Arnhem Sheath-tailed Bat. © Michelle Edmonds

A scientist at Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC), nicknamed by colleagues the ‘Batman’, has detected the elusive Arnhem Sheath-tailed Bat more than 650 kilometres from where the species was last recorded in the NT. The discovery confirms a significant expansion of the native bat’s known range and helps fill a knowledge gap about the extent of its habitat.

One of Australia’s most mysterious animals, the Arnhem Sheath-tailed Bat is notoriously difficult to find due to its remote habitat and high and fast flight lines, with very few recordings or captures ever confirmed. Oli Aylen, AWC Wildlife Ecologist and resident bat specialist, was fortunate enough to capture the species’ unique call during AWC bat surveys at Pungalina-Seven Emu Wildlife Sanctuary on Yanyuwa and Waanyi-Garawa Country in the Top End – 650km from its previous most easterly detection near Jabiru in the NT.

“We were actually setting up canopy mist nets around the mangroves at Pungalina. I just happened to also have my handheld bat detector on, capturing the calls of the bats as they flew overhead,” said Oli.

All ‘microbat’ species use echolocation calls, ultrasonic sounds that bounce off objects and return as echoes, to navigate and hunt. Scientists use a spectrogram to observe the unique shape of these calls and identify the species. Oli said he immediately noticed the distinct call of the Arnhem Sheath-tailed Bat when it appeared on the recorder.

“The species has a really short echolocation call, which is highly unusual for bats that call at that frequency. So straight away, I wondered if that’s what it could be,” he said.

After returning from the surveys, Oli sent the recording to Dr Damian Milne (a fellow bat expert and senior scientist at the NT Government’s Flora and Fauna Division) who confirmed that it was indeed the unique call of the Arnhem Sheath-tailed Bat. The exciting finding has led to a major range expansion for the species, which was previously only known to be found along the west coast of the NT and North-west Arnhem Land.

“There had been anecdotal comments about how the bat may occur across more of the Top End, and we’ve now confirmed that,” added Oli.

The Arnhem Sheath-tailed Bat was only discovered in 1979, and very little is known about the mammal.

“It’s certainly one of Australia’s most rarely observed species,” explained Oli. “The bat’s discovery at Pungalina and subsequent range expansion is really exciting. It’s a major step forward in deepening our understanding of where the Arnhem Sheath-tailed Bat occurs.”

“The species will be a priority for AWC’s Ecohealth targeted surveys moving forward, and we will incorporate a range of methods to detect and ideally catch this elusive bat. If we’re lucky, we may be able to find out where these bats roost, a vital knowledge gap, which will help us further protect this species and the habitat it relies on.”

“Currently, we don’t know if the Arnhem Sheath-tailed Bat is a rare species or if it’s threatened and needs our help. Or there could be a much larger population than we think,” said Oli. “It needs ongoing research and more conservation attention.”

Despite representing approximately 20% of global mammal diversity, and playing important ecological roles such as pollination and pest control, bats are among Australia’s most poorly understood and least surveyed terrestrial mammals, primarily due to logistical and taxonomic challenges.

“There’s still so much to be learned about bats, particularly in northern Australia. The more we know, the better we can protect them,” said Oli.

The Arnhem Sheath-tailed Bat discovery on Pungalina is the latest bat finding by AWC, following the carnivorous and vulnerable Ghost Bat encounter at Bullo River Station in the NT, where AWC works in partnership with owners Julian and Alexandra Burt.

Pungalina-Seven Emu Wildlife Sanctuary is on the spectacular Gulf of Carpentaria coastline, a biologically diverse yet historically under-surveyed region due to its remoteness. AWC has managed Pungalina-Seven Emu for conservation since 2008, with programs focused on improving fire patterns, managing invasive species and monitoring ecological health. Future microbat surveys, both at Pungalina and other AWC-managed properties in northern Australia, are scheduled to occur in the coming years.

For more information on AWC’s work at Pungalina-Seven Emu Wildlife Sanctuary, click here.

Australian Wildlife Conservancy (AWC) is a pragmatic, on-ground global conservation leader, conserving landscapes and providing hope for Australian wildlife. Informed by science, we deliver measurable conservation impact at scale to secure the future of our most endangered species and their habitats, including restoring degraded landscapes where necessary.

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