MICROBATS of the Young District Major Players in Healthy Productive Landscapes and Waterways INTRODUCTION Welcome to the ‘Microbats of the Young District’ Project – a three-year program co-ordinated by Young District Landcare to familiarise the human residents of the Young district with a group of tiny mammals seldom seen or CONTENTS heard, but of greater importance to our economy and environmental health than most people appreciate. The Project has been made possible through funding by Riverina Local Land Services community grants. Introducing Microbats 3 In April 2014 the project was launched with a Bat Night Microbat body plan 3 presentation ‘Microbats - Fascinating Creatures of the Habitat 4 Night’, followed by school and community group talks, newspaper articles and radio interviews. The fact sheet Roosting 4 ‘Wildlife in the Young District – Microbats’ rounded out the initial education campaign. Foraging 5 Next came activities designed to enhance and protect Identification 6 microbat habitat “so that we can continue to reap the White-striped Freetail Bat 7 benefits of their presence into the future” (Mikla Lewis (Austronomas australis) OAM - YDL Co-ordinator). Inland Freetail Bat (Ozimops petersi) 7 One hundred and forty microbat boxes have been South-eastern Freetail (Little Mastiff) Bat 8 manufactured and installed with information signs in various locations around the Young district. Volunteers (Ozimops planiceps) have planted local ‘bat friendly’ native plants, with many Gould’s Wattled Bat (Chalinolobus gouldii) 8 also given away to encourage private plantings for Chocolate Wattled Bat (Chalinolobus morio) 9 future habitat. Large-footed (Southern) Myotis (Myotis At community workshops, primary producers have learnt macropus) 9 about ecosystem services provided by microbats. Lesser Long-eared Bat This booklet (designed to be read as a companion to (Nyctophilus geoffroyi) 10 the 2014 fact sheet), introduces the microbat species Gould’s Long-eared Bat recorded in the Young district, their habitat preferences, and the ecosystem services they provide for us in (Nyctophilus gouldi) 10 residential and rural environments (broadacre, orchards, Inland Broad-nosed Bat vineyards) and around waterways. (Scotorepens balstoni) 11 An Education Package incorporating this booklet, the fact Inland Forest Bat (Vespadelus baverstocki) 11 sheet, a poster, PowerPoint Presentation and Microbat Southern Forest Bat (Vespadelus regulus) 12 Project Manual completes the current project. It is Little Forest Bat (Vespadelus vulturnus) 12 anticipated that the Package will be presented to and used by local schools, community, and agricultural groups. Ecosystem Services – It will also be available for use by other Landcare groups. How Microbats can help us 13 Young District Landcare has purchased AnaBat Detectors Threats to Microbats – How we give (which record echolocation calls) to monitor microbat presence and identify the different species in selected Microbats a locations, with special attention given to installed hard time 14 microbat boxes. The monitoring will help determine future action needed to preserve and enhance the habitat An Action Plan – How we can help Microbats 14 of these environmentally-friendly ‘insect More Information and Acknowledgements 16 pest terminators’. 2 Microbats of the Young District INTRODUCING MICROBATS Microbats are small, nocturnal, flying mammals which Due to a lack of local research, it is not known which eat insects. They make up almost 25% of Australia’s species are common, uncommon, or rare and in urgent CONTENTS native mammals, with 18 of the 33 or so New South need of help in our region. Wales species having been found in and around the Young district. Microbats have longer life spans than other mammals the same size (eg mice), and together with a low All microbat species are PROTECTED, meaning that it reproductive rate (1 or 2 young per year), they are is illegal to kill, injure or disturb them or their habitat, more likely to suffer population decline. Many live for and some species are also VULNERABLE, meaning that 10 years, with some individuals known to be at least 30 they are facing a high risk of extinction in NSW in the years old. medium-term future if their habitat is not maintained. Diagram: © Mid Murray LAP MICROBAT BODY PLAN The smallest microbat in the Young district has a head/body length ranging from 34.7mm to 48mm (Little Forest Bat), whilst the body of the largest can measure up to 86.5mm (White-striped Freetail Bat). Their tail and wing membranes are fragile and prone to damage but heal remarkably quickly. Future research may present opportunities for the development of new wound treatments if we can determine how the bats achieve this feat. Microbats of the Young District 3 HABITAT A healthy habitat must provide both roosting and Fortunately many microbat species have survived these foraging sites with an ample insect food supply. It ideally disruptions because they are more mobile and adaptable contains a variety of local native vegetation (especially than some other native animals. However, their overall old hollow-bearing trees) to ensure the survival of numbers and diversity have probably been reduced. the microbats. Caves, where they occur, also provide As well as larger areas of remaining native woodland and essential habitat for some species. forest (eg Dananbilla Range), microbats can be found Different species have different habitat needs, and where roosting and feeding in fragmented remnants of native the preferred habitat of native vegetation is scarce or vegetation along roadsides and watercourses. Recent not available, some species use parks and home gardens, research has highlighted just how important these buildings, culverts, bridges and abandoned mines for remnants are in maintaining the number of microbats we roosting and foraging. still have in our agricultural areas. Large, isolated farm paddock trees, both dead and living, provide especially Native vegetation in the Young district has been important foraging areas. substantially reduced and modified by clearing since European settlement, with only small areas and isolated Dams and creeks with open water provide areas for fragments left. Agriculture, mining and towns have drinking and feeding because of the many insects they changed the landscape by introducing new plant and attract, while breeding colonies may be found where animal species. Waterways have been modified and suitable vegetation is within flying distance. sometimes polluted, and new structures, including dams, have been added. Young Arboretum has bat boxes for Paddock trees are important for foraging. Bridge for roosting and regrowth for foraging. r o o s ti n g . P h o t o : © M i k l a L e w i s Photo: © Mikla Lewis Photo: © Mikla Lewis ROOSTING Microbats roost singly, in small groups or in colonies and require sites for three different purposes: • shelter from predators and extreme day-time temperatures; • shelter during torpor (a short form of hibernation lasting from hours to several days) or hibernation when food is scarce and winter temperatures are low. * Torpid bats should not be disturbed. Waking up uses fat reserves they cannot replace when there is little food around and they may die. • shelter for breeding, preferably near water or in humid areas. All locally occurring microbat species give birth to single or twin young each year, mostly during early summer when food is abundant. Young are suckled until able to fly and forage for themselves at 3-6 months of age. 4 Microbats of the Young District Loose bark, crevices and hollows in both dead and living trees are preferred sites for most of our local species, but they FORAGING will use suitable human-made structures (eg sheds, roof cavities and bat boxes) where suitable natural roosts are not available. Some microbats will roost in bird nests. Skull of the Southern Forest Bat (actual length 12.7 mm), showing the sharp, pointy teeth used to crunch its insect prey. Photo: © Australian Museum Microbats navigate and forage using echolocation, a sophisticated form of sonar. They emit ultra-high frequencies from their nose or mouth, then use their ears to detect the pulses which bounce back from their surroundings. Most species can be identified by their echolocation call as recorded then analysed using an AnaBat Detector. Except for the call of the White-striped Freetail Bat, the echolocation calls of the 12 microbats in the Young district cannot be heard by humans, although we can hear some of their ‘chatter’ as they Fairy Martin nests can double as bat roosts. Photo: © Mikla Lewis communicate with each other. Each microbat species has its own foraging, or combination of, foraging techniques: • Some fly quickly, high above trees; • Some fly and manoeuvre within or below trees; • Some fly over water or open shrublands and grasslands; • Many will pick insects off leaves and branches (gleaning); • Some even land on the ground where they chase and catch their prey. Chocolate Wattled Bat colony in roof cavity. Insects can be caught in the mouth, or in the tail and wing Photo: © Australian Museum membranes then transferred to the mouth. Native vegetation and waterways provide the best foraging areas, but anywhere insects are plentiful is a potential feeding area. A rescued Inland Broad-nosed Bat being fed a meal worm by a WIRES carer. Hollows and crevices in dead trees provide Photo: © Anne Lemon roosts. Photo: © Anne Lemon Microbats of the Young District 5 IDENTIFICATION Microbats found in the Young district belong to the The main identifying physical feature of a microbat is families Molossidae (Freetail Bats) and Vespertilionidae its tail and tail membrane (see diagrams below from (Evening Bats), with a good chance that the family Sue Churchill’s book Australian Bats). The Sheathtail Emballonuridae (Sheathtail Bats) is represented by the Bat tail protrudes through the upper surface of the tail Yellow-bellied Sheath-tail Bat, which has been found in membrane, which then forms a sheath over the rest of surrounding districts.