One of Australia's most mysterious bats turns up 400 miles from where it was last seen
A scientist's handheld detector picked up the call of the rare Arnhem sheath-tailed bat at a Northern Territory sanctuary.
- Species first discovered in 1979
- Detected by its echolocation call
- Sanctuary protected since 2008
The find
The Arnhem sheath-tailed bat, a tiny microbat first described in 1979, has been caught on camera only a handful of times. During a nature survey at Pungalina-Seven Emu Wildlife Sanctuary in the Northern Territory, Australian Wildlife Conservancy scientist Oli Aylen was setting up mist nets around mangroves when his bat detector recorded its call overhead.
Why it matters
The sighting is about 400 miles from the last place the species was recorded, which suggests it may live across a much wider area than anyone knew. That is useful news in a country where more than 2,200 native species are listed as endangered, threatened or vulnerable. The sanctuary has been protected by the conservancy since 2008.
