Seasonal occupancy of abandoned mines by cave-dwelling bats in the western Blue Mountains, New South Wales
Elizabeth R. Williams
Centre for Mined Land Rehabilitation, Sustainable Minerals Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld 4072, Australia. Email: drelizabethrwilliams@gmail.com
Australian Journal of Zoology 67(6) 301-304 https://doi.org/10.1071/ZO20059
Submitted: 8 July 2020 Accepted: 3 November 2020 Published: 26 November 2020
Abstract
Cave-dwelling microbats are known to occupy abandoned mines, which can be important habitat for threatened species. Surveys and monitoring between 2012 and 2014 in Mugii Murum-ban State Conservation Area identified use of three adits from historic mine workings by three species: Chalinolobus dwyeri, Miniopterus orianae oceanensis and Rhinolophus megaphyllus. One of the adits is a potential small maternity roost for the threatened M. o. oceanensis, as indicated by captures of pregnant females in December 2014, as well as increased emergence counts and call activity in spring compared with autumn. While there were some signs of reproducing R. megaphyllus at the adits (a single pregnant female in late October, and postlactating females and juveniles in February) the complete absence of females during December trapping indicated otherwise. Use of the three adits was typical for roost and access preferences of the species, with only R. megaphyllus occupying a doored adit and all species recorded at a large unobstructed adit, and a shallow adit likely only used as a night roost by all species.
Keywords: bentwing bat, conservation, echolocation, horseshoe bat, mining, pied bat, subterranean microbats.
References
Churchill, S. (2008). ‘Australian Bats.’ (Allen and Unwin: Crows Nest, NSW.)Department of Environment and Resource Management (2011). National recovery plan for the large-eared pied bat Chalinolobus dwyeri. Report to the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, Canberra.
Dwyer, P. D. (1963). The breeding biology of Miniopterus schreibersi blepotis (Temminck) (Chiroptera) in north-eastern NSW. Australian Journal of Zoology 11, 219–240.
| The breeding biology of Miniopterus schreibersi blepotis (Temminck) (Chiroptera) in north-eastern NSW.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Dwyer, P. E. (1964). Seasonal changes in activity and weight of Miniopterus schreibersi blepotis (Chiroptera) in north-eastern NSW. Australian Journal of Zoology 12, 52–69.
| Seasonal changes in activity and weight of Miniopterus schreibersi blepotis (Chiroptera) in north-eastern NSW.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Dwyer, P. D. (1966a). Observations on the eastern horse-shoe bat in north-eastern New South Wales. Helictite 4, 73–82.
Dwyer, P. D. (1966b). The population pattern of Miniopterus schreibersii (Chiroptera) in north-eastern New South Wales. Australian Journal of Zoology 14, 1073–1137.
| The population pattern of Miniopterus schreibersii (Chiroptera) in north-eastern New South Wales.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Dwyer, P. D., and Hamilton-Smith, E. (1966). Breeding caves and maternity colonies of the bent-winged bat in south-eastern Australia. Helictite 4, 3–21.
Gonsalves, L., and Law, B. (2018). Seasonal activity patterns of bats in North Sydney, New South Wales: implications for urban bat monitoring programs. Australian Mammalogy 40, 220–229.
| Seasonal activity patterns of bats in North Sydney, New South Wales: implications for urban bat monitoring programs.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hall, L. S. (1982). The effect of cave microclimate on winter roosting behaviour in the bat, Miniopterus schreibersii blepotis. Australian Journal of Ecology 7, 129–136.
| The effect of cave microclimate on winter roosting behaviour in the bat, Miniopterus schreibersii blepotis.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Hoye, G., and Spence, J. (2004). The large bent-wing bat Miniopterus schreibersii in urban environments: a survivor? In ‘Urban Wildlife: More than Meets the Eye’. (Eds D. Lunney, and S. Burgin.) pp. 138–147. (Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales: Mosman, NSW.)
Murphy, M. J. (2014). Roost caves of the eastern horseshoe bat Rhinolophus megaphyllus Gray, 1834 (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) in the Pilliga forest in northern inland New South Wales, Australia. Australian Zoologist 37, 117–126.
| Roost caves of the eastern horseshoe bat Rhinolophus megaphyllus Gray, 1834 (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) in the Pilliga forest in northern inland New South Wales, Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (2001). Strategy for the conservation of bats in derelict mines. NSW NPWS, Hurstville, NSW.
Reichard, J. D., Gonzalez, L. E., Casey, C. M., Allen, L. C., Hristov, N. I., and Kunz, T. H. (2009). Evening emergence behavior and seasonal dynamics in large colonies of Brazilian free-tailed bats. Journal of Mammalogy 90, 1478–1486.
| Evening emergence behavior and seasonal dynamics in large colonies of Brazilian free-tailed bats.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Slade, C., and Law, B. (2007). Seasonal changes in bats at a derelict mine in southern New South Wales. Australian Zoologist 34, 173–180.
| Seasonal changes in bats at a derelict mine in southern New South Wales.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Williams, E. R., and Thomson, B. (2019). Aspects of the foraging and roosting ecology of the large-eared pied bat (Chalinolobus dwyeri) in the western Blue Mountains, with implications for conservation. Australian Mammalogy 41, 212–219.
| Aspects of the foraging and roosting ecology of the large-eared pied bat (Chalinolobus dwyeri) in the western Blue Mountains, with implications for conservation.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Young, R. A. (2001). The eastern horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus megaphyllus, in south-east Queensland, Australia: colony demography and dynamics, activity levels, seasonal weight changes, and capture–recapture analysis. Wildlife Research 28, 425–434.
| The eastern horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus megaphyllus, in south-east Queensland, Australia: colony demography and dynamics, activity levels, seasonal weight changes, and capture–recapture analysis.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
