A grey-headed flying fox colony roosting.
Photo by
Steve Wilson
Megabats are the stars this month, as Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority celebrates birds and bats with the Year of the Wing.
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Flying foxes, also known as fruit bats, are megabat mammals.
They first appeared in the fossil record about 50 million years ago and it’s thought they evolved as night-active to take advantage of the ‘empty airspace’ left by the day-active birds.
Although called flying foxes, other than being a mammal, megabats are not related to foxes — their name comes from their ‘foxy’ facial features.
Unlike microbats that use reflected sound to seek out their insect prey, megabats rely upon their large eyes and keen nose to seek food at night.
Goulburn Broken CMA project officer Janice Mentiplay-Smith said the Goulburn Broken catchment was home to two species of flying fox — the threatened grey-headed flying fox (Pteropus poliocephalus) and the little red flying fox (Pteropus scapulatus).
The grey-headed flying fox is one of the largest bats in the world, weighing up to a kilogram with a wingspan of up to a metre.
“Bats are the only mammals capable of sustained flight; they are amazing ‘mammals of the air’, and play a very important role in the ecosystem,” Ms Mentiplay-Smith said.
“We usually think of birds and bees pollinating our plants, however, flying foxes are major pollinators of eucalypts; without them the composition of Australia’s forests would be very different.
“Flying foxes travel up to 80km each night to feed. During the process of feeding, they transfer pollen from tree to tree which spreads the gene pool and enhances the tree’s capability to survive.
“Because they are integral to seed dispersal and pollination, the rapid decline in flying fox populations is very concerning, as this will affect the long-term survival of our unique eucalypt forest and rainforest ecosystems.”
A grey-headed flying fox.
Photo by
Steve Wilson
Roosting above water helps flying foxes remain cool in the summer heat.
Grey-headed flying foxes roost in camps around swamps, woodlands, patches of rainforest and along creeks. The availability of food influences where they live — if the food source is stable, they will remain at a site for a prolonged time.
Ms Mentiplay-Smith said habitat loss was a major threat to flying foxes.
“When their natural habitat is destroyed, they are forced to seek a home where they can.
“This means they tend to crowd into confined urban areas and gardens, which can be unpopular with the human residents.
“Threats to grey-headed flying foxes and similar megabat species include habitat destruction, heat stress and disturbance by people and pets at roost sites.”
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