#Creature Feature – Chocolate Wattled Bat (Chalinolobus morio)

Home 🞂 Newsroom 🞂 #Creature Feature – Chocolate Wattled Bat (Chalinolobus morio)

A moth-munching fighter pilot, the Chocolate Wattled Bat (Chalinolobus morio) is a nocturnal insect-buster working mysteriously in the shadows with their inbuilt bug radar (echolocation). Amazingly, these bats call at extremely high frequencies of 50 kHz – way above the 15 kHz limit to what humans can hear!

The soundwaves bounce off objects in the air and are received by the bat, who can use the echoes to determine whether the object is an approaching tree trunk or a tasty moth fluttering around. These aerial acrobats, only as long as your pinkie finger and weighing less than a tablespoon of butter, are hugely important for keeping a lid on insect populations, which helps protect farmer’s crops from pest outbreaks and keep the ecosystem in check.

After a long night out, bats return to their homes to snooze during the day with twenty to several hundred others in small communities. These can be small hollows, spaces under sheets of bark, abandoned bird nests, and sometimes even limestone caves like the ones near Margaret River in the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. Some of them even take advantage of vacant old buildings and roof spaces in urban areas.

Photo: Landcare SJ

Ranging across southern Australia amongst a diversity of rainforest, treeless plain, and woodland habitats, including farmland areas, the Chocolate Wattled bat relies on old-growth trees to roost and have a place to raise their families. Female bats give birth to one or two pups late in spring or early summer, and during this season often form large mother’s groups – or maternal colonies. The pups are huge when born – about a third of the mother’s weight. Can you imagine a woman giving birth to a 20kg baby? Bats breed cooperatively, trusting other members to look after their pups whilst going out foraging at night. After six to eight weeks, the pups are almost fully-grown and are ready to begin pilot training!

Whilst adaptive and resilient, these bats are losing their homes to land clearing and the destruction of old-growth trees with hollows. Urban expansion and roost disturbance cause the bats to look for a new home, but sometimes, especially if there’s not much old-growth woodland left, there are not many places left for them to go.

Photo: Allan Young, Australian Museum

If you want to help look after the Chocolate Wattled bat, you can help them find a new home by creating a bat box to install near your house or in a tree. Make sure you get a professional to help you design it though – bats can be picky about where they live, and it’s important that the materials you use will last. But in return, they will give you free pest control, all-year-round!

Did you know? Bats have adapted so specifically to flight that they can’t stand on their hind legs. Instead, special tendons in their feet allow them to hang upside down effortlessly!

Reference:

The State of Victoria Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning 2017

https://www.wildlife.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0023/92435/Chocolate-Wattled-Bat.pdf

Kahree Garnaut – Biodiversity Project Officer

Title photo: Terry Reardon

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In 2020-21 I talked about ‘raising the bar’. In 2021-22 we worked on setting the bar on fire. Over the last 12 months, the team at NACC NRM has not stopped.

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The conservation outcomes of ranger teams have expanded through work on several land tenures. Maintaining Heritage sites such as Willi Gulli, Racecourse Paddock and Buller River has long been a priority. During 2021-22, the teams have increasingly focused on threatened species and ecosystems.

To this end, Western Mulga rangers have improved management across 19,000 ha for the conservation of Malleefowl through firebreak and access management. They completed the maintenance of water holes and supported the monitoring of over 90 Malleefowl mounds.

Similarly, the Kwelena Mambakort Aboriginal Corporate ranger team have contributed positively to Carnaby’s Black Cockatoo populations by installing artificial hollows and habitat restoration.

All ranger teams have collected native seed, propagated native plants for restoration, and planted native vegetation in key locations across the NAR. Seed collection provides valuable industry experience and has facilitated the planting of over 100,000 seedlings during the year.   

In September 2021, the NACC NRM team delivered the WA Threatened Species Forum, held in tandem with the National Malleefowl Forum. Given the impact of COVID and the timing of this event, having more than 100 delegates from all over Australia was a significant achievement. The two Forums brought together 12 events over five days and featured 14 local artists, 25 businesses and 36 youth participants.

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This planning work links to existing NACC NRM on-ground projects, including Beyond Reasonable Drought and the Chapman Catchment Collaborative regeneration project.

It was a busy year for events with face-to-face events becoming commonplace again. During 2021-22 we hosted events in Gingin, Moora, Dalwallinu, Cervantes, Jurien Bay, Walkaway, Nabawa, Perenjori, Kalannie and Morawa. We supported events in Karakin, Thundellara, Perenjori, Paynes Find, Wubin, Cataby, Warradarge, Northampton, Yuna, Dalwallinu and Dandaragan.

We also supported on-ground works throughout the region, including at the following locations Yuna, Dalwallinu, Dandaragan, Merkanooka, Goodlands, Kalannie, Bunjil, Yardarino, Canna, Kondut, Latham, Kadathinni, Nabawa, Red Gully, Sandy Gully, Waddy Forrest, Devils Creek, Perenjori, Bowgada, Ellendale, Wandana, Namban, Hill River, Warradarge, Gillingarra, Regans Ford and Moonyanooka.

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While we have said farewell to some, we have welcomed many new faces across all programs, including our Administration team. We have also hosted a school-based trainee from Nagle Catholic College who has been working towards a Certificate II in Conservation and Ecosystem Management. This trial position has been very successful, and we look forward to making this opportunity available again in 2023.

During 2022 we have taken on new projects that align with our organisational and program objectives, and we have successfully completed some great initiatives that support continued conservation and sustainability outcomes. I want to thank the whole team who continue to go above and beyond for the organisation and each other proving their ongoing commitment to our purpose and our values.