Observations of a large colony of bats roosting in a church
Ken J. Sanderson A C , Gillian Napier A and Greg R. Johnston A BA School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia.
B Royal Zoological Society of South Australia, Frome Road, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: ken.sanderson@flinders.edu.au
Australian Mammalogy 32(2) 161-163 https://doi.org/10.1071/AM10008
Submitted: 26 February 2010 Accepted: 19 May 2010 Published: 5 August 2010
Abstract
The nightly and seasonal activity patterns of a large colony of bats roosting in a country church are described. In summer 400–700 bats from two species – southern freetail bat (Mormopterus sp. 4) and chocolate wattled bat (Chalinolobus morio) – left the roost beginning around civil twilight. Bats emerged at a rate of up to 40–50 min–1, and took 30 min or longer to clear the roost.
Acknowledgements
We thank Janet Sanderson, Jay Johnston, Stephanie Shepheard and Colin Stenson who accompanied us on some trips to the bat roost, Jill Rohrlach who provided historical details of the church building, and Terry Reardon and two reviewers for comments on the manuscript.
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