The Action Plan for Australian Bats
Environment Australia, 1999
ISBN 0 642 2546 363
Recovery outlines and taxon summaries (continued)
Recovery outline: Large-eared Pied Bat
Family: Vespertilionidae
Scientific name: Chalinolobus dwyeri Ryan, 1966
Common name: Large-eared Pied Bat
Conservation status Vulnerable (A1a, C2a)
Intraspecific taxa
None.
Former distribution
Poorly known. This species was first described in 1966 from Copeton in northern New South Wales (Ryan 1966, Dwyer 1966).
Current distribution
Inadequately known. The species appears to be uncommon in New South Wales and rare within its range in Queensland. It has been recorded from scattered localities as far south as Nowra in coastal New South Wales and on the Blackdown Tableland in central eastern Queensland in the north (Parnaby 1992, Hoye and Dwyer 1995). It appears to have localised distributions and be sparsely distributed within its range.
The majority of records exist in north-eastern and central northern and eastern New South Wales. However, recent fauna surveys conducted through the Comprehensive Regional Assessment process in both Queensland (Schulz et al. 1998) and New South Wales have failed to re-locate this species in north-eastern New South Wales. The majority of records in northern New South Wales are of single individuals although recently in central west New South Wales, it has been detected (sonar call surveys) sporadically over a widespread area (Coles 1995). Little is known about its western range limits, with records from as far inland as the Pilliga Nature Reserve and the (now flooded) type locality near Copeton. The only known recent records in Queensland are from the far south-eastern region, such as the Border Ranges, the Main Range, Gambubal State Forest, Wivenhoe Dam and Moogerah Dam. Currently there is a significant gap in the records between sites in far south-east Queensland and the known northern limit on the Blackdown Tableland (Coles unpub.).
Habitat
Poorly understood. In New South Wales this species has been recorded from a range of vegetation types, including dry and wet sclerophyll forest, Callitris dominated forest, tall open eucalypt forest with a rainforest sub-canopy, sub-alpine woodland and sandstone outcrop country. In south-eastern Queensland the species has primarily been recorded from higher altitude moist tall open forest adjacent to rainforest. Little is known about the roosting requirements of this species but natural roosts may depend heavily on sandstone outcrops. It has been found roosting in disused mine shafts, caves, overhangs and disused Fairy Martin nests (Schulz 1998). It also possibly roosts in tree hollows. Currently, no maternity sites are known.
Reasons for decline
Lack of knowledge on the roosting requirements, foraging habits and other aspects of its biology make it difficult to accurately determine current threats to the species.
Destruction or interference of subterranean roosts is a confirmed threat. The type locality at Copeton (Dwyer 1966) was flooded by the Copeton Dam (Hall et al. 1997, Hall and Richards 1998). The cave roost in the Pilliga Scrub Nature Reserve appears to have been deserted. In the dissected sandstone escarpments of New South Wales underground coal mining is a potential threat, since mining induced subsidence would appear to affect availability of roost sites. Other possible threats include habitat clearance for agriculture, urban developments, impact of forestry operations (direct mortality of individuals from tree felling, reduction in the availability of suitable hollows, forest fragmentation) and predation by feral animals.
Conservation reserves on which species occurs
NSW: Bouddi National Park, Big Scrub Flora Reserve, Bungonia Nature Reserve, Coolah Tops National Park, Goulburn River National Park, Munghorn Gap Nature Reserve, Pilliga Scrub Nature Reserve, Richmond Range National Park, Royal National Park, Warrumbungle National Park, Wollemi National Park, Yengo National Park.
Queensland: Carnarvon Gorge National Park, Lamington National Park, Main Range National Park, Blackdown Tableland National Park.
Other public lands on which species occurs
NSW: Bingara State Forest, Bourbah State Forest, Giro State Forest, Irrigapa State Forest, Kerringle State Forest, Montrose State Forest, Olney State Forest, Pilliga State Forest, Pilliga East State Forest, Pilliga West State Forest, Ruttley State Forest, Yarrigan State Forest, Watagan State Forest, Yalcogrin State Forest.
Queensland: Blackdown Tableland State Forest, Gambubal State Forest, road reserves in the Wivenhoe Dam, Lake Moogerah and west of Mt Barney areas.
Other land on which species occurs
NSW: Crown Land near Ulan.
Queensland: Private land adjacent to Mt Mistake.
Is knowledge about species adequate for objectives and actions to be defined accurately?
Partially.
Recovery objectives
- Protect all known roost sites (including the Pilliga Scrub Reserve roost) and adjacent habitat.
- Clarify the current distribution and abundance of the species.
- Increase understanding of the basic ecology of the species to determine:
- habitat requirements;
- roost and maternity site selection; and
- threatening processes.
Management and research actions completed or underway
- None, apart from non-targeted surveys in parts of its range and qualitative roost selection and behavioural observations.
Management and research actions required
- Protection of known roosts and associated foraging habitats.
- Undertake targetted surveys for the species to clarify distribution and status.
- Carry out ecological research to determine:
- habitat requirements, in particular factors responsible for the patchy distribution of the species;
- roost and maternity site selection;
- foraging strategy;
- population dynamics; and
- threatening processes.
- Encourage active management actions such as:
- installation of ‘Fairy Martin friendly structures’ in road culverts and bridges (as a means to promote bat roost sites, see Schulz 1998); and
- inspection of bridges/culverts prior to demolition or major capital works to reduce impact on colonies already utilising these structures by State and local government authorities with responsibility for construction and maintenance of roads.
Organisation(s) responsible for conservation of species
Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Queensland Department of Natural Resources, New South Wales National Parks and Wildlife Service, State Forests of New South Wales.
Other organisation(s)/individuals involved
New South Wales Department of Land and Water Conservation, New South Wales Department of Urbans Affairs and Planning, Private land holders, local government and road construction authorities.
Can recovery be carried out with existing resources?
No. The following is required:
- Protection of known roosts unknown
- Ecological research $100,000
- Surveys (western NSW and Qld.) $ 61,000
- Total $161,000
(Surveys based on 2 people for 3 months 25K, expenses 20K, equipment 10K, vehicle 6K. Ecological research based on 1 person for 1 year 60K, radio tracking equipment 16K, expenses 24K.)
Bibliography
Catling P.C., Mason I.J., Richards G.C., Schodde R. and Wombey J.C. 1994. Research Report 4: The land vertebrate fauna of the eastern dunefields and tidal zone. pp. 117–172 in: Commonwealth Commission of Inquiry Shoalwater Bay, Capricornia Coast, Queensland. Report No.5 Volume A Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
Coles R.B. 1995. Results of bat survey for the NW Cypress Pine-Ironbark FIS. Report to State Forests NSW, Dubbo (unpublished).
Dwyer P.D. 1966. Observations on Chalinolobus dwyeri (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) in Australia. Journal of Mammalogy 47, 716–718.
Hall L.S. and Richards G.C. 1979. Bats of Eastern Australia. Queensland Museum Booklet No. 12. Queensland Museum, Brisbane.
Hall L.S. and Richards G.C. 1998. Issues concerning bat distribution on minesites in Australia. pp. 125–137 in C.J.Asher and L.C.Bell (Eds) Fauna Habitat Reconstruction after Mining Workshop. Australian Centre for Mining Environmental Research, Kenmore.
Hall L., Richards G.C., McKenzie N. L. and Dunlop N. 1997. The importance of abandoned mines as habitat for bats. pp. 326–334 in P. Hale and D. Lamb (Eds) Conservation Outside Nature Reserves. Centre for Conservation Biology, University of Queensland, Brisbane.
Hoye G.A. and Dwyer P.D. 1995. Large-eared Pied Bat Chalinolobus dwyeri. pp. 510–511 in R. Strahan (Ed.) The Mammals of Australia. Reed Books, Chatswood, NSW.
NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. 1994. Fauna of north-east NSW forests. North East Forests Biodiversity Study Report No.3. NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Sydney.
Parnaby H. 1992. An interim guide to identification of insectivorous bats of south-eastern Australia. Technical Reports of the Australian Museum No. 8. Australian Museum, Sydney.
Parnaby H. and Hoye G. 1997. Bat survey of the Pilliga Nature Reserve, Coonabarabran, NSW. Unpublished report prepared for NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, Hurstville.
Ryan R.M. 1966. A new and imperfectly known Australian Chalinolobus and the taxonomic status of African Glauconycteris. Journal of Mammalogy 47, 86–91.
Schulz M. 1998. Bats and other fauna in disused Fairy Martin Hirundo arial nests. Emu 98, 184–191.
Schulz M., Hannah D., Eyre T. and Hogan L. 1998. Significant results from the Comprehensive Regional Assessment fauna surveys in the south-eastern Queensland bio-geographic region. 8th Australasian Bat Conference Abstracts. Australasian Bat Society, Rockhampton.
Authors for the species
Martin Schulz
Roger Coles
Glenn Hoye
Les Hall
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