Australia has some amazing wildlife, and bats are no exception.
There are over 60 species of bats in Australia, covering many different habitats.
The Australian Bat Clinic (ABC) was established to monitor their populations and assist in their conservation.
Find out more about the different types of bats in Australia.
By pollinating trees, spreading seeds, and consuming millions of insects each night, bats contribute to the ecosystem in several ways.
The large-footed bat is also among the different types of bats in Australia. It is the only type of bat in Australia that can catch fish for food.
Their fur varies from dark grey to reddish brown. However, bright orange and partial albinism have been observed.
These bats roost in caves, mines, and stormwater drains near permanent water.
Large-footed bats prefer low-lying, undulating vegetation to cleared areas. Colonies have less than 15 members. They consume small fish, shrimp, and aquatic macroinvertebrates.
Additionally, they will hunt flying insects that gather near bodies of water.
Long-winged bats are typically small with broad, short muzzles. They can fold back an exceptionally long third finger when the wings are folded.
However, this species is critically endangered and has declined over the past few years.
Megadermatids are medium-sized to big bats with a head and body length of 6.5 to 14cm.
These false vampires are quite distinctive in appearance, with long, erect noseleaves and huge ears.
The huge noseleaf amplifies the sound like a megaphone when making an echolocation call.
Furthermore, megadermatid wings are short and broad, covering a relatively large area. With this kind of wing, good mobility is possible. The second wing digit only has one phalanx, whereas the third has two.
Despite their common name, none of the megadermatids consume blood. Instead, they all feed on insects or small vertebrates.
The small vertebrate animals that the carnivorous species eat include frogs, fish, lizards, birds, mice, and other bats.
One species (Cardioderma cor) uses passive echolocation to listen for prey and swoop down on the unsuspecting beetle, centipede, scorpion, or small bat.
This family of bats makes their homes in trees, buildings, caves, and rock crevices. Roosting habits vary from colonial to solitary.
Lavia frons is one species that seems to be monogamous. A monogamous mating system is uncommon in bats and mammals in general.
Little Pied Bats are one of the different types of bats in Australia. It is a black and white bat that weighs between four and eight grams.
The head and body are around 4.5 cm long, while the tail is about 3.5 cm. Their fur is glossy black on the back and gray on the belly.
Little pies bats occur in forests, open woodlands, cypress pine forests, and Bimbil box woodlands. They roost in caves, mine shafts, tree hollows, tunnels, and buildings.
In addition, they can tolerate high temperatures and dryness but require access to open water. They eat moths and other flying invertebrates.
These bats are also on the list of the different types of bats in Australia.
The wings of the bare-backed fruit bats are linked to the body along the back rather than the sides. This gives the impression that they have no hair on their back, hence their name.
These bats are the only Australian megabats that roost in a cave. Around 100 bats gather in very dark places such as caves, abandoned mines, buildings, and under heaps of big rocks and thick vegetation.
The bare-backed fruit bat feeds on the pollen and nectar of native trees. It also consumes introduced species, such as banana flowers.
Western false pipistrelles are also among the different types of bats in Australia. These bats are fast, direct, high fliers captured 8 meters above the ground in the forest.
They feed on flying insects caught in the spaces between canopies and the understory of forest trees.
Most emballonurids are grey or brown. However, this family also includes whitish ghost bats and bats with two white stripes along the back.
Emballonurid bats shelter in caves, leaves, rocky crevices, ruins, houses, trees, and hollow logs. In addition, their roosts are more exposed than other bat families.
Some emballonurids live in year-round stable harems of one to eight females in a territory patrolled by the males.
This is referred to as resource defense polygyny. Other members of this family live alone or in colonies.
