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{{Short description|Species of bat}} |
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{{Taxobox |
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{{speciesbox |
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| name = Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat |
| name = Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat |
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| ⚫ | |||
| status = |
| status = LC |
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| status_system = |
| status_system = IUCN3.1 |
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| regnum = [[Animalia]] |
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| status_ref = <ref name="iucn">{{cite iucn |author=Armstrong, K.N. |author2=Lumsden, L.F. |year=2021 |amends=2017 |title=''Saccolaimus flaviventris'' |volume=2021 |page=e.T19799A209538418 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T19799A209538418.en |access-date=16 December 2023}}</ref> |
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| phylum = [[Chordata]] |
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| |
| genus = Saccolaimus |
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| ⚫ | |||
| ordo = [[Chiroptera]] |
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| authority = [[Wilhelm Peters|Peters]], 1867<ref name="Peters1867">{{cite journal |last1=Peters |first1=W. |title=On ''Taphozous flaviventris,'' Gould, a new Species of Bat from Australia. |journal=Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London |date=1867 |volume=1866 |pages=417–556 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7998.1866.tb00426.x |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/73877}}</ref> |
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| subordo = [[Microbat|Microchiroptera]] |
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| familia = [[Emballonuridae]] |
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| genus = ''[[Saccolaimus]]'' |
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| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | |||
| binomial_authority = Peters, 1867 |
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| synonyms = |
| synonyms = |
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| range_map = Yellow-Bellied Pouched Bat area.png |
| range_map = Yellow-Bellied Pouched Bat area.png |
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| range_map_caption = Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat range |
| range_map_caption = Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat range |
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}} |
}} |
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The '''yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat'''<ref>Van Dyke, S. and Strahan, R. (eds.) (2008) ''The Mammals of Australia'', 3rd Edition, New Holland / Queensland Museum, Brisbane ISBN |
The '''yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat'''<ref>Van Dyke, S. and Strahan, R. (eds.) (2008) ''The Mammals of Australia'', 3rd Edition, New Holland / Queensland Museum, Brisbane {{ISBN|978-1-877069-25-3}}</ref> ('''''Saccolaimus flaviventris'''''), also known as the '''yellow-bellied sheathtail''' or '''yellow-bellied pouched bat''', is a [[microbat]] species of the family [[Emballonuridae]] found extensively in [[Australia]] and less commonly in parts of [[Papua New Guinea]].<ref name="Flannery">Flannery, T. F. 1995. ''The Mammals of New Guinea'', 2nd edition. Reed Books, Sydney, Australia.</ref><ref name="Churchill">Churchill, Sue. 2008. ''Australian bats'', 2nd ed. Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, NSW.</ref> |
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Although found throughout most parts of Australia, very little is known about its [[ecology]] due to the small size, nocturnal activity and general elusiveness of most |
Although found throughout most parts of Australia, very little is known about its [[ecology]] due to the small size, nocturnal activity, and general elusiveness of most microbat species, making them difficult to study.<ref name="RhodesHall">Rhodes, M. P., and Hall, L. S. 1997. Observations on Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bats ''Saccoliamus flaviventris'' (Peters, 1867)(Chiroptera: Emballonuridae). Australian Zoologist 30:351-357.</ref><ref name="ReardonFlavel">Reardon, T. B., and Flavel, S. C. 1987. ''A guide to the bats of South Australia''. South Australian Museum.</ref><ref name="RichardsinVanDyck">Richards, G. C. 2008. Yellow-bellied Sheath-tailed Bat, ''Saccolaimus flaviventris''. In: S. Van Dyck and R. Strahan (eds), ''The mammals of Australia''. Third Edition, pp. 472-473. Reed New Holland, Sydney, Australia.</ref> They are sometimes mistaken for the endangered and less widely distributed [[Naked-rumped pouched bat|bare-rumped sheathtail bat]] where the two species occur [[sympatry|sympatrically]], as well as other similar Emballonuridae species, but upon inspection are quite distinct and easily identified.<ref name="RhodesHall" /><ref name="Schulz">Schulz, M. and Thomson, B. 2007. National recovery plan for the bare-rumped sheathtail bat ''Saccolaimus saccolaimus nudicluniatus'' . Report to Department of the Environment and Water Resources, Canberra. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Brisbane.</ref><ref>Milne, D. J., Jackling, F. C., Sidhu, M., and Appleto B. R. 2009. Shedding new light on old species identifications: morphological and genetic evidence suggest a need for conservation status review of the critically endangered bat, ''Saccolaimus saccolaimus''. Wildlife research 36:496-508.</ref> |
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At present, the yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat is the only member of |
At present, the yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat is the only member of the Microchiroptera that has been positively identified as a carrier of [[Australian bat lyssavirus]].<ref>Barrett, J. L. 2004. Australian Bat Lyssavirus. PhD Thesis, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland.</ref> |
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== |
== Taxonomy == |
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The yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat belongs to the suborder |
The first description of the species was provided by [[Wilhelm Peters]] in 1867,<ref name="Peters1867" /> using a specimen that [[G. R. Waterhouse]] had proved to [[John Gould]].<ref name="Troughton1925">{{cite journal |last1=Ramsay |first1=E.P. |title=Contributions to the zoology of New Guinea. Parts I and II |journal=Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales |date=1879 |volume=3 |pages=241–305 [243] |doi=10.5962/bhl.part.22241 |url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/22241}}</ref> The yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat belongs to the suborder Microchiroptera, or insectivorous microbats, and is the largest Australian member of the family Emballonuridae.<ref name="RhodesHall" /> The Emballonuridae are distinguished by a partially membrane-enclosed tail that projects into a sheath, hence the descriptive term sheathtail, and is represented by eight known Australian species.<ref name="Churchill" /> Within Australia, the family is divided into two genera: ''[[Taphozous]]'' and ''[[Saccolaimus]]'', the latter of which the yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat is one of only four known representatives worldwide.<ref name="Troughton">Troughton, E. Le G. 1925. A revision of the genera ''Taphozous'' and ''Saccolaimus'' (Chiroptera) in Australia and New Guinea, including a new species, and a note on two Malayan forms. Records of the Australian Museum 14:313-341</ref> |
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== Description == |
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The yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat is quite large with a mean body weight of 44 |
The yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat is quite large with a mean body weight of 44 g that ranges from 28 to 60 g, and a mean head-body length of 81.8 mm that ranges from 72.3-91.9 mm.<ref name="Churchill" /><ref name="RichardsinVanDyck" /> It has distinct fur colouration, with the dorsal back being a shiny jet black and the ventral underside a contrasting creamy white.<ref name="Churchill" /><ref name="RhodesHall" /> Males of the species have a distinctive [[gular skin#In other vertebrates|gular]] throat pouch that is believed to play a role in territorial marking.<ref name="RhodesHall" /><ref name="Chimimba">Chimimba, C.T. and Kitchener, D.J. 1987. Breeding in the Australian yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat, ''Saccolaimus flaviventris'' (Peters, 1867) (Chiroptera Emballonuridae). Records – Western Australian Museum 13:241-248.</ref><ref name="HallGordon">Hall, L. S. and Gordon. G. 1982. The throat-pouch of the yellow-bellied bat, ''Taphozous flaviventris''. Mammalia 46:247-252</ref> The throat pouch is absent in females, which instead have naked folds of skin around their throats.<ref name="Chimimba" /> Unlike many other sheathtails, this species does not have a wing pouch in either sex.<ref name="Churchill" /> |
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Other distinguishing features of the yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat are a flattened head and sharply pointed muzzle,<ref name="OEH">Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat – profile, Office of Environment and Heritage, accessed |
Other distinguishing features of the yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat are a flattened head and sharply pointed muzzle,<ref name="OEH">[http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspeciesapp/profile.aspx?id=10741 Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat – profile], Office of Environment and Heritage, accessed 7 October 2014</ref> a mean forearm length of 74–77 mm,<ref name="Churchill" /><ref name="RhodesHall" /> and a mean outer canine width of 6.4 mm.<ref name="Churchill" /> |
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==Distribution |
==Distribution and habitat== |
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The yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat appears to be wide-ranging, occurring across most parts of eastern and northern Australia,<ref name="DickmanETAL">Dickman, C. R., Pressey, R. L., Lim, L., and Parnaby, H. E. 1993. Mammals of particular conservation concern in the Western Division of New South Wales. Biological Conservation 65:219-248.</ref> though in what densities remains uncertain due to the difficulties associated with capture and detection of the species.<ref name="ReardonFlavel" /><ref name="RichardsinVanDyck" /> Much of the distribution understanding of this species has developed as a result of incidental sightings,<ref name="Lumsden">Lumsden, I. F. and Bennet, A. F. 1995. Bats of a semi-arid environment in south-eastern Australia: biogeography, ecology and conservation. Wildlife Research 22:217-239.</ref><ref name="Pennay">Pennay, M. n.d. ''Ecological study of the endangered bristle-nosed bat (Mormopterus ‘species 6’) and survey of Microchiropteran bats in Gundabooka National Park - Report for NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service Upper Darling Region''. NSW Department of Environment & Conservation.</ref> such as one record from central western Queensland that was taken from a mummified bat found on a barbed-wire fence.<ref name="YoungFord">Young, R. A. and Ford, G. I. 2000. Bat fauna of a semi-arid environment in central western Queensland, Australia. Wildlife Research 27:203-215.</ref> Though most common throughout the [[tropical]] regions of |
The yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat appears to be wide-ranging, occurring across most parts of eastern and northern Australia,<ref name="DickmanETAL">Dickman, C. R., Pressey, R. L., Lim, L., and Parnaby, H. E. 1993. Mammals of particular conservation concern in the Western Division of New South Wales. Biological Conservation 65:219-248.</ref> though in what densities remains uncertain due to the difficulties associated with capture and detection of the species.<ref name="ReardonFlavel" /><ref name="RichardsinVanDyck" /> Much of the distribution understanding of this species has developed as a result of incidental sightings,<ref name="Lumsden">Lumsden, I. F. and Bennet, A. F. 1995. Bats of a semi-arid environment in south-eastern Australia: biogeography, ecology and conservation. Wildlife Research 22:217-239.</ref><ref name="Pennay">Pennay, M. n.d. ''Ecological study of the endangered bristle-nosed bat (Mormopterus ‘species 6’) and survey of Microchiropteran bats in Gundabooka National Park - Report for NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service Upper Darling Region''. NSW Department of Environment & Conservation.</ref> such as one record from central western Queensland that was taken from a mummified bat found on a barbed-wire fence.<ref name="YoungFord">Young, R. A. and Ford, G. I. 2000. Bat fauna of a semi-arid environment in central western Queensland, Australia. Wildlife Research 27:203-215.</ref> Though most common throughout the [[tropical]] regions of their range,<ref name="Churchill" /> yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bats are known to occur regularly in [[semi-arid]] environments including the [[The Mallee|Mallee region]] of north-western Victoria,<ref name="Lumsden" /> [[Gundabooka National Park]] in northwestern New South Wales,<ref name="Pennay" /> and central-western Queensland.<ref name="YoungFord" /> This species likely [[Animal migration|migrates]] into its southerly range during summer, with seasonal records placing bats in most parts of Victoria, southwestern New South Wales, and the adjacent regions of South Australia.<ref name="OEH" /> |
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Though less common, two specimens of yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bats have been found in [[Papua New Guinea]], one in the National Capital District and the other in Central Province.<ref name="Flannery" /><ref name="RichardsinVanDyck" /> |
Though less common, two specimens of yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bats have been found in [[Papua New Guinea]], one in the National Capital District and the other in Central Province.<ref name="Flannery" /><ref name="RichardsinVanDyck" /> |
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This species occupies most wooded habitats, including both wet and dry [[sclerophyll forest]], [[Mallee (habit)| |
This species occupies most wooded habitats, including both wet and dry [[sclerophyll forest]], [[Mallee (habit)|mallee]] and ''[[Acacia]]'' shrubland, desert, and open woodland.<ref name="Churchill" /><ref name="ReardonFlavel" /> They are a hollow-roosting species, so tend to be found in proximity of adequate old-growth trees.<ref name="HallRichards">Hall, L. S. and Richards, G. C. 1979. ''Bats of eastern Australia''. Queensland Museum, Brisbane.</ref> |
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==Ecology== |
==Ecology== |
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===Roosting |
===Roosting habits=== |
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Few studies have been carried out to determine the specific roosting habits of this species.<ref name="RhodesHall" /> Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bats are a cavity-roosting species and are generally reliant on [[ |
Few studies have been carried out to determine the specific roosting habits of this species.<ref name="RhodesHall" /> Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bats are a cavity-roosting species and are generally reliant on [[old-growth forest]] hollows.<ref name="HallRichards" /> However, they have been known to opportunistically use abandoned animal burrows and human structures, and roost under dry clay and rock, though generally only solitary bats have been observed to do this.<ref name="Churchill" /><ref name="OEH" /> |
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Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bats are mostly solitary, occasionally nesting in small, mixed-sex colonies of two to 10 individuals.<ref name="Churchill" /><ref name="RichardsinVanDyck" /> A notable exception to this observation is the Brightview colony, found in southeast Queensland in 1996. The colony was discovered by accident during the felling of an old tree, and consisted of 29 individuals – the largest colony of yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bats recorded.<ref name="RhodesHall" /> |
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===Seasonality=== |
===Seasonality=== |
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Though |
Though no confirmatory studies have been carried out, yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bats may be migratory based on local records that show the species occurring only at specific times of year.<ref name="ReardonFlavel" /><ref name="RichardsinVanDyck" /> Though specific seasonal movements are unknown, observations have suggested migratory movements to the cooler southern Australian ranges during the summer.<ref name="Churchill" /><ref name="OEH" /> The possibility of seasonal migration is supported by studies of long, narrow wing shape in the species that appears suited to migration<ref name="RhodesHall" /> and the seasonal appearance of apparently exhausted bats in Victoria and South Australia.<ref name="Churchill" /><ref name="RhodesHall" /> |
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===Diet |
===Diet and foraging=== |
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Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bats are [[Canopy (biology)|canopy]] feeders, meaning that they are capable of fast flight, but inefficient at rapid maneuvering. They generally feed at heights of |
Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bats are [[Canopy (biology)|canopy]] feeders, meaning that they are capable of fast flight, but inefficient at rapid maneuvering. They generally feed at heights of 20–25 m, unless feeding in open spaces or at forest edges, where they forage lower.<ref name="Churchill" /><ref name="RhodesHall" /><ref name="OEH" /> Studies of stomach contents have found [[Orthoptera]] (grasshopper), [[Coleoptera]] (beetle), and [[Hemiptera]] (true bug) species, with beetles making up the bulk of the diet.<ref name="Vestjens">Vestjens, W. J. M. and Hall, L. S. 1977. Stomach contents of forty-two species of bats from the Australasian region. Wildlife Research 4:25-35.</ref><ref name="Coles">Coles, R. B. and Lumsden, L. 1993. Report on the survey of bats in the Heathlands area of Cape York Peninsula. Cape York Peninsula Scientific Expedition Wet Season 1992 Report 2:247-259.</ref> |
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===Reproduction=== |
===Reproduction=== |
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Breeding receptivity in the yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat begins in August when the right [[uterine horn]] increases in diameter, achieving maximum size in November.<ref name="Chimimba" /> A single offspring is produced between December and March, with [[mammary glands]] regressing by the end of May.<ref name="RhodesHall" /><ref name="Chimimba" /> |
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===Flight=== |
===Flight=== |
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Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bats have a distinctive flight behaviour characterised by a fast, straight-line flight path with slow wing beats.<ref name="ReardonFlavel" /> This distinctive flight pattern combined with the light |
Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bats have a distinctive flight behaviour characterised by a fast, straight-line flight path with slow wing beats.<ref name="ReardonFlavel" /> This distinctive flight pattern combined with the light-coloured fur of the ventral underside make the species easy to identify in flight.<ref name="RhodesHall" /> The long, narrow wing shape and large body mass of the species allow for rapid flight with low maneuverability, making it best suited to canopy level and open-space flight.<ref name="RhodesHall" /><ref name="ReardonFlavel" /> |
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===Physiology=== |
===Physiology=== |
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The yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat is a [[nocturnal]] species that appears to be most active at least one hour after dark, but only maintains this activity briefly for a few hours.<ref name="RhodesHall" /> Many |
The yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat is a [[nocturnal]] species that appears to be most active at least one hour after dark, but only maintains this activity briefly for a few hours.<ref name="RhodesHall" /> Many Emballonuridae species have been shown to conserve energy through prolonged states of [[torpor]].<ref name="Geiser">{{Cite journal |
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| pmid = 19578825 |
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| year = 2009 |
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| last1 = Geiser |
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| first1 = F |
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| title = Hibernation and daily torpor minimize mammalian extinctions |
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| journal = Naturwissenschaften |
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| volume = 96 |
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| issue = 10 |
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| pages = 1235–40 |
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| last2 = Turbill |
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| first2 = C |
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| doi = 10.1007/s00114-009-0583-0 |
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| bibcode = 2009NW.....96.1235G |
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| s2cid = 11344266 |
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}}</ref> |
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===Behaviour |
===Behaviour and communication=== |
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Like all microbats, the yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat communicates using [[Animal echolocation|echolocation]], with only some sounds audible to the range of human hearing. Observational recordings have shown specific sequences of sounds to be associated with different behaviours, such as foraging, prey acquisition, and [[territoriality]].<ref name="RhodesHall" /> This species has been observed engaging in [[Intraspecific competition|intraspecific]] aerial displays of aggression.<ref name="Churchill" /><ref name="RhodesHall" /> |
Like all microbats, the yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat communicates using [[Animal echolocation|echolocation]], with only some sounds audible to the range of human hearing. Observational recordings have shown specific sequences of sounds to be associated with different behaviours, such as foraging, prey acquisition, and [[territoriality]].<ref name="RhodesHall" /> This species has been observed engaging in [[Intraspecific competition|intraspecific]] aerial displays of aggression.<ref name="Churchill" /><ref name="RhodesHall" /> |
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==Conservation== |
==Conservation== |
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Though infrequently encountered, the conservation status of the yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat is categorised as of |
Though infrequently encountered, the conservation status of the yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat is categorised as of least concern, because the species is both widespread and versatile in its habitat selection, thus is considered unlikely to decline rapidly.<ref>McKenzie, N. and Pennay, M. 2008. Saccolaimus flaviventris. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.2. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 12 October 2014.</ref> Conservation status at the state level is more cautious, most likely due to insufficient population data. In NSW, the species is listed as vulnerable under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995,<ref name="OEH" /> in South Australia as rare under the [[National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972]],<ref name="Atlas">[http://bie.ala.org.au/species/Saccolaimus%20flaviventris# Atlas of Living Australia] Accessed 7 October 2014.</ref> and in Victoria as threatened under the provisions of Part 3 of the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.<ref>[http://www.depi.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0019/210439/Advisory-List-of-Threatened-Vertebrate-Fauna_FINAL-2013.pdf Advisory List of Threatened Vertebrate Fauna in Victoria]. 2013, The State of Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment, accessed 7 October 2014</ref> |
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The main threats to conservation of the yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat are habitat loss, particularly of old |
The main threats to conservation of the yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat are habitat loss, particularly of old-growth trees, disturbance to roosting sites, and prey depletion or secondary poisoning as a result of pesticides and herbicides.<ref name="OEH" /><ref name="DickmanETAL" /> |
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== |
==References== |
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{{Reflist}} |
{{Reflist}} |
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== |
==Further reading== |
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* Chiroptera Specialist Group 1996. [http://www.iucnredlist.org/search/details.php/19799/all ''Saccolaimus flaviventris'']. [http://www.iucnredlist.org 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.] Downloaded on 10 July 2007. |
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* Barrett, Janine L. (2004) "Australian Bat Lyssavirus." PhD thesis, The University of Queensland. [http://era.deedi.qld.gov.au/1390/ Australian Bat Lyssavirus - DAFF eResearch Archive (eRA)] |
* Barrett, Janine L. (2004) "Australian Bat Lyssavirus." PhD thesis, The University of Queensland. [http://era.deedi.qld.gov.au/1390/ Australian Bat Lyssavirus - DAFF eResearch Archive (eRA)] |
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{{Emballonuridae}} |
{{Emballonuridae}} |
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{{Taxonbar|from=Q1824549}} |
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[[Category:Taxa named by Wilhelm Peters]] |
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[[Category:Bats of Australia]] |
[[Category:Bats of Australia]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Emballonuridae]] |
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[[Category:Mammals of New South Wales]] |
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[[Category:Mammals of Queensland]] |
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[[Category:Mammals of South Australia]] |
[[Category:Mammals of South Australia]] |
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[[Category:Mammals of the Northern Territory]] |
[[Category:Mammals of the Northern Territory]] |
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[[Category:Mammals of |
[[Category:Mammals of Victoria (state)]] |
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[[Category:Mammals of |
[[Category:Mammals of Western Australia]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:Bats of New Guinea]] |
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| ⚫ | |||
{{bat-stub}} |
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{{WesternAustralia-stub}} |
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Latest revision as of 02:05, 16 December 2023
| Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Emballonuridae |
| Genus: | Saccolaimus |
| Species: | S. flaviventris
|
| Binomial name | |
| Saccolaimus flaviventris | |
| |
| Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat range | |
The yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat[3] (Saccolaimus flaviventris), also known as the yellow-bellied sheathtail or yellow-bellied pouched bat, is a microbat species of the family Emballonuridae found extensively in Australia and less commonly in parts of Papua New Guinea.[4][5]
Although found throughout most parts of Australia, very little is known about its ecology due to the small size, nocturnal activity, and general elusiveness of most microbat species, making them difficult to study.[6][7][8] They are sometimes mistaken for the endangered and less widely distributed bare-rumped sheathtail bat where the two species occur sympatrically, as well as other similar Emballonuridae species, but upon inspection are quite distinct and easily identified.[6][9][10]
At present, the yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat is the only member of the Microchiroptera that has been positively identified as a carrier of Australian bat lyssavirus.[11]
Taxonomy
[edit]The first description of the species was provided by Wilhelm Peters in 1867,[2] using a specimen that G. R. Waterhouse had proved to John Gould.[12] The yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat belongs to the suborder Microchiroptera, or insectivorous microbats, and is the largest Australian member of the family Emballonuridae.[6] The Emballonuridae are distinguished by a partially membrane-enclosed tail that projects into a sheath, hence the descriptive term sheathtail, and is represented by eight known Australian species.[5] Within Australia, the family is divided into two genera: Taphozous and Saccolaimus, the latter of which the yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat is one of only four known representatives worldwide.[13]
Description
[edit]The yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat is quite large with a mean body weight of 44 g that ranges from 28 to 60 g, and a mean head-body length of 81.8 mm that ranges from 72.3-91.9 mm.[5][8] It has distinct fur colouration, with the dorsal back being a shiny jet black and the ventral underside a contrasting creamy white.[5][6] Males of the species have a distinctive gular throat pouch that is believed to play a role in territorial marking.[6][14][15] The throat pouch is absent in females, which instead have naked folds of skin around their throats.[14] Unlike many other sheathtails, this species does not have a wing pouch in either sex.[5]
Other distinguishing features of the yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat are a flattened head and sharply pointed muzzle,[16] a mean forearm length of 74–77 mm,[5][6] and a mean outer canine width of 6.4 mm.[5]
Distribution and habitat
[edit]The yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat appears to be wide-ranging, occurring across most parts of eastern and northern Australia,[17] though in what densities remains uncertain due to the difficulties associated with capture and detection of the species.[7][8] Much of the distribution understanding of this species has developed as a result of incidental sightings,[18][19] such as one record from central western Queensland that was taken from a mummified bat found on a barbed-wire fence.[20] Though most common throughout the tropical regions of their range,[5] yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bats are known to occur regularly in semi-arid environments including the Mallee region of north-western Victoria,[18] Gundabooka National Park in northwestern New South Wales,[19] and central-western Queensland.[20] This species likely migrates into its southerly range during summer, with seasonal records placing bats in most parts of Victoria, southwestern New South Wales, and the adjacent regions of South Australia.[16] Though less common, two specimens of yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bats have been found in Papua New Guinea, one in the National Capital District and the other in Central Province.[4][8]
This species occupies most wooded habitats, including both wet and dry sclerophyll forest, mallee and Acacia shrubland, desert, and open woodland.[5][7] They are a hollow-roosting species, so tend to be found in proximity of adequate old-growth trees.[21]
Ecology
[edit]Roosting habits
[edit]Few studies have been carried out to determine the specific roosting habits of this species.[6] Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bats are a cavity-roosting species and are generally reliant on old-growth forest hollows.[21] However, they have been known to opportunistically use abandoned animal burrows and human structures, and roost under dry clay and rock, though generally only solitary bats have been observed to do this.[5][16]
Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bats are mostly solitary, occasionally nesting in small, mixed-sex colonies of two to 10 individuals.[5][8] A notable exception to this observation is the Brightview colony, found in southeast Queensland in 1996. The colony was discovered by accident during the felling of an old tree, and consisted of 29 individuals – the largest colony of yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bats recorded.[6]
Seasonality
[edit]Though no confirmatory studies have been carried out, yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bats may be migratory based on local records that show the species occurring only at specific times of year.[7][8] Though specific seasonal movements are unknown, observations have suggested migratory movements to the cooler southern Australian ranges during the summer.[5][16] The possibility of seasonal migration is supported by studies of long, narrow wing shape in the species that appears suited to migration[6] and the seasonal appearance of apparently exhausted bats in Victoria and South Australia.[5][6]
Diet and foraging
[edit]Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bats are canopy feeders, meaning that they are capable of fast flight, but inefficient at rapid maneuvering. They generally feed at heights of 20–25 m, unless feeding in open spaces or at forest edges, where they forage lower.[5][6][16] Studies of stomach contents have found Orthoptera (grasshopper), Coleoptera (beetle), and Hemiptera (true bug) species, with beetles making up the bulk of the diet.[22][23]
Reproduction
[edit]Breeding receptivity in the yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat begins in August when the right uterine horn increases in diameter, achieving maximum size in November.[14] A single offspring is produced between December and March, with mammary glands regressing by the end of May.[6][14]
Flight
[edit]Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bats have a distinctive flight behaviour characterised by a fast, straight-line flight path with slow wing beats.[7] This distinctive flight pattern combined with the light-coloured fur of the ventral underside make the species easy to identify in flight.[6] The long, narrow wing shape and large body mass of the species allow for rapid flight with low maneuverability, making it best suited to canopy level and open-space flight.[6][7]
Physiology
[edit]The yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat is a nocturnal species that appears to be most active at least one hour after dark, but only maintains this activity briefly for a few hours.[6] Many Emballonuridae species have been shown to conserve energy through prolonged states of torpor.[24]
Behaviour and communication
[edit]Like all microbats, the yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat communicates using echolocation, with only some sounds audible to the range of human hearing. Observational recordings have shown specific sequences of sounds to be associated with different behaviours, such as foraging, prey acquisition, and territoriality.[6] This species has been observed engaging in intraspecific aerial displays of aggression.[5][6]
Conservation
[edit]Though infrequently encountered, the conservation status of the yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat is categorised as of least concern, because the species is both widespread and versatile in its habitat selection, thus is considered unlikely to decline rapidly.[25] Conservation status at the state level is more cautious, most likely due to insufficient population data. In NSW, the species is listed as vulnerable under the Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995,[16] in South Australia as rare under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972,[26] and in Victoria as threatened under the provisions of Part 3 of the Victorian Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988.[27]
The main threats to conservation of the yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat are habitat loss, particularly of old-growth trees, disturbance to roosting sites, and prey depletion or secondary poisoning as a result of pesticides and herbicides.[16][17]
References
[edit]- ^ Armstrong, K.N.; Lumsden, L.F. (2021) [amended version of 2017 assessment]. "Saccolaimus flaviventris". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2021: e.T19799A209538418. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T19799A209538418.en. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ^ a b Peters, W. (1867). "On Taphozous flaviventris, Gould, a new Species of Bat from Australia". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1866: 417–556. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.1866.tb00426.x.
- ^ Van Dyke, S. and Strahan, R. (eds.) (2008) The Mammals of Australia, 3rd Edition, New Holland / Queensland Museum, Brisbane ISBN 978-1-877069-25-3
- ^ a b Flannery, T. F. 1995. The Mammals of New Guinea, 2nd edition. Reed Books, Sydney, Australia.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Churchill, Sue. 2008. Australian bats, 2nd ed. Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, NSW.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Rhodes, M. P., and Hall, L. S. 1997. Observations on Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bats Saccoliamus flaviventris (Peters, 1867)(Chiroptera: Emballonuridae). Australian Zoologist 30:351-357.
- ^ a b c d e f Reardon, T. B., and Flavel, S. C. 1987. A guide to the bats of South Australia. South Australian Museum.
- ^ a b c d e f Richards, G. C. 2008. Yellow-bellied Sheath-tailed Bat, Saccolaimus flaviventris. In: S. Van Dyck and R. Strahan (eds), The mammals of Australia. Third Edition, pp. 472-473. Reed New Holland, Sydney, Australia.
- ^ Schulz, M. and Thomson, B. 2007. National recovery plan for the bare-rumped sheathtail bat Saccolaimus saccolaimus nudicluniatus . Report to Department of the Environment and Water Resources, Canberra. Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Brisbane.
- ^ Milne, D. J., Jackling, F. C., Sidhu, M., and Appleto B. R. 2009. Shedding new light on old species identifications: morphological and genetic evidence suggest a need for conservation status review of the critically endangered bat, Saccolaimus saccolaimus. Wildlife research 36:496-508.
- ^ Barrett, J. L. 2004. Australian Bat Lyssavirus. PhD Thesis, School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland.
- ^ Ramsay, E.P. (1879). "Contributions to the zoology of New Guinea. Parts I and II". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 3: 241–305 [243]. doi:10.5962/bhl.part.22241.
- ^ Troughton, E. Le G. 1925. A revision of the genera Taphozous and Saccolaimus (Chiroptera) in Australia and New Guinea, including a new species, and a note on two Malayan forms. Records of the Australian Museum 14:313-341
- ^ a b c d Chimimba, C.T. and Kitchener, D.J. 1987. Breeding in the Australian yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat, Saccolaimus flaviventris (Peters, 1867) (Chiroptera Emballonuridae). Records – Western Australian Museum 13:241-248.
- ^ Hall, L. S. and Gordon. G. 1982. The throat-pouch of the yellow-bellied bat, Taphozous flaviventris. Mammalia 46:247-252
- ^ a b c d e f g Yellow-bellied sheath-tailed bat – profile, Office of Environment and Heritage, accessed 7 October 2014
- ^ a b Dickman, C. R., Pressey, R. L., Lim, L., and Parnaby, H. E. 1993. Mammals of particular conservation concern in the Western Division of New South Wales. Biological Conservation 65:219-248.
- ^ a b Lumsden, I. F. and Bennet, A. F. 1995. Bats of a semi-arid environment in south-eastern Australia: biogeography, ecology and conservation. Wildlife Research 22:217-239.
- ^ a b Pennay, M. n.d. Ecological study of the endangered bristle-nosed bat (Mormopterus ‘species 6’) and survey of Microchiropteran bats in Gundabooka National Park - Report for NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service Upper Darling Region. NSW Department of Environment & Conservation.
- ^ a b Young, R. A. and Ford, G. I. 2000. Bat fauna of a semi-arid environment in central western Queensland, Australia. Wildlife Research 27:203-215.
- ^ a b Hall, L. S. and Richards, G. C. 1979. Bats of eastern Australia. Queensland Museum, Brisbane.
- ^ Vestjens, W. J. M. and Hall, L. S. 1977. Stomach contents of forty-two species of bats from the Australasian region. Wildlife Research 4:25-35.
- ^ Coles, R. B. and Lumsden, L. 1993. Report on the survey of bats in the Heathlands area of Cape York Peninsula. Cape York Peninsula Scientific Expedition Wet Season 1992 Report 2:247-259.
- ^ Geiser, F; Turbill, C (2009). "Hibernation and daily torpor minimize mammalian extinctions". Naturwissenschaften. 96 (10): 1235–40. Bibcode:2009NW.....96.1235G. doi:10.1007/s00114-009-0583-0. PMID 19578825. S2CID 11344266.
- ^ McKenzie, N. and Pennay, M. 2008. Saccolaimus flaviventris. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2014.2. www.iucnredlist.org. Downloaded on 12 October 2014.
- ^ Atlas of Living Australia Accessed 7 October 2014.
- ^ Advisory List of Threatened Vertebrate Fauna in Victoria. 2013, The State of Victoria Department of Sustainability and Environment, accessed 7 October 2014
Further reading
[edit]- Barrett, Janine L. (2004) "Australian Bat Lyssavirus." PhD thesis, The University of Queensland. Australian Bat Lyssavirus - DAFF eResearch Archive (eRA)