The New Zealand long-tailed bat (''Chalinolobus tuberculatus''), also known as the long-tailed wattled bat or pekapeka-tou-roa (

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), is one of 15 species of

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...

s in the genus '' Chalinolobus'' variously known as "pied bats", "wattled bats" or "long-tailed bats". It is one of the two surviving bat species

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

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, but is closely related to five other wattled or lobe-lipped bats in

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and elsewhere. It was named the winner in the 2021 Bird of the Year competition in New Zealand, despite not being a bird.

Description

The long-tailed bat is a small brown bat (weighing 8–12 g) with a long tail connected by a patygium to its hind legs: this feature distinguishes it from New Zealand's other bat species, the short-tailed bat (''Mystacina tuberculata''). The bat's echolocation calls include a relatively low frequency component that can be heard by some people. It can fly at 60 kilometres per hour, and has a very large home range (100 km²).

Life expectancy Life expectancy is a statistical measure of the average time an organism is expected to live, based on the year of its birth, current age, and other demographic factors like sex. The most commonly used measure is life expectancy at birth ...

for this species is unknown, though it exceeds nine years. This species has a highly variable body temperature and rate of metabolism. It is the main host of the

New Zealand bat flea The New Zealand bat flea (''Porribius pacificus'') is a threatened species of flea endemic to New Zealand. The species was first described in 1946 from samples collected near Masterton in 1915, and from chocolate wattled bats on Pelorus Island ...

Diet

Long-tailed bats hunt by

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, or capturing and consuming aerial insects while flying.Rockell, G., Littlemore, J., & Scrimgeour, J. (2017). Habitat preferences of long-tailed bats ''Chalinolobus tuberculatus'' along forested riparian corridors in the Pikiariki Ecological Area, Pureora Forest Park. DOC Research and Development Series 349. Flies are their most significant food source, with

moth Moths are a paraphyletic group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not butterflies, with moths making up the vast majority of the order. There are thought to be approximately 160,000 species of moth, many of w ...

s and

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

s also important.Gurau, A.L. (2014). The diet of the New Zealand long-tailed bat, ''Chalinolobus tuberculatus''. Masters in Zoology thesis, Massey University. The bat is an insect

generalist A generalist is a person with a wide array of knowledge on a variety of subjects, useful or not. It may also refer to: Occupations * a physician who provides general health care, as opposed to a medical specialist; see also: ** General pract ...

, consuming insects that are abundant in the landscape.

Roosting

New Zealand long-tailed bats are selective when choosing roost trees. Preferred roosts are located at low altitude at the bottoms of valleys, less than from the woodland edge.Sedgeley, J. A., & O'Donnell, C. F. (1999). Roost selection by the long-tailed bat, ''Chalinolobus tuberculatus'', in temperate New Zealand rainforest and its implications for the conservation of bats in managed forests. ''Biological Conservation'' 88(2), 261–276. The bats prefer tall roosts of large diameter located in areas of lower tree density, particularly live

red beech Red beech is a common name applied to several species of trees: *'' Dillenia alata'', native to Northern Australia and New Guinea *'' Fuscospora fusca'', native to New Zealand *''Protorhus longifolia ''Protorhus longifolia'', the red beech, is ...

trees or

snags In forest ecology, a snag refers to a standing, dead or dying tree, often missing a top or most of the smaller branches. In freshwater ecology it refers to trees, branches, and other pieces of naturally occurring wood found sunken in rivers and ...

. Three-quarters of roost trees identified in the

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were at least one hundred years old. The bats roost in small

cavities Cavity may refer to: Biology and healthcare *Body cavity, a fluid-filled space in many animals where organs typically develop **Gastrovascular cavity, the primary organ of digestion and circulation in cnidarians and flatworms *Dental cavity or too ...

within the trees that have high temperatures and humidity.Sedgeley, J. A. (2001). Quality of cavity microclimate as a factor influencing selection of maternity roosts by a tree‐dwelling bat, ''Chalinolobus tuberculatus'', in New Zealand. ''Journal of Applied Ecology'', 38(2), 425–438.

Reproduction

Males and females are capable of successful reproduction after their first year, and most females first give birth at age two or three. Mating is thought to occur in February and March, shortly before

hibernation Hibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy characterized by low body-temperature, slow breathing and heart-rate, and low metabolic rate. It most ...

, based on the proportion of males with swollen

epididymides The epididymis (; plural: epididymides or ) is a tube that connects a testicle to a vas deferens in the male reproductive system. It is a single, narrow, tightly-coiled tube in adult humans, in length. It serves as an interconnection between the ...

at this time. Females give birth to a single pup during the New Zealand summer (December and January) and provide sole care for their young, gathering with other females in maternity roosts of up to 120 individuals; small numbers of adult males and non-reproductive females are present in the roosts as well.O'Donnell, C. F. (2002). "Timing of breeding, productivity and survival of long-tailed bats ''Chalinolobus tuberculatus'' (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in cold-temperate rainforest in New Zealand". ''Journal of Zoology'', 257(03), 311–323. These subcolonies move to new trees almost every day, breaking apart into smaller groups or reforming into larger ones. In some areas limestone caves are also used, but mainly as a night roost between feeding bouts. Pups

fledge Fledging is the stage in a flying animal's life between hatching or birth and becoming capable of flight. This term is most frequently applied to birds, but is also used for bats. For altricial birds, those that spend more time in vulnerable c ...

about 40 days after birth. Pups are likely weaned within ten days of fledging.

Conservation

The species first gained legal protection under the New Zealand Wildlife Act 1953.O’Donnell, C. F. (2000). Conservation status and causes of decline of the threatened New Zealand long‐tailed bat ''Chalinolobus tuberculatus'' (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae). ''Mammal Review'', 30(2), 89–106. The New Zealand long-tailed bat has been classified in New Zealand by the

Department of Conservation An environmental ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for the environment and/or natural resources. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of the Environment ...

as "Nationally Critical" with the qualifier "Conservation Dependent" under the

New Zealand Threat Classification System The New Zealand Threat Classification System is used by the Department of Conservation to assess conservation priorities of species in New Zealand. The system was developed because the IUCN Red List, a similar conservation status system, had some ...

as a result of a predicted decline of greater than 70%. The bats' preference for large, old roost trees makes them at risk from habitat destruction through logging.Sedgeley, J. A. (2003). Roost site selection and roosting behaviour in lesser short‐tailed bats (''Mystacina tuberculata'') in comparison with long‐tailed bats (''Chalinolobus tuberculatus'') in ''Nothofagus'' forest, Fiordland. ''New Zealand Journal of Zoology'', 30(3), 227–241. They may also be at risk from windfarms, unless successfully relocated.

References

External links

NZ Department of Conservation Bat Site
* DOC 199
Threatened Species Recovery Plan
(distribution map on page 4) * Long-tailed bats discussed on

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''Critter of the Week''
17 November 2017
{{Taxonbar, from=Q587667 Chalinolobus Mammals described in 1844 Bats of New Zealand Endemic fauna of New Zealand Vulnerable fauna of Oceania Endemic mammals of New Zealand mammals of New Zealand