New Caledonian long-eared bat facts for kids
Quick facts for kids New Caledonian long-eared bat |
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The New Caledonian long-eared bat (Nyctophilus nebulosus) is a special type of vesper bat. It lives only in New Caledonia, an island group in the Pacific Ocean. These bats have only been seen at Mount Koghis, which is close to the city of Nouméa. Sadly, the number of these bats is going down.
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Discovering the New Caledonian Long-eared Bat
The scientific description of this bat was officially published in 2002 by a scientist named H. E. Parnaby. However, another scientist, Tim Flannery, had mentioned this bat even earlier.
Parnaby studied three bats to figure out if they were a new species. He compared them to two other similar bats: Nyctophilus gouldi and N. bifax. He looked closely at their body shapes and features.
The very first bat studied was a male adult. It was found at Mount Koghis in 1991 by Tim Flannery. He caught it in a special net called a mist net while it was flying at dusk. Two more bats were found at the same place a few days later.
How the Bat Got Its Name
The scientific name for this bat is Nyctophilus nebulosus. The word nebulosus means "misty" or "cloudy." This name was chosen for two reasons. First, it refers to the "misty heights" of Mount Koghis, where the bat lives. Second, it also hints at how hard it was to tell this bat apart from other similar Nyctophilus species. Its features were a bit "cloudy" or unclear compared to others.
The common name for this animal is the New Caledonian long-eared bat.
What Does the New Caledonian Long-eared Bat Look Like?
This bat is a member of the Vespertilionidae family, which are often called "common bats." It belongs to a group of bats known as Nyctophilus, which are famous for their long ears. So far, this bat has only been seen on the southwestern side of Mount Koghis, near Nouméa.
The fur of this bat is dark brown. Male bats have a reddish-brown fur, while females have a chocolate-brown color. The fur on their belly is a little lighter than on their back. Their skin is grey-brown, and it's darker on their snout, ears, and the membranes of their wings.
Comparing it to Other Bats
The New Caledonian long-eared bat looks a bit like Nyctophilus gouldi, another type of bat. However, the New Caledonian bat does not have a clearly lighter belly like N. gouldi does. Also, Nyctophilus nebulosus has darker fur on its back.
N. gouldi is about the same size as the New Caledonian long-eared bat, but it has noticeably larger ears. Scientists have studied the measurements of these bats carefully. Even though some measurements are similar, there are enough differences to show that the New Caledonian long-eared bat is its own unique species.
Where Does the Bat Live and Why Is It in Danger?
The bats found at Mount Koghis were flying in a clear area of tall rainforest during the evening. The mountain itself is surrounded by grassland and Maquis shrubland, which is a type of dense bushland.
Sadly, the New Caledonian long-eared bat is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN redlist. This means it is at a very high risk of disappearing forever. Its population is getting smaller.
Threats to the Bat's Survival
There are several reasons why these bats are in danger:
- Habitat Loss: Their forest home is being removed for new buildings, homes, and places for people to play.
- Logging: Trees are being cut down, which destroys the bat's living space.
- Fires: Forest fires, or even how people manage fires, can harm their habitat.
Because it is in such great danger, the Alliance for Zero Extinction has identified this bat as a species that could become extinct very soon.
