A Diverse Habitat With Nocturnal Rarities
Target threatened species: Long-tailed bat / Pekapeka-tou-roa
Bats/ pekapeka are New Zealands only endemic mammals and are important Taonga species. There are now only two remaining species of New Zealand bat; the long-tailed bat Chalinolobus tuberculatus and the rare lesser short-tailed bat Mystacina tuberculata a unique ancient endangered species with limited distribution. Both species are critically endangered globally.
Below image shows a recent spectrogram of a Makarora long-tailed bat pekapeka-tou-roa echolocation call sequence (May 2023) from one of ABT’s AR4 Acoustic Recorders. Identified during call analysis by Rachel Hufton our Project Lead and experienced bat surveyor.
ABT bat records to date have contributed to the Otago Regional Council’s Bat Conservation Status update for the Makarora region (page 9). Bats provide vital ecosystem services such as pest control, pollination, and seed dispersal. Bats are important for global biodiversity and ecosystem health, and many bat species have adapted to living safely alongside us in both urban and rural environments, in our gardens, parks and even roosting around our homes, as beneficial Neighbour’s.
ABT aim to ascertain the current status of bats (New Zealand’s only indigenous mammals) within the Makarora catchment and protect and enhance roost sites in collaboration with existing invasive mammal trapping efforts. Whilst raising awareness of these magnificant flying mammal’s of the night.
A preliminary orientation scoping visit (2019) in advance of full dusk and dawn activity surveys has been undertaken and bat activity has been noted. More soon…. community events scheduled for 2020 – 2023.
Practicing bat survey and research methods at Makarora
