Captive breeding and future in-situ management of the Christmas Island Pipistrelle Pipistrellus murrayi A report to the Director of National Parks Lindy Lumsden and Martin Schulz 2009 Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Captive breeding and future in-situ management of the Christmas Island Pipistrelle Pipistrellus murrayi A report to the Director of National Parks Lindy Lumsden and Martin Schulz Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Department of Sustainability and Environment 123 Brown Street, Heidelberg, Victoria 3084 2009 Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Department of Sustainability and Environment Heidelberg, Victoria Report produced by: Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research Department of Sustainability and Environment PO Box 137 Heidelberg, Victoria 3084 Phone (03) 9450 8600 Website: www.dse.vic.gov.au/ari Copyright: Director of National Parks. Citation: Lumsden, L. and Schulz, M. (2009). Captive breeding and future in-situ management of the Christmas Island Pipistrelle Pipistrellus murrayi. A report to the Director of National Parks. Arthur Rylah Institute. Department of Sustainability and Environment, Heidelberg, Victoria. Disclaimer: This publication may be of assistance to you but the State of Victoria and its employees do not guarantee that the publication is without flaw of any kind or is wholly appropriate for your particular purposes and therefore disclaims all liability for any error, loss or other consequence which may arise from you relying on any information in this publication. Front cover photo: Christmas Island Pipistrelle, and the only known communal roost for the species where in January 2009 there were four individuals of this species roosting (Photos: Lindy Lumsden). Authorised by: Victorian Government, Melbourne. ii Table of Contents Table of Contents.......................................................................................................................3 List of Tables..............................................................................................................................5 List of Figures.............................................................................................................................5 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................6 1. Executive Summary ...........................................................................................................7 1.1 The Imminent Extinction of the Christmas Island Pipistrelle...................................7 1.2 Causes of the Decline.............................................................................................7 1.3 The Urgent Need to Establish a Captive Breeding Program ..................................7 1.4 Objectives of the Captive Breeding Program..........................................................8 1.5 Off-shore Options for the Establishment of the Captive Breeding Facility..............8 1.6 Recommendation to Establish the Captive Breeding Facility on Christmas Island 9 1.7 Captive Breeding Facilities ...................................................................................10 1.8 Costings................................................................................................................10 1.9 Management and Monitoring Recommendations for the Remaining Wild Population ........................................................................................................................11 2. Introduction and Background ...........................................................................................12 3 Assessment of status and population size in January 2009.............................................16 3.1 Objectives.................................................................................................................16 3.2 Attempts to trap bats in foraging areas.....................................................................16 3.3 Observations at roosts..............................................................................................18 3.4 Attempts to locate new roosting areas ....................................................................22 3.5 Assessment of population size in January 2009 ......................................................23 4. Captive management program.........................................................................................24 4.1 Review of captive breeding programs for small insectivorous bats..........................24 4.1.1 Bats in captivity.................................................................................................24 4.1.2 Enclosures........................................................................................................26 4.1.3 Feeding bats in captivity ...................................................................................27 4.1.4 Breeding in captivity..........................................................................................29 4.1.5 Longevity ..........................................................................................................30 4.1.6 Conclusion........................................................................................................30 4.2 Specific objectives of a captive breeding program ...................................................32 4.3 Potential receiving facilities ......................................................................................34 4.3.1 Singapore Zoological Gardens .........................................................................34 4.3.2 Territory Wildlife Park, Darwin ..........................................................................34 4.3.3 Zoos Victoria.....................................................................................................34 4.3.4 Taronga Zoo, Sydney .......................................................................................34 4.3.5 Christmas Island...............................................................................................35 4.4 Quarantine issues.....................................................................................................36 4.4.1 Singapore Zoo ..................................................................................................36 4.4.2 Australian Zoos/Wildlife Parks ..........................................................................38 4.4.3 Christmas Island...............................................................................................39 4.5 Transport requirements ............................................................................................41 4.6 Advantages and disadvantages of the various options ............................................42 4.6.1 Overall unknowns .............................................................................................42 4.6.2 Advantages of taking the animals to an existing off-shore facility ....................42 3 4.6.3 Risks and disadvantages of taking the animals off-shore.................................42 4.6.4 Advantages of establishing the facility on Christmas Island .............................43 4.6.5 Disadvantages of establishing the facility on Christmas Island ........................44 4.7 Legislative requirements...........................................................................................45 4.8 Biology and ecology of the Christmas Island Pipistrelle in the wild, relevant to a captive breeding program.....................................................................................................46 4.8.1 Diet ...................................................................................................................46 4.8.2 Flight pattern.....................................................................................................47 4.8.3 Nightly activity patterns.....................................................................................47 4.8.4 Breeding biology...............................................................................................48 4.8.5 Longevity ..........................................................................................................49 4.8.6 Social organisation ...........................................................................................49 4.8.7 Roosting habitat................................................................................................50 4.8.8 Roosting behaviour...........................................................................................50 4.8.9 Morphometric data............................................................................................51 4.8.10 Health condition................................................................................................53 4.9 Captive management plan........................................................................................55 4.9.1 Housing.............................................................................................................55 4.9.2 Feeding requirements.......................................................................................58 4.9.3 Monitoring protocol ...........................................................................................59 4.10 Obtaining bats for the captive colony .......................................................................61 4.10.1 Recommended number of individuals to be taken into captivity.......................61