First Records of Little Pied Bat in Toowoomba

It's not their fault they don't have feathers! Doesn't make them any less interesting. And just like the birds, it's good to know what species are about locally at any given time.

There's expertise within the club and beyond on most aspects of our local fauna. Let's tap into it.
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Rod Hobson
Posts: 509
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2006 8:03 am

First Records of Little Pied Bat in Toowoomba

Post by Rod Hobson »

Folks,

The Little Pied Bat (Chalinolobus picatus) is one of Australia's prettiest microbats. It's a small bat with velvety black fur. The bat's black underbody is almost encircled by a snow white border; a very attractive little bloke indeed. Until recently my nearest records of this bat came from the Brigalow Belt around Dalby and westward, also from the Inglewood Sandstones. On the 23rd of March this year local wildlife carer Marcia Abraham brought me one of these bats for identification. It had been found clinging to a brick wall at the Toowoomba Base Hospital early that day. This was a young female, which was later released unharmed after she had recouperated from her ordeal.

This morning fellow QPWS employee Stuart Henry gave me a dead specimen of the same species that he found in Margaret Street, on the footpath outside of the Valetta Coffee Shop, yesterday afternoon. I've preserved the bat for the Queensland Museum reference collection, as it's very valuable, as absolute confirmation of this species' existence in Toowoomba City proper. Some of the old historic houses in Margaret Street or wards at the hospital would be great habitat for colonies of these bats.

Despite being an old Toowoomba Boy and having a lifelong interest in things natural it's always good to be surprised by something new on your home turf, especially something as beautiful and exciting as a Little Pied Bat.

Regards,
Rod Hobson
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