The northern cave bat (''Vespadelus caurinus'') is a

vesper bat Vespertilionidae is a family of microbats, of the order Chiroptera, flying, insect-eating mammals variously described as the common, vesper, or simple nosed bats. The vespertilionid family is the most diverse and widely distributed of bat familie ...

that occurs throughout most 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 ...

Description

A species of ''

Vespadelus ''Vespadelus'' is a genus of Australian bats in the family Vespertilionidae. The genus name was first published by Ellis Le Geyt Troughton and Tom Iredale in 1934, but without an adequate description; the type was cited as ''Scotophilus pumilus' ...

'', smaller insectivorous microbats, which are tiny in size and often dwell in caves. The weight range is , with an average of . The length of the forearm is , the head and body measure , the tail is long, the ear from base to tip is long. The fur colour is greyish brown, darker at the base and warmer brown at the rump. They are exceptionally agile in their flight capabilities. The birthing season of ''V. caurinus'' is around October to February, the austral summer, and they produce up to two young.

Taxonomy

The description was first published in 1914 by

Oldfield Thomas Michael Rogers Oldfield Thomas (21 February 1858 – 16 June 1929) was a British zoologist. Career Thomas worked at the Natural History Museum on mammals, describing about 2,000 new species and subspecies for the first time. He was appoin ...

, naming it as a species of genus ''

Eptesicus ''Eptesicus'' is a genus of bats, commonly called house bats or serotine bats, in the family Vespertilionidae. The genus name is likely derived from the Greek words ''ptetikos'' 'able to fly' or ''petomai'' 'house flier', although this is not cer ...

''. ''Vespadelus caurinus'' is one of several species referred to cave vespadeluses. Vernacular for ''V. caurinus'' include:, northern, little northern, or western cave bat and little brown bat.

Range and habitat

The species occurs in the monsoonal tropics of Australia from the Kimberly region of Western Australia, throughout the Top End of the Northern Territory and the lower Gulf of Carpentaria into north-western Queensland. They inhabit the inside of caves or boulder piles, beneath overhanging rocks, or occupying small crevices and cracks at cliff faces. Some built structures are also exploited by ''Vespadelus caurinus'', abandoned mines and buildings and subterranean installations such as storm-water culverts. They are also known to occupy the nests of fairy martins, the bird species ''

Petrochelidon ariel The fairy martin (''Petrochelidon ariel'') is a member of the swallow family of passerine birds which breeds in Australia. It is migratory wintering through most of Australia, with some birds reaching New Guinea and Indonesia. It is increasingly ...

''. ''V. caurinus'' forages for insects in monsoonal forest and open woodland close to running water. The species is one of many bats found near the northern city of Darwin. They occur at the

Casuarina Coastal Reserve Casuarina Coastal Reserve is a protected area in the northern area of Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is on the traditional Country and waterways of the Larrakia nation. The reserve comprises approximately of habitats betwe ...

, inhabiting the observation posts installed during the second world war. They are observed to cohabitat with other microbat species, the common sheathtail species ''

Taphozous georgianus The common sheathtail bat (''Taphozous georgianus''), is a bat in the family Emballonuridae, occurring in northern Australia. Taxonomy A description of the species was first published in 1915 by Oldfield Thomas, his notes on two bat genera res ...

'' and dusky leaf-nosed species ''

Hipposideros ater The dusky leaf-nosed bat (''Hipposideros ater'') is a bat from the genus ''Hipposideros'' whose habitat extends from India and Sri Lanka to the Philippines, New Guinea and Northern Australia. This species is counted in the '' H. bicolor'' species ...

''. ''Vespadelus caurinus'' superficially resembles the species ''

Vespadelus douglasorum The yellow-lipped cave bat (''Vespadelus douglasorum'') is a vesper bat that only occurs in the Kimberley (Western Australia), Kimberley region of northwest Australia. The bat was first captured at Tunnel Creek in 1958 and a description published ...

'', except for the larger size and tinges of yellow in the fur of that species; both species occur in the

Kimberley Kimberly or Kimberley may refer to: Places and historical events Australia * Kimberley (Western Australia) ** Roman Catholic Diocese of Kimberley * Kimberley Warm Springs, Tasmania * Kimberley, Tasmania a small town * County of Kimberley, a ...

region of the northwest. They may only be easily distinguished from ''

Vespadelus finlaysoni Finlayson's cave bat (''Vespadelus finlaysoni'') is a species of vesper bat found only in Australia. Taxonomy The description of ''Vespadelus finlaysoni'' was first published in 1987, separated as a new species in a revision of the genus ''Ep ...

'' by the locality, which do not overlap, or comparison of forearm length as less than 32 mm and usually smaller size overall; the second method of diagnosis is less certain as size ranges are variable in both species.

Conservation

''Vespadelus caurinus'' is listed with the conservation status of least concern at state registers in the Northern Territory and in Queensland.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q265064 Bats of Australia Vespadelus Mammals of Western Australia Mammals of the Northern Territory Mammals of Queensland Mammals described in 1914 Taxa named by Oldfield Thomas