Southeastern long-eared bat facts for kids

Quick facts for kids South-eastern long-eared bat
Conservation status
Vulnerable (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Genus:	Nyctophilus
Species:	corbeni

The south-eastern long-eared bat, also called Corben's long-eared bat (Nyctophilus corbeni), is a special type of bat. You can find it in Australia, living in the woodlands around the Murray Darling Basin and nearby places.

What is the South-eastern Long-eared Bat?

Until 2009, scientists thought the south-eastern long-eared bat was just a type of Nyctophilus timorensis, also known as the greater long-eared bat. But new studies showed it was different enough to be its own species. This means it has its own unique name, Nyctophilus corbeni.

This change happened after scientists carefully looked at many bats from the Nyctophilus group. They compared different bats to see how they were alike and how they were different. The south-eastern long-eared bat was once called "Nyctophilus species 2" before it got its official name. It was first found in the Pilliga forest in New South Wales.

How to Identify the South-eastern Long-eared Bat

This bat has a head and body that are about 50 to 75 millimeters long. Its tail adds another 35 to 50 millimeters. They have wide wings and a large tail membrane. This helps them fly slowly but with great control.

Male bats are a bit lighter, weighing 11 to 15 grams. Females are heavier, usually 14 to 21 grams. These bats have a wider head and jaw. This makes them look different from other long-eared bats.

The south-eastern long-eared bat is a type of microbat. Most microbats have a wingspan of about 30 centimeters. Their wings stretch from their fingers down to their legs. The wing skin is amazing because it is soft, strong, and can even fix small holes by itself! Bats can feel the air as they fly. Tiny bumps with hairs on their bodies help them sense air movement. This helps them control their flight.

Where Does the South-eastern Long-eared Bat Live?

Nyctophilus corbeni lives in many different woodland areas inland. These areas include forests with trees like box, ironbark, and cypress pine. They also live in woodlands with Buloke, Belah, River Red Gum, and Black Box trees. You can also find them in different types of mallee vegetation.

These bats prefer large areas of forest. They are ten times more likely to be found in big forests than in small patches of trees. They like to roost, or rest, in large tree hollows. This shows how important it is to protect old trees.

Female bats gather in small groups called maternity colonies inside tree hollows. This is where they have their babies. Male bats often rest under peeling bark during the summer. These bats usually look for food a few kilometers from their roosting spot. They fly low, near tree trunks and close to plants.

What Does the South-eastern Long-eared Bat Eat?

The south-eastern long-eared bat hunts for food among the trees. It loves to eat insects. Beetles, bugs, and moths are common parts of its diet. This bat catches its prey while flying. This allows it to stay in the air for many hours at a time.

How Does the South-eastern Long-eared Bat Use Echolocation?

Like all microbats, this bat uses echolocation to find food and move around. They are very good at it! Echolocation uses high-frequency sound waves. Bats make these sounds by pushing air through their vocal cords, just like people speak.

These sounds are sent out through their mouth or nose. The sounds bounce off nearby objects and come back as echoes. The bat's sensitive ears hear these echoes. The bat's brain then uses these faint echoes. It figures out how far away objects are, how big they are, and what they feel like.

Bat calls are measured in hertz (Hz), which is the number of vibrations per second. A normal bat call might be 50,000 Hz, or 50 kilohertz (kHz). This sound wave is about 6.5 millimeters long. This size is perfect for finding small insects. When a bat sends out a call, it hits an insect or obstacle. Some of the sound returns as an echo. The time it takes for the echo to return tells the bat how far away the insect or obstacle is.

The south-eastern long-eared bat has a special echolocation call. It helps them catch food using a technique called "gleaning." This means their calls create a detailed sound picture. This allows the bats to find insects even if they are hidden against a tree trunk.

Where is the South-eastern Long-eared Bat Found?

The south-eastern long-eared bat is rare in most places where it lives. It is mostly found around the Murray-Darling Basin in south-eastern Australia. You can find it in several protected areas in Australia. These include the Murray-Sunset National Park in Victoria. It also lives in the Yathong Nature Reserve in New South Wales. In South Australia, it is found in the Danggali Conservation Park and the Commonwealth Reserve at Calperum Station.

Reproduction and Life Cycle

We don't have a lot of information about how the south-eastern long-eared bat reproduces. This bat is a mammal that gives birth to live young. Like most bats, it usually has only one baby each year, though sometimes twins are born.

Male bats take about two years to become old enough to have babies. Females usually only take one year. Females have two teats and feed their young milk for one to five months. Babies are born about 3 to 5 months after mating. This usually happens when there is plenty of food available. The young bats usually reach adult size by 3 months old. Pregnant females often gather together in maternity colonies a few weeks before giving birth.

What Threats Does the South-eastern Long-eared Bat Face?

The south-eastern long-eared bat (Nyctophilus corbeni) is listed as "vulnerable." This means it is at risk of becoming endangered. This listing is under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

There are several things that threaten these bats. These include losing their homes and forests being broken into smaller pieces. Logging activities can also harm them. Competition for tree hollows with other animals is a problem. Fires that are not managed well can also hurt them. Wild animals like cats and foxes can hunt them. Exposure to farm chemicals and climate change are also big concerns.

See also

In Spanish: Nyctophilus corbeni para niños