Yellow-bellied or White-rumped Sheathtail Bat Saccolaimus flaviventris
What do they look like ? Large , microchiropteran ( insect eating ) bat . In flight , the wingspan looks about 35 cm across . Around bright lights at night , the yellowish-white belly is sometimes visible as it flies past . Apart from the belly , generally black fur and dark skin on wings . A pretty face , much like a small , smiling dog .
Where do they live ? Common across most of the region and northern Australia . They are usually associated with eucalypt woodlands and roost singly , or in small groups , in deep tree hollows . Flies far and wide from roosting trees in nightly forays .
What do they need to live , eat and breed ? Yellow-bellied Sheathtail Bats feed on insects which they catch on the wing . Like other microbats , they navigate and hunt by emitting high-pitched sounds and listening for the echo or reflection off objects . This is called echolocation and means they can fly in complete darkness . Megabats like the familiar flying-foxes , rely on sight to navigate , and so cannot safely fly in complete darkness .
When might I see ( or hear ) them ? Unlike other microbats , whose calls are at high frequencies , the Yellow-bellied Sheathtail Bats are one of a handful of Australian bats that emit audible chirps in their echolocation call ( a soft repeated chip-chip as they fly overhead ). Commonly observed foraging for insects around lights near houses , house-yards or street lights .
What management actions affect this species ? Maintaining structural diversity in woodlands , especially retaining hollowbearing trees like eucalypts with long spouts will favour insectivorous bats . Land clearing where large hollow bearing trees are removed is a threat to Yellow-bellied Sheathtail Bats . In areas where hollows are at a premium , competition with native and introduced animals , like possums , parrots , Indian Mynahs and European Honey-bees may pose a threat by reducing the bats ’ access to daytime roosts .
How do they benefit the land I manage ? Insectivorous bats such as the Yellow-bellied Sheathtail Bat can eat their body weight in insects every night , including pest species such as mosquitoes and many species of crop and fodder pest . Bats are the most numerous mammals in savanna woodlands , though least observed . These high numbers equate to an enormous role in insect regulation . In the United States , the role of insect regulation is being recognised by the agricultural sector and the dollar value of microbat service is estimated to be in the millions .
Similar species : Numerous microbats are a similar size , but none have the obvious white belly .
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