and mines ::-- with the Ghost Bat, even though this is one of its few natural predators. References Maddock, T.H. and A.N. McLeod (1976). Observations on the Little Brown Bat, Epiesicus pumilus caurinus Thomas in the Tennant Creek area of the Northern Terr itorv, Part I: Introduction and breeding biology. S. Aust. i:«. 50: 4250, Kitchener, D.j., B. jones and N. Caputi (1987). Revision of Australian Eptesicus (Microchiroptera: Vespcrtilionidae). Rec. IV AllSt. Mlls. 13: 427-500. B.G. THOMSON Finlayson's CaFeBat roosts in caves, in colonies up to 500 or more individuals. It was not described until 1987. It has a fluttcring flight witl: fast and seem~ ingh erratic changes of direction and is commonlv observed at wat crholcs , foraging for insects and occasionallv dipping into the water to drink. Its did has not been dderminul hut it is likeh that small niot h-'. moscluitos .in.l fl;'ing ants arc among till' in'c'Ch (',lten. There is "JIl1l' v.rr i.u ior: in the time of rl'pro~ duct ion. Th.: rnn-rstuclicd !)()pul.ltion is at Tennant CnTk in the \:ortlll'rn Tc-rr itor v. In this localitv, \oun~ ma; hl' horn throughout the ;Tar, with peaks in \1arch and September or October, suggesting that females rna;' breed twice a year. :\Ithough a 'oinglc ;'oung is usual, ncar I; 20 per cent of bi r tharc twins. Further, south, whcr« seasons arc more distinct, there is ou!v one breeding season, ;'oung being horn in late spring to early summer, Unlike most other call' -d\\elling sjwcies, the Tennant Cree-k hats do not form maternity colonies. \\othcrs carr; their ;oung for a short time after birth. Young hat-. dcye!op quick lv and arc capable of trial flights whe-n three to four \Il'eks old. Despite it, ,1ppan·ntl; harsh and varied habitat, Finlav-ons Ca\(: Bat i'o more fragile than the forest~d\\l'lIillg species of its genus, Captured animals deh;drate quickly, arc \Try easily stressed and therefore rC'(luire careful handling. HO\\T\er, its sur-vival appc'ars not to he under any im rnccliate threat. T. B. RHIW(J:\ FAMILY VESPERTILIO:"IDAE Eastern Forest Bat Vespadelus pumilus (Grav, 1841) . . poomt-il-us: 'dwarf hidden-bat Although this species is frequently captured in bat-traps in the southern part of its range, little is known about its ecological requirements and general biology. This is partly due to its redefinition in 1987, before whic], it had been confused with Epicsicus darlinototn (both species being combined as E. sacittulav. It now becomes obvious that, prior to 1987, the name pumilus was applied to sevcra] other species. Vespadelus pumilus Size Head and Body Length 35-44 mm Tail Length 27-34 mm Forearm Length 30.1-33 (31.6) mm (females) 29.0-32 (30.5) mm (males) Weight 3.5-6 (4.9) g (females) 3.5-4.5 (3.9) g (males) Identification Similar to l~darlinqtoni but smaller. Males distinguished from other Vespadelus (except r darlingtoni) by short, angled penis. Usually distinguished from V datlinqtoni by smaller size: forearm length of V pumilus adult males less than 32.5 mrn , adult females less than 33 mm. Females sometimes difficult to distinguish from r regulus, but head appears more domed; fur colour and skin pigmentation of face and wings usually darker. Distinguished from V vulturrius by darker fur, skin of face and 54]