Bare-rumped Sheathtail Bat

Family: Emballonuridae
Scientific name: Saccolaimus saccolaimus

Where they roost:
Caves, hollow trees, between rocks, and under house eaves. They roost together in colonies but hang apart from each other.

What they eat:
Flying insects. They fly high and straight over the tops of trees in a variety of forest types hunting for prey.

Conservation threats:
Vulnerable to destruction of roost sites in caves by mining, tree hollows by clearing for agriculture, disturbance by human visitors to cave roosts and changes to feeding areas by agricultural activities.

Other information:
Bare-rumped sheathtail bats take their name from their backs which have little hair below the hips. This species has not been recorded in Australia for many years.

Photo © A Compton/Nature Focus