| Finlayson's cave bat | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Chiroptera |
| Family: | Vespertilionidae |
| Genus: | Vespadelus |
| Species: | V. finlaysoni |
| Binomial name | |
| Vespadelus finlaysoni | |
| Synonyms | |
Eptesicus finlaysoni | |
Finlayson's cave bat (Vespadelus finlaysoni) is a species of vesper bat found only in Australia.
The description of Vespadelus finlaysoni was first published in 1987, separated as a new species in a revision of the genus Eptesicus . [2] The population had been included with Vespadelus pumilus , then placed as Pipistrellus (Vespadelus) pumilis in 1993 and 1994 revisions, but reëlevated to species status in 1997. [3] The publication in conservation listings had used the name Eptesicus finlaysoni, synonymous with the later combination. The holotype was collected at Cossack, Western Australia. [4] This specimen, an adult male, was obtained from the roof of the Customs House (altitude 5 metres asl) by N.L. McKenzie on 7 August 1984 and deposited at the Western Australian Museum (WAM M22407). [2]
Common names have included the inland—or Finlayson's—cave bat, [5] or little cave eptesicus and little brown bat. The epithet and appellation is given for the South Australian field researcher and mammalogist H. H. Finlayson, noted for his research in the regions inhabited by the species. [2]
A small microbat, weighing 3 to 7 grams with a forearm length of 30 to 37 millimetres. The fur at the back is dark brown, the ventral side is a lighter shade. [6] The brown of the dorsal side becomes blackish in parts and is tinged with red, the colour of the skin is also very dark. [5] The bare parts of the face and the wing membranes are dark in colour. The face is typically unadorned, lacking distinguishing features, and they superficially resemble many of the species of the genus. The glans penis is pointed toward the end and rod-shaped. [6]
The measurements of V. finlaysoni for the head and body combined are 34 to 46 mm, forearm precisely 29.8 to 36.7 mm, tail 31 to 42 mm long, and the ear from the notch to tip is 9 to 13 mm; the average weight is 4.3 g for a measured range of 2.8 to 6.3 grams. [5]
The penis morphology and reddish colour of the fur distinguish Vespadelus finlaysoni from similar species. Resembling the northern species Vespadelus caurinus , this species is however larger and their range does not intersect. [5]
The flight of the species is fluttery and rapid, sharply turning as it forages over water. [7]
Vespadelus finlaysoni form colonies that occupy caves or cavities with rocky terrain, and will take residence in abandoned mining operations. They forage for prey near water. [5] They may be observed cohabiting with other bats, species of Saccolaimus (sheathtail bats), or with the ghost bat Macroderma gigas which also known to prey on this bat. [7]
The species reproduces with single or twin births. The maternal season is most of the year in the north of the range, becoming restricted in the south to November to December. [5] The bats are insectgivorous.
Vespadelus finlaysoni is a widely distributed species of the genus Vespadelus. [7] They are found across the west and central regions of the Australian continent. [4] The species is closely associated with rocky outcrops and ranges. They occur inland from the coast in the west, across the arid interior to tropical grasslands at Cape York Peninsula. [5] They roost in caves, cliffs, or other suitable crevices. [1]
The species is listed as least concern in Queensland and Northern Territory state conservation listings. [8]
The ghost bat is a species of bat found in northern Australia. The species is the only Australian bat that preys on large vertebrates – birds, reptiles and other mammals – which they detect using acute sight and hearing, combined with echolocation, while waiting in ambush at a perch. The wing membrane and bare skin is pale in colour, their fur is light or dark grey over the back and paler at the front. The species has a prominent and simple nose-leaf, their large ears are elongated and joined at lower half, and the eyes are also large and dark in colour. The first description of the species was published in 1880, its recorded range has significantly contracted since that time.
The chocolate wattled bat, species Chalinolobus morio, is a bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found only in Australia, including the island Tasmania, and widespread in southern regions. It is known to reside from sea level to at least 1,570 metres (5,150 ft) in Victoria.
Rüppell's or the greater broad-nosed bat is a species of vespertilionid microbat found in eastern Australia.
The northern broad-nosed bat is a species of the vespertilionid family of microbats. It can be found in northern Australia, Timor-Leste, and Papua New Guinea.
Nyctophilus geoffroyi is a vespertilionid bat, a flying nocturnal mammal found in Australia, The species is relatively common. They have been referred to as the lesser long-eared bat.
The pygmy long-eared bat is a vesper bat, found in the north of the Australian continent. An insectivorous flying hunter, they are one of the tiniest mammals in Australia, weighing only a few grams and one or two inches long.
The western false pipistrelle, species Falsistrellus mackenziei, is a vespertilionid bat that occurs in Southwest Australia. The population is declining due to loss of its habitat, old growth in tall eucalypt forest which has largely been clear felled for tree plantations, wheat cultivation and urbanisation. Although it is one of the largest Australian bats of the family, the species was not recorded or described until the early 1960s. A darkly colored bat with reddish brown fur and prominent ears, they fly rapidly around the upper canopy of trees in pursuit of flying insects.
The inland forest bat is a vesper bat that occurs in central and arid regions in Australia. They were first described in 1987, published in a review of poorly surveyed microbat populations. A tiny flying mammal, whose body is around twelve millimetres (½ inch) long, that occupies small cavities in trees and buildings while roosting. The nocturnal activity is foraging for insects, typically moths.
Vespadelus is a genus of Australian bats in the family Vespertilionidae.
The northern cave bat is a vesper bat that occurs throughout most of Australia.
The large forest bat is a common vesper bat found in southeast Australia, Tasmania, and Lord Howe Island.
The yellow-lipped cave bat is a vesper bat that only occurs in the Kimberley region of northwest Australia. The bat was first captured at Tunnel Creek in 1958 and a description published nearly twenty years later. Aside from observations of their physical characteristics, a preference for caves, and hunting insects over streams, little is known of the species.
The southern forest bat is a vesper bat found in Australia.
The fawn leaf-nosed bat is a species of bat in the family Hipposideridae found in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vanuatu.
The smaller horseshoe bat is a species of bat in the family Rhinolophidae. It is found in Australia and Papua New Guinea.
Ozimops kitcheneri, the south-western free-tailed bat, is a species of molossid bat found in Southwest Australia. A small flying mammal, it forages in forests and woodlands for insects.
Nyctophilus major, referred to as a western long-eared bat, is a species found in forests and woodlands of Southwest Australia.
Ozimops lumsdenae is a species of molossid bat found in Australia, the largest of the genus Ozimops.
Ozimops cobourgianus is a species of molossid bat, insectivorous flying mammals known as freetail bats, which are found in north and west coastal regions of Australia. First described in 1959, the group were later recognised as species Mormopterus cobourgianus and soon placed with a new genus. They are associated with mangrove habitat and roost in the hollows of those trees, and known to seek food there and in eucalypt or melaleuca woodland or other coastal habitat. A smaller bat of genus Ozimops, O. cobourgianus are around fifty millimetres long and weigh six to ten grams. Little is known of their habits.
Ozimops halli, also referred to as the Cape York free-tailed bat, is a species of molossid bat found at the Cape York Peninsula in Australia.
