Range and abundance
Golden-tipped Bats occur along the east coast of Australia from Cape York to southern NSW. They are also found in Papua New Guinea.
Description
The Golden-tipped Bat is a distinctively coloured bat with dark brown curly fur, each hair having a bright golden tip. The fur extends along the wing bones, legs and tail, including the tail membrane. The tail is longer than the combined length of the head and body. It has a long thin upper teeth that are grooved and fit into pockets in the lower lip. Adults weigh approximately 5-8 g and have a wingspan around 25 cm.
Ecology
Golden-tipped Bats inhabit rainforest and adjacent wet sclerophyll forest up to about 1000 m altitude. It is a specialist feeder on web-building spiders; although its diet extends to beetles, moths and flies. It forages in the dense tangled vegetation of rainforest and adjacent sclerophyll forest where web-weaving spiders are common. The bats mainly roost in abandoned bird nests, particularly Yellow-throated Scrubwrens and Brown Gerygones, chewing out the bottom of the nest and climbing inside.
Golden-tipped Bats inhabit rainforest and adjacent wet sclerophyll forest up to about 1000 m altitude. It is a specialist feeder on web-building spiders; although its diet extends to beetles, moths and flies. It forages in the dense tangled vegetation of rainforest and adjacent sclerophyll forest where web-weaving spiders are common. The bats mainly roost in abandoned bird nests, particularly Yellow-throated Scrubwrens and Brown Gerygones, chewing out the bottom of the nest and climbing inside.
Threats
The main threat to the Golden-tipped Bat is loss of rainforest and associated wet sclerophyll forest. Their dependency on abandoned bird nests as roost sites may mean that the presence of Yellow-throated Scrubwrens, Brown Gerygones and Large-billed Gerygones is critical to their survival.
What is AWC doing?
AWC protects the habitat of the Golden-tipped Bat at Curramore, Mount Zero – Taravale and Brooklyn. AWC implements fire management to reduce the potential impacts of wildfire on rainforest habitat. At Curramore, AWC is restoring forest cover to disturbed and cleared areas that have been invaded by lantana. This program will increase the area of habitat for rainforest species such as the Golden-tipped Bat on Curramore. On Mount Zero – Taravale, AWC is restoring wet sclerophyll forest subject to ‘woody thickening’ and invasion by lantana.
Name: Golden-tipped Bat (Phoniscus papuensis)
Family: Vespertilionidae (Evening bats)
Conservation status: Near Threatened in QLD
Surviving population: Unknown
Found on AWC sanctuaries:
Curramore, Mount Zero-Taravale and Brooklyn Wildlife Sanctuaries
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Did you know:
The Golden-tipped Bat will fly up the web of an orb-weaving spider and use its echolocation capabilities to determine which side of the web the spider is on. It will then fly to the spider’s side of the web, opening its mouth wide to pluck the spider from the web.
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