Brilliant Bats Microbats and Flying Foxes

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Collect them all cityofgoldcoast.com.au/naturallygc to our Wild Defenders Did you know that bats are the only mammals that can fly? There are two types of bat; the small, insect-eating microbat and the larger, nectar and fruit-eating megabat, often referred to as a flying fox. All bats are nocturnal, which means they are active at night and rest during the day.

Microbats and megabats are some of the most amazing animals on the planet… but most people don’t know about the important jobs they do whilst we’re asleep. As you work through this booklet, you will discover the secret lives of bats and begin to understand why they need our protection. Along the way, you’ll learn about their body structures, try out some cool drawing techniques and find out what to do if you see a sick or injured bat.

By making the pledge to support microbats and flying foxes, you will be helping to ensure they have a future. We’ve also included some tips on how to persuade your friends that bats are awesome – in spite of their scary reputation. So, let’s get started!

3 Insect eating bats (microbats)

The world’s smallest bat is the tiny DID YOU KNOW Kitti’s hog-nosed bat (or ‘bumblebee There are at least 90 bat bat’). This microbat found in western species in Australia, most Thailand and southeast Myanmar of which are microbats. has a wingspan of around 13cm and weighs only 2 grams (the same as half a teaspoon of sugar). Microbats are carnivores and can eat about one third of their own body weight in insects every night. They are used throughout the world as a natural form of pest control. Microbats navigate and hunt at night using ‘echolocation’ by emitting very high-pitched calls and listening to the echoes returning from objects nearby.

4 Microbats roost during the day in trees, in hollows or under the bark. It can take up to 50 years for a small hollow to form in a tree, so it’s important to preserve our native forests as habitat for bats and all the other animals that depend on them.

5 Nectar and fruit eating bats (megabats / flying foxes)

DID YOU KNOW Megabats live in the tropical The largest bat in the world is the and subtropical areas of endangered giant golden-crowned Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. flying fox, which is found only in the Philippines. It has a wingspan of 1.7m and weighs up to 1.2kg.

Flying foxes do not use echolocation The main species of to navigate but find food by using megabat in mainland their excellent eyesight, hearing and Australia are the sense of smell. grey-headed flying fox, black flying fox, little red flying fox and spectacled flying fox.

6 Their favourite food is the blossom and nectar of our native hardwood trees, including various species of eucalypt, melaleuca and banksia.

A flying fox colony spends the day hanging out in the trees together, noisily chattering to each other.

When a young flying fox pup has to be rescued, it is wrapped in a soft fabric blanket to keep it warm and to mimic being safely wrapped in its mother’s wings.

Why we need flying foxes Flying foxes feed in the forest canopy from over 100 native species of trees and vines. Almost all hardwood species, including eucalypts, melaleucas, banksias and many rainforest trees need flying foxes for pollination.

Pollination is how trees reproduce. When a flying fox flies from flower to flower to drink the sweet nectar, pollen attaches to its belly fur. Hardwood flowers have evolved alongside flying foxes to open and be fully receptive to pollination at night.

A flying fox can fly up to 100km in a single night, so the pollen and seeds from one forest can be introduced to other forest communities. This strengthens the forest. Other pollinators, such as bees, fly during the day and can only travel very short distances (generally up to 3kms). As they remain within a small area, they cannot bring in new genetic material to strengthen their forests.

7 Grey-headed flying fox

The grey-headed flying fox Pteropus( poliocephalus) is the largest species of megabat in Australia. It lives in the forests, woodlands and mangrove swamps of south-eastern coastal regions, from Bundaberg to Geelong.

DID YOU KNOW They are excellent communicators and use over 30 different calls to chat to their offspring, alert others to possible threats and warn rivals to keep away.

There has been a dramatic decline in the grey-headed flying fox population and the species is now listed as vulnerable to extinction. It is estimated that there are now only 200,000 to 300,000 individuals left in the wild.

8 What are the threats to their survival? Flying foxes are facing serious threats. Widespread loss of habitat and food has brought them into contact, and conflict with humans as they move to towns and cities in search of food. This is likely to continue over the next few decades, alongside extreme weather brought about by climate change.

Flying foxes and microbats can get into trouble at any time of the year, although the peak rescue period for flying foxes is October to February, when grey-headed flying foxes and black flying foxes give birth to their young. The causes of injury are often human-related, including domestic animal attacks, car and building strik es and entanglements in fruit netting, barbed wire or fishing line.

In the last two decades, thousands of Australian flying foxeshave have died or come into care during ‘heat stress events’, which occur when temperatures within the colony reach 40°C and above.In the summer of 2013–2014, an estimated 100,000 flying foxes died in Queensland and NSW and hundreds of orphaned babies had to be rescued and rehabilitated. Sadly, flying foxes are sometimes deliberately killed in the belief that they carry diseases that are harmful to humans.

INTERESTING FEATURES TO IDENTIFY:

large eyes for excellent night vision

1kg weight

1L (about the same as a 1L bottle of water)

15 YEARS lifespan in the wild and 23 years in captivity

1 metre wingspan

9 CHALLENGE 1:

Identify the body parts of a bat!

Read the descriptions of a bat’s body parts then identify in the spaces provided:

EYES FINGER BONES Bats have very good eyesight and can Bats have two sets of four very long see well in the dark (so the expression finger bones supporting their wings. ‘as blind as a bat’ is a bit silly!). THUMBS EARS They also have two short, Bats have large ears and excellent clawed thumbs. hearing; microbats have larger  ears relative to their body size than LEGS AND FEET flying foxes. Bats have two short legs with knees and five-toed feet; they use the claws on their NOSE toes to hang upside down as they roost. Most bats have a good sense of smell; a flying fox can smell blossom up to WINGS 100km away. Their large wings are covered with leathery skin, called a ‘patagium’. BODY Bats are mammals and their bodies are INTERFEMORAL MEMBRANE covered with fur. (OR ‘UROPATAGIUM’) The flap of skin between the bat’s ARM BONES legs and tail is useful for steering and They have upper arms, forearms flight control and elbows.

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CHALLENGE 2:

Know what to do if you see a sick or injured bat

Flying foxes and microbats can get into trouble for all kinds of reasons. The causes of injury are often human-related, including cat and dog attacks, collisions with cars and entanglement in fruit netting, barbed wire or fishing line.

If you see a sick, injured or orphaned bat, do not touch it. Call your local wildlife rescue organisation and an experienced, vaccinated carer will attend as quickly as possible.

A small percentage of flying foxes and microbats do carry Australian bat lyssavirus, which is similar to rabies. This can only be contracted from a bite or scratch from an infected animal.

IF YOU ARE BITTEN OR SCRATCHED BY A BAT, CLEAN THE WOUND THOROUGHLY AND GO STRAIGHT TO HOSPITAL FOR A VACCINATION. .

Research the contact details of your local wildlife and bat rescue organisations and write these on a piece of card. Use this simple pattern to make a fridge magnet to keep these contact details handy.

Experiment with a range of materials, such as card for the wings, felt for the head and feathers or faux fur for the body. Glue the body and head onto the wings and attach a magnet to the back.

12 Bat magnet pattern WINGS

HEAD BODY CHALLENGE 3:

test your knowledge Complete the crossword to show what you have learned about bats!

1 2

3 4

5 6

7

8

9 10

11

ACROSS DOWN 5. A group of bats (6) 1. An Australian hardwood tree (8) 6. Flying foxes carry this on their belly fur (6) 2. A microbat’s favourite food (7) 7. Helps microbats navigate and hunt 3. Flying foxes love to eat this (7) at night (12) 4. Rescued baby bats like to snuggle in 8. Where bats sleep during the day (5) one of these (7) 9. Bats are the only mammals that can 5. The upper level of a forest (6) do this (3) 6. The leathery membrane covering a 10. Another name for a flying fox (7) bat’s wing (8) 11. A baby bat (3)

Answers at the back

14 CHALLENGE 4:

Draw a flying bat On a piece of paper try the below.

STEP 1:

STEP 2:

STEP 3:

STEP 4:

Once you have completed your drawing, decorate your bat by experimenting with different techniques used by Indigenous Australian artists. These include cross- hatching, dot painting and stencil art.

15 CHALLENGE 5:

Make a pledge Make a pledge to support microbats and flying foxes.

I PROMISE TO DO MY BEST TO KEEP MICROBATS AND FLYING FOXES SAFE BY:

Helping to restore roost and foraging habitat for local flying foxes by planting local native trees in my backyard or by joining a community tree planting day.

Asking my school or local community organisation to make and install microbat boxes where safe to do so.

Calling my local wildlife rescue organisation if I ever see a sick or injured bat.

Talking to my friends and family about why bats are important and deserve protection (refer to the next page).

Supporting campaigns to conserve and protect bats.

16 Hints and tips for making a great persuasive argument Some people don’t like bats because they think they’re scary and dangerous…but they might be persuaded to change their minds if they knew how important they are for the ecosystem and for us.

INTRODUCTION Start by engaging the listener’s attention with a bold opening sentence, then briefly state youropinion and summarise your most important points.

BODY Develop your arguments, one by one, using separate paragraphs to give reasons and examples for each important point. There are a few techniques that you can use to help convince your audience: • be clear and concise • remain calm and sound like you know what you’re talking about • support your points with facts • engage the listener’s emotions • make the listener feel that they can be part of the solution • let them know that others share your view.

CONCLUSION Once you’ve made all your points, re-state your opinion and summarise your main arguments. You may also ask the listener to rethink their views or join you in taking action to protect bats

Crossword answers ACROSS 5. colony; 6. pollen; 7. echolocation; 8. roost; 9. fly; 10. megabat; 11. pup DOWN 1. eucalypt; 2. insects; 3. blossom; 4. blanket; 5. canopy; 6. patagium

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