Bats in the Reserve

Are there still long tail bats (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) roosting in the Tamahere Reserve? That’s a possibility as some time ago long tail bats were sited and detected in old and rotting trees. The trust in association with Project Echo has installed two bat homes high in the trees of the reserve. Monitoring these homes has not been successful in detecting bats. Bats fly at dusk and after dark so are rarely seen. People often think they are fantails or swallows, but keen observers may spot them moving from their roost sites and feeding just after dusk. In winter, bats are less active, leaving their shelter for only short bursts of feeding. They may even enter a torpid (semi-hibernation) state during colder months. In warmer spring and summer nights, they are more active. Bats leave little sign of their presence or activity. Their guano (faeces), about the size of mouse droppings, are occasionally found outside a tree cavity being used as a roost. Bats emit high frequency sounds which are inaudible to humans. However, bat detectors convert these sounds so they are audible to humans.

For more information see Project Echo website