Gould's wattled bat (''Chalinolobus gouldii'') is a species of

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

n wattled bat named after the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

naturalist

John Gould John Gould (; 14 September 1804 – 3 February 1881) was an English ornithologist. He published a number of monographs on birds, illustrated by plates produced by his wife, Elizabeth Gould, and several other artists, including Edward Lear, ...

.Chruszcz, Bryan & Barclay, M. R. (2002)
''Mammalian Species'' Chalinolobus gouldii
The American Society of Mammalogists. (pdf)

Description

''C. gouldii'' is the largest of the genus ''Chalinolobus'', a group distinguished by fleshy lobes located at the corners of its mouth. For individuals throughout their range, the average length (head and body) is 70 ± 5 mm and average mass is 14 ± 4 g.

Distribution and habitat

''C. gouldii'' is known throughout mainland Australia (excluding northern

Cape York Peninsula Cape York Peninsula is a large peninsula located in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is the largest unspoiled wilderness in northern Australia.Mittermeier, R.E. et al. (2002). Wilderness: Earth’s last wild places. Mexico City: Agrupación ...

and

Nullarbor Plain The Nullarbor Plain ( ; Latin: feminine of , 'no', and , 'tree') is part of the area of flat, almost treeless, arid or semi-arid country of southern Australia, located on the Great Australian Bight coast with the Great Victoria Desert to its ...

) as well as

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

New Caledonia ) , anthem = "" , image_map = New Caledonia on the globe (small islands magnified) (Polynesia centered).svg , map_alt = Location of New Caledonia , map_caption = Location of New Caledonia , mapsize = 290px , subdivision_type = Sovereign st ...

, and

Norfolk Island Norfolk Island (, ; Norfuk: ''Norf'k Ailen'') is an external territory of Australia located in the Pacific Ocean between New Zealand and New Caledonia, directly east of Australia's Evans Head and about from Lord Howe Island. Together with ...

. ''C. gouldii'' is found in a variety of habitats. In wooded areas, they are mostly arboreal, though they have also been found in the stumps and hollow limbs of trees or in bird nests. They may also inhabit urban settings, such as the ceilings and basements of buildings. While some individuals (usually males) may roost alone, colonies often hold about 30 bats. Colonies of up to 200 individuals are also known.

Behaviour

''C. gouldii'' is active year-round across most of its range, but enters

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 ...

in cooler climates. This torpor typically takes place throughout winter (May to early September) but has been observed as late as December. ''C. gouldii'' is the most common species found roosting in bat boxes installed at the

Organ Pipes National Park The Organ Pipes National Park, abbreviated as OPNP, is a national park located in the Central region of Victoria, Australia. The protected area was established with the focus on conservation of the native flora and fauna, and preservation of ...

in Melbourne, Victoria, accounting for 97% of species found. They are harp-trapped within the

but the proportions vary from year to year. They also account for 95% of bats found in roost boxes in Wilson Reserve, Ivanhoe East, Melbourne, and 100% of bats found 1.5 km further east in Kew

Diet

''C. gouldii'' is insectivorous; in much of its range,

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 are the most common food item, though

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 play this role in the

riparian A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the terrestrial biomes of the Earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks ar ...

woodlands of Tasmania. Other known prey includes

cockroach Cockroaches (or roaches) are a paraphyletic group of insects belonging to Blattodea, containing all members of the group except termites. About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are well-known as ...

es,

flies Flies are insects of the order Diptera, the name being derived from the Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwings having evolved into advanced ...

stoneflies Plecoptera is an order of insects, commonly known as stoneflies. Some 3,500 species are described worldwide, with new species still being discovered. Stoneflies are found worldwide, except Antarctica. Stoneflies are believed to be one of the mo ...

orthoptera Orthoptera () is an order of insects that comprises the grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets, including closely related insects, such as the bush crickets or katydids and wētā. The order is subdivided into two suborders: Caelifera – grassho ...

ns,

hemiptera Hemiptera (; ) is an order (biology), order of insects, commonly called true bugs, comprising over 80,000 species within groups such as the cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, Reduviidae, assassin bugs, Cimex, bed bugs, and shield bugs. ...

ns,

hymenoptera Hymenoptera is a large order (biology), order of insects, comprising the sawfly, sawflies, wasps, bees, and ants. Over 150,000 living species of Hymenoptera have been described, in addition to over 2,000 extinct ones. Many of the species are Par ...

ns and other

lepidopteran Lepidoptera ( ) is an order of insects that includes butterflies and moths (both are called lepidopterans). About 180,000 species of the Lepidoptera are described, in 126 families and 46 superfamilies, 10 percent of the total described specie ...

s, including

caterpillar Caterpillars ( ) are the larval stage of members of the order Lepidoptera (the insect order comprising butterflies and moths). As with most common names, the application of the word is arbitrary, since the larvae of sawflies (suborder Sym ...

s. Grass seeds and twig fragments are occasionally ingested as well.

Reproduction

The reproductive behaviour of ''C. gouldii'', including the months of gestation, vary among different regions. In

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, pregnancy usually occurs during September and October, lactation during November and December, and fledged young during December and January. In Western Australia, the birthing period (6–8 weeks) begins from late September to November depending on the latitude of the population involved. Females can store fertile sperm for at least 33 days, allowing them to conceive long after mating. Because pregnancy occurs in both

uterine horns The uterine horns (cornua of uterus) are the points in the upper uterus where the fallopian tubes exit to meet the ovaries. They are one of the points of attachment for the round ligament of uterus (the other being the mons pubis). They also prov ...

, the resulting offspring are often twins.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q136051 Taxa named by John Edward Gray Mammals described in 1841 Bats of Australia Mammals of Tasmania Mammals of Western Australia Chalinolobus Mammals of the Northern Territory Mammals of South Australia Mammals of Queensland Mammals of New South Wales Mammals of Victoria (Australia)