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The eastern or Queensland tube-nosed bat (''Nyctimene robinsoni'') is a
megabat Megabats constitute the family Pteropodidae of the order Chiroptera (bats). They are also called fruit bats, Old World fruit bats, or—especially the genera ''Acerodon'' and ''Pteropus''—flying foxes. They are the only member of the su ...
in the family Pteropodidae that lives in north-eastern Australia. ''N. robinsoni'' is one of the few species of megabat that roosts solitarily. They get their common name from their raised tubular nostrils which are unlike those of most other species in the family. They are a deep brown with gray heads and sparse yellow spotting.


Taxonomy

The first description of the species was published 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 appointe ...
in 1904, distinguishing the new taxon by comparison to the species '' Nyctimene major'' described by
George Edward Dobson George Edward Dobson FRS FLS FZS (4 September 1848 at Edgeworthstown, County Longford, Ireland – 26 November 1895) was an Irish zoologist, photographer and army surgeon. He took a special interest in bats, describing many new species, and som ...
in 1877. Thomas examined two specimens, nominating a male as the type, these were obtained by Herbert C. Robinson in
Cooktown Cooktown is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia. Cooktown is at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland where James Cook beached his ship, the Endeavour, for rep ...
. The synonymy of ''N. robinsoni'' includes ''Nyctimene tryoni'' and the separation of the Australian population recognised as '' Nyctimene albiventer'', the common tube-nosed fruit-bat which occurs at the island states north of Australia. ''Nyctimene robinsoni'' is allied to the ''cephalotes''-group of the genus. The common name Queensland tube-nosed bat was noted by Ronald Strahan as the only vernacular for the species, where the range of species was thought to be restricted, the name eastern tube-nosed bat was later applied by the
Australian Museum The Australian Museum is a heritage-listed museum at 1 William Street, Sydney central business district, New South Wales, Australia. It is the oldest museum in Australia,Design 5, 2016, p.1 and the fifth oldest natural history museum in the ...
, Menckhurst, the IUCN and other authorities.


Description

A species of Pteropodidae, the fruit eating bats, the only '' Nyctimene'' bat to occur on mainland Australia. They are readily distinguished by the unusual nostrils that protrude from the short, broad and rounded muzzle. The ears and wing membranes exhibit many small contrasting spots of a yellow-green or pallid yellow colour, a characteristic also observed in the Torres species ''
Nyctimene cephalotes Pallas's tube-nosed bat (''Nyctimene cephalotes''), also known as the Torresian tube-nosed bat or northern tube-nosed bat, is a species of megabat in the ''Nyctimene'' genus found in Indonesia. Its range may extend to New Guinea, but sightings m ...
''. These spots are thought to serve as camouflage when the bats are resting during the day, but they have also found to be
photoluminescent Photoluminescence (abbreviated as PL) is light emission from any form of matter after the absorption of photons (electromagnetic radiation). It is one of many forms of luminescence (light emission) and is initiated by photoexcitation (i.e. phot ...
, a phenomenon not observed in other bat species, nor in captive specimens of the ''N. robinsoni''. The colour of the pelage is russet to greyish shades of brown, greyer at the face and over the head, with a dark line extending down the back from the neck. The eyes are bright red when reflecting light. The measurements of the forearm are 65 to 70 millimetres, the head and body combined is from 82 to 93 mm and the length of the ear from base to tip is 16 to 20 mm. The average weight is 48 grams, for the recorded range of 42 to 56 grams for individuals. The dentition is adapted to its frugivorous diet, lacking lower incisors and using the lower against the upper canines to consume fruits. Vocalisation is given in flight, when they emit a highly pitched 'seep' sound.


Distribution and habitat

The distribution range extends along the east coast of the continent, north of
Lismore, New South Wales Lismore is a city in northeastern New South Wales, Australia and the main population centre in the City of Lismore local government area; it is also a regional centre in the Northern Rivers region of the State. It is situated on a low flood pla ...
to Cape York and at the islands of the Torres Strait. They are relatively common in Queensland, becoming more rarely seen south of Ingham. The habitat includes rainforests, woodlands and heathland, and open forest. They occur at tropical and subtropical regions in rainforest or wet sclerophyll forest. tropical vine forest or heath.


Behaviour

The tube-nosed bat, like other bats in the family Pteropodiae, relies on its sight and smell to locate food, which mostly consists of figs and other rainforest fruits. Flowers and their nectar or pollen are also consumed. ''Nyctimene robinsoni'' is also known to eat cultivated exotic fruit, and have been observed eagerly feeding on guava. Nectar also forms part of the diet, obtained from flowering heathland plants and species of ''
Banksia ''Banksia'' is a genus of around 170 species in the plant family Proteaceae. These Australian wildflowers and popular garden plants are easily recognised by their characteristic flower spikes, and fruiting "cones" and heads. ''Banksias'' range i ...
''. The species appears to favour native species over introduced orchard fruits, and travel just a short distance to feed at trees such as ''
Ficus racemosa ''Ficus racemosa'', the cluster fig, red river fig or gular, is a species of plant in the family Moraceae. It is native to Australia and tropical Asia. It is a fast-growing plant with large, very rough leaves, usually attaining the size of a lar ...
'', the cluster fig. It is one of 14 tube-nosed bat species worldwide, and has the most southerly distribution of them all. The species reproduces with a single birth per year, sometime between October and December. The gestation period is three to three and one half months. The offspring is carried by the mother until it is large and well developed. The bat's tube-shaped nostrils may assist in locating ripe fruit. The two nostrils can move independently from each other, and may be concentrating aromas and following odor plumes through the rainforest. This function is often called stereo olfaction. The unusual nostril projections were once thought to act as a snorkel, allowing them breathe while the mouth is embedded in soft fleshed fruits. This theory was contradicted in observations of the bats' diet, which is primarily firm fruits, and their method, shared by most fruit eating bats, of biting and licking fruits to consume them. The feeding activities of the species is a significant contributor to pollination of plant species, the dispersal of seeds and recruitment of trees within its forest habitats. They are highly agile in flight and are easily able to hover while foraging. They are often observed flying along tracks in forests, sometimes at quite low altitudes, and heard when emitting their whistling calls. The habit of roosting alone, unusual amongst fruit bats, is occasionally extended to small groups. The spotted wings are wrapped around the body at their daytime roosts, as they hang alone in dense foliage. This provides the species with effective camouflage in the dappled forest light. ''N. Robinsoni'' exhibits signs of lunar phobia, as their body temperature is lowered to near-resting levels during full-mooned nights. This may be because they expend less energy when flying on full-mooned nights since fruit is easier to see. Conversely, they may be less active so as to avoid visually oriented predators at night. When held in captivity they are able to subsist on pears, bananas, pawpaw and citrus fruits. They do not appear to drink water.


Conservation

The species is listed with the conservation status least concern by the Queensland state government, where it is more common, and vulnerable in New South Wales. They have been identified as especially vulnerable to the hazards presented by barbed wire, an often fatal encounter for any bat species. A survey in the aftermath of a single storm event,
Cyclone Larry Severe Tropical Cyclone Larry was a tropical cyclone that made landfall in Australia during the 2005–06 Southern Hemisphere tropical cyclone season. Larry originated as a low pressure system over the eastern Coral Sea on 16 March 2006, and wa ...
(2006), found sixteen individuals had become entangled in barbed wire fencing at the
Atherton Tableland The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. The principal river flowing across the plateau is the Barron River. It was dammed to form an irrigation reservoir named Lake Tina ...
. ''N. Robinsoni'' has also come into conflict with orchardists, and entanglement in netting over fruit tees has led to death by starvation.


Footnotes


References

* Spencer, H.J., Fleming, T.H. 1989, "Roosting and Foraging Behaviour of the Queensland Tube-nosed Bat, Nyctimene robinsoni (Pteropodidae): preliminary Radio-tracking Observations", ''Australian Wildlife Research'', Vol.16, 413–420. * "Eastern Tube-nosed Bat – profile". Department of Environment and Conservation, Dec. 2005, accessed 7 September 2006 fro

* Hall, L. and Pettigrew, J. E. (1995). The bat with the stereo nose. Aust. Nat. Hist. 24, 26-28. *Thermobiology, energetics and activity patterns of the Eastern tube-nosed bat (Nyctimene robinsoni) in the Australian tropics: effect of temperature and lunar cycle Alexander Riek, Gerhard Körtner, Fritz Geiser Journal of Experimental Biology 2010 213: 2557-2564; doi: 10.1242/jeb.043182 {{Taxonbar, from=Q1769821 Bats of Australia Mammals of New South Wales Mammals of Queensland Mammals described in 1904 Taxa named by Oldfield Thomas