Golden-tipped bat
| Golden-tipped bat | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Vespertilionidae |
| Genus: | Kerivoula |
| Species: | K. papuensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Kerivoula papuensis Dobson, 1878 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Kerivoula papuensis (Dobson, 1878) | |
The Golden-tipped bat (Kerivoula papuensis) is a species of Microchiropteran in the family Vespertilionidae.[1] It is commonly found in Papua New Guinea and Australia. Especially, golden-tipped bat is scattered along the eastern part of Australia.[2] The golden-tipped bat is considered as rare and uncommon species.[3] The species is on the list of endangered species in Australia.[4]
Description
The Golden-tipped bat (Kerivoula papuensis) is included in a big genus which has range from small to medium-sized bats.[3] The golden-tipped bat has brown color and broken color patterns on its pelage.[2][4] Body is covered with woolly fur.[4] Broken color pattern gives an advantage of crypsis ability to the golden-tipped bat.[4] Thick pelage and wooly fur helps golden-tipped bat to have increased insulation.[4] The average weight of adult is 6.7g.[4]
Wing of the golden-tipped bat has a low aspect ratio with low wing loading. Low aspect ratio of wing indicates that the wing is broad. The features of wings can make the golden-tipped bat to fly slowly.[5][6] Additionally, this species has large tail membrane so broad wing and tail membrane help golden-tipped bat to turn tightly when they are flying.[5][6] Round wing tips is another feature of wing and it is related with high maneuverability.[5][6]
The golden-tipped bat also use echolocation for foraging. The sweep of the echolocation by the golden-tipped bats is about 155 kHz to 60 kHz.[5]
Habitat & Ecology
Majority of data about the golden tipped bats have been recorded in Australia and Papua New Guinea.[2] Recently, from the distributed areas of western coast of Australia, scientist could capture more species than the past(1980's~90's) by using developed techniques such as sonar detection system.[2] Predominantly, golden-tipped bat has been recorded in a variety of rainforest sites or wet sclerophyll forest.[2] Also a small number of individual records in dry sclerophyll forest. They live at elevation up to 1,000m.[2]
Roosting
A roost is important resource for the golden-tipped bat.[4] The golden-tipped bat makes diurnal roosts ranging from 0.5 to 9.0m above the ground.[4] They are roosting on the branches of the tree or tree hollows.[4] Females bat uses canopy tree for a maternity site.[4] This site helps female to lactate.[4] The large numbers of diurnal roosts are taken by single males or females and some group roosts are bigger than the single roosts.[4] Roosts and the pelage with broken color patterns make the species possible to camouflage from the predators.[4]
Diet & foraging strategies
Diet
Araneida such as orb-weaver and big-jawed spiders is main food of golden-tipped bat.[5] Most particles between the species' teeth and fur are body pieces of Araneida.[5] Araneida can be consumed by golden-tipped bat in both wet and dry seasons.[5] Even though Araneida is a major food of golden-tipped bat, golden-tipped bats also consume insects which belong to coleoptera (beetle) and lepidoptera (insect).[5]
Foraging strategies
The golden-tipped bat uses foraging strategies to hunt preys. One is ground gleaning so the golden-tipped bat catch the preys which are on the ground.[5] The other one is hover-gleaning strategy so they fly slowly and take preys which are on the elevated places such as high tree trunks.[5] The last one is using echolocation. The golden tipped bat use broad bandwidth echolocation to find precise localization of a target. Additionally, they use high frequencies echolocation to find the stationary prey such as spider staying in quiet web.[5]
References
- ↑ Parnaby, H; Mills, D (December 1994). "A Record of the Gold-tipped Bat from the Escarpment Forests". Austrafian Zoologist 29: 3–4.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The Action Plan for Australian Bats". Environment Australia.
- 1 2 SCHULZ, M (1995). "Utilisation of suspended bird nests by the Golden-tipped Bat (kerivoula papuensis) in Australia". mammalia 59 (2): 280–283.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Schulz, M. "Roosts used by the golden-tipped bat Kerivoula papuensis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)". J. Zoology Journal of Zoology 250 (17 May 1999): 467–478.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 SCHULZ, MARTIN. "DIET AND FORAGING BEHAVIOR OF THE GOLDEN-TIPPED BAT,". Journal of Mammalogy 81 (20 March 2000): 948–957.
- 1 2 3 Rhodes, Martin (1995). "Wing Morphology and Flight Behaviour of the Golden-tipped Bat, Phoniscus papuensis(Dobson) (Chiroptera:Vespertilionidae)". Australia.Z.Zoo 43: 657–63.