71.

Large-eared Pied Bat

Chalinolobus dwyeri

French: Chalinolobe de Dwyer / German: Langohr-Lappenfledermaus / Spanish: Calinolobo de Dwyer

Other common names: Large Pied Bat

Taxonomy. Chalinolobus dwyeri Ryan, 1966,

“from a mine tunnel at Copeton, 14 miles [= 23 km] south of Inverell, New South Wales,” Australia.

Chalinolobus appears to be sister to Nyctophilus within a clade of Australasian bats that also includes Falsistrellus, Vespadelus, and probably also Pharotis . Monotypic.

Distribution. E Australia, in SE Queensland and E New South Wales.

Descriptive notes. Head—body 43-56 mm, tail 34-5-50 mm, ear 12:4-17-5 mm, forearm 36-9—-44.6 mm; weight 5-5-12-2 g. There are large swellings on either side of the muzzle caused by supraorbital glands. Dorsal pelage is glossy black; ventral pelage is dark blackish brown except for a white band at margin of ventral pelage and membranes, extending from forearms to pubic region, making a V-shape and extending onto part of the membranes. Ears,face, and membranes are black. Ears are comparatively large, long, and broad, with ribbing on inner surface; there are well-developed fleshy lobes on the lower margin close to lips, extending below eyes; tragus is curved inward, rounded, and comparatively long. There is a well-developed lobe at corner oflips that extends onto lower (wrinkly) and upper (bulbous) lips. Uropatagium stretches to end oftail; calcar extends about halfway between tail and ankles, and there is a rounded postcalcarial lobe. Skull has well-developed supraorbital swellings; thereis little contrast between interorbital and intertemporal widths; there is no sagittal crest. Posterior cusp of I? is present; I° is 40-50% of height of I? above cingulum; P* has well-developed anterointernal cusp on cingulum; P* is much smaller than P*; lower molars are myotodont. Dental formula for species of Chalinolobusis1 2/3, Cl/1,P 2/2. M 3/3 (x2) = 34.

Habitat. Mainly found in dry sclerophyll forests and woodlands, but also in cypresspine woodland, rainforest fringes, forest dominated by Callitris (Cupressaceae), tall open forest with rainforest understory, riparian vegetation in farmland, subalpine woodland, and sandstone outcrop areas. Usually found at elevations above 1500 m.

Food and Feeding. Large-eared Pied Bats fly relatively slowly, with rapid but shallow wingbeats. They fly directly, with moderate maneuverability, and have been seen flying along creek beds and mid-canopy level 6-10 m aboveground. In the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, they preferred foraging in sharp grassland-forest borders in a western-facing valley and over a creek with wet vegetation. They are insectivorous but the specific diet has not been recorded.

Breeding. Large-eared Pied Bats breed once a year, and males with enlarged testes have been recorded during autumn and early winter. The facial glands on either side of the muzzle become swollen during this time as well, exuding a milky secretion when compressed; these glands may have some secondary sexual function, but this has not been studied. Exact time of mating is uncertain, but is probably in autumn, with sperm storage in males and females through winter, as in congeners; but they mayjust breed during spring. Females have been reported forming maternity colonies of 20-40 individuals from November to February in roof domes in sandstone caves. Females give birth to 1-2 young (average 1-8 per female) during late November and early December in Copeton; young were weaned around late January. Volant young have been recorded by late February. Banding records show that females can give birth when twelve months old.

Activity patterns. The Large-eared Pied Bat forages throughout the night and returns to the day roost before dawn. It probably hibernates through colder portions of winter, but this has yet to be confirmed. Day roosts include rock overhangs, caves, mine tunnels, and the abandoned bottle-shaped mud nests of fairy martins (Petrochelidon ariel). In the sandstone country of central New South Wales roosts occur primarily in overhangs or “pock-holes” on vertical cliff walls. Call shape is a short FM/QCF sweep.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. [arge-eared Pied Bats typically roost in the twilight zone, where small numbers huddle together in indentations or crevices in the sandstone ceiling. Maternity colonies are often formed in caves, and females will stay in the caves for about another month after young become volant, continuing until late March; then they switch to a new summer roosting location. They go back to the same roost year after year. Colonies typically number under ten individuals, although up to 80 have been recorded at some roosts. In the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, females occupied a larger foraging area than males, and also roosted separately from them; females also roosted further from their foraging areas than males, and showed less roost fidelity. The Large-eared Pied Bat occasionally occupies the same rock overhangs as Eastern Cavet Bat ( Vespadelus troughtoni).

Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. The Large-eared Pied Bat is considered uncommon or rare throughout much ofits distribution, with most records coming from northern New South Wales. However, populations of these species are considered stable, and they are more widespread than previously thought. Major threats include roost disturbance and destruction, coal mining, deforestation for agricultural and urban expansion, and predation by feral cats and other introduced animals. In New South Wales, the species is found at low densities with a patchy distribution, being commonest in Pilliga and Sydney sandstone regions. The species is listed as vulnerable at the state and federal level in Australia.

Bibliography. Churchill (2008), Dwyer (1965, 1966a), Hoye & Schulz (2008), Pennay (2008), Pennay & Thomson (2008), Pennay et al. (2011), Ryan (1966), Schulz (1998b), Williams & Thomson (2018).