Activity and roosting of the eastern blossom-bat ('Syconycteris australis')

Title
Activity and roosting of the eastern blossom-bat ('Syconycteris australis')
Publication Date
2014
Author(s)
Drury, Rebecca
Geiser, Fritz
( author )
OrcID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7621-5049
Email: fgeiser@une.edu.au
UNE Id une-id:fgeiser
Type of document
Journal Article
Language
en
Entity Type
Publication
Publisher
CSIRO Publishing
Place of publication
Australia
DOI
10.1071/AM13025
UNE publication id
une:16565
Abstract
We quantified activity patterns, foraging times and roost selection in the eastern blossom-bat ('Syconycteris australis') (body mass 17.6 g) in coastal northern New South Wales in winter using radio-telemetry. Bats roosted either in rainforest near their foraging site of flowering coast banksia ('Banksia integrifolia') and commuted only km ('n' = 8), whereas others roosted km ('n' = 4) away in wet sclerophyll forest. Most bats roosted in rainforest foliage, but in the wet sclerophyll forest cabbage palm leaves ('Livistonia australis') were preferred roosts, which likely reflects behavioural thermoregulation by bats. Foraging commenced 44±22 min after sunset in rainforest-roosting bats, whereas bats that roosted further away and likely flew over canopies/open ground to reach their foraging site left later, especially a female roosting with her likely young (~4 h after sunset). Bats returned to their roosts 64±12 min before sunrise. Our study shows that 'S. australis' is capable of commuting considerable distances between appropriate roost and foraging sites when nectar is abundant. Bats appear to vary foraging times appropriately to minimise exposure to predators and to undertake parental care.
Link
Citation
Australian Mammalogy, 36(1), p. 29-34
ISSN
1836-7402
0310-0049
Start page
29
End page
34

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