Auswildlife.com

A cluster of islands in the Pacific, well worth a visit. Originally named the New Hebrides by Captian Cook, the country was ruled by a joint British and French admistration until 1980. But comical it was, as both admistrations had separate offices and duplicated departments! The French drove on the right-hand side of the road while the British drove on the left. What a joke! Very few things were ever achieved because the two administrations couldn’t agree on anything.  It’s a wonder that the locals put up with this rediculous nonsense for so long! But no longer – they have their independence now.

Flying foxes are trapped or shot and used as food since most areas are subsistence farming. Luckily two of the three species in the area appear to be reasonably secure and not at threat of extinction. The one below is Pteropus anetianus, the Vanuatu Flying Fox. The lower pic is a Coconut Crab.

Coconut crabs are also an endangered species but are now harvested for food through a conservation management program that monitors numbers and allocates a quota for consumption.  There is also a special crab sanctuary on Vanua Lava, one of the most northerly islands. Also on the island, resides a very rare and poorly known flying fox, Pteropus fundatus or Banks Flying Fox.  I think this island might be a good destination for a future visit!

Here are some portraits of one of our north Queensland leaf-nosed bat species, Hipposideros cervinus. Yes, they are two different individuals and no, I didn’t mess with the colours in PhotoShop! These are the actual colours.

Bats that live in cave and mine roost sites with a high ammonia content in the atmosphere, often have their fur bleached a beautiful orange, as in this first bat. The ammonia is produced by the anerobic breakdown of the bat guano and so it’s not uncommon in roost sites with poor air flow which tends to trap the ammonia. Bats seem to be able to survive in this high ammonia atmosphere because they go into torpor (a slowing of the metabolism and ouward appearance of being asleep) and this causes a buildup of CO2 in the blood which buffers the effects of the ammonia. When they become active and fly out, the ammonia is expelled with the CO2.

I should also mention that photographs like these are not possible unless the bats are caught and this is illegal unless you have a permit from the relevant State’s Parks and Wildlife Service. These animals are my particular research speciality and so I have permits etc.

Flying foxes are large bats of the Suborder Megachiroptera and they occur in parts of Australia, some Pacific and Indian Ocean Islands, South East Asia, the Middle East and parts of Africa.  They are quite a novelty for people from other countries, and Australia is in fact one of the best places to see some of these animals. Unlike small bats, flying foxes form daytime ‘camps’ where they may congregate in large numbers and be easily observed and photographed (with a longish lens).  There are four relatively common species and with some planning, you will have a chance to see them all. You will certainly see at least two!  Some locations:

1) The Sydney Botanic Gardens is home to a large (and increasing!) colony of Grey-headed Flying Foxes (Pteropus poliocephalus). The Gardens are close to the Sydney Opera House and Harbour Bridge, so a map shouldn’t be necessary. Be aware however, that the Garden’s management is concerned about the damage being done to some of the trees and is going to attempt to frighten the bats out of this site soon. Stay tuned and I will see if I can bring you updates!

2) Woodend in Ipswich, just west of Brisbane. This is a large colony and although species and numbers vary across the seasons, you may well get to see three species here; Grey-headed Flying Foxes (P. poliocephalus), Black Flying Foxes (P. alecto) and Little Red Flying Foxes (P. scapulatus).  Best views are obtained from the suburban roads that border the site. The vegetation itself is quite dense in places and if you attempt to enter the area, you will probably frighten the bats and pick up some paralysis ticks for your trouble (more on them in another post when I get time!).  The location is shown on this Google Maps Link: Pteropus Conservation Park.

3) The Tolga Scrub near Atherton in north Queensland. This site usually has a reasonably large colony of Spectacled Flying Foxes (Pteropus conspicillatus). Occasionally the site may also have Little Reds present. You can walk into this site along some of the walking tracks but be careful not to disturb the bats. There are also other dangers in there! Stinging trees (Dendrochnide spp) are rapidly growing colonisers of disturbed rainforest and in some areas, flank the edge of the tracks. They have large rounded leaves and bear numerous stinging hairs. If you brush into one of these, you will immediately lose all interest in photographing flying foxes!  It is often better to stay on the ouside of the reserve or to only go on open, unobstructed tracks.   This species, together with the Grey-headed Flying Fox, is listed as a threatened species and afforded special Federal protection. The  colony at Tolga is the subject of considerable conservation attention.  See this link for further information: Tolga Bat Hospital. The site is shown here: Tolga Bat Colony.

(There are many more bat photos in the Photo Library- Orange link at in the top right corner)

Little Red Flying Foxes

Little Red Flying Foxes in flight

Black Flying Foxes

Spectacled Flying Foxes

Grey-headed Flying Foxes