The Lesser Long-eared Bat, Nyctophilus gouldi, is a small insectivorous bat, which uses echo-location to find its way in the dark. Their ears are relatively long, compared with other genus of bats. They are very fast and agile, able to catch moths and other insects in flight. They may also use their hearing to detect calling insects, such as crickets, and descend to the ground to catch them (Bailey & Haythornthwaite, 1998).

Identifying characteristics of the Lesser Long-eared Bat are a bump on the snout, behind the nose-leaf, which is high compared with the height of the nose-leaf and composed of 2 lobes joined b a prominent elastic membrane. They have light grey to brown, thick fluffy fur, and their ventral fur is an off-white colour. They typically have a 33-41 mm long forearm.

Lesser Long-eared Bats may live in communal roosts of 10 to 100. Pups remain in the roost to about 6 weeks old, then fly to hunt with their mother.

Lesser Long-eared Bats were captured in a Harp Trap at Mandeni. Their preferred roosts are close to the ground, under the bark or in cracks in of trees, fallen and decayed timber (Lumsden, Bennett, & Silins, 2002). They can utlise an entrance as small as 2.5cm (Lumsden et al., 2002).

Photos of the Lesser Long-eared Bat being handled by wildlife ecologist Gary Luck, at Mt. Lawson, by T. Hastings (8/10/2007).

References

Bailey, W., & Haythornthwaite, S. (1998). Risks of calling by the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus; potential predation by Australian long-eared bats. Journal of Zoology, 244(04), 505-513.

Lumsden, L. F., Bennett, A. F., & Silins, J. E. (2002). Selection of roost sites by the lesser long-eared bat (Nyctophilus geoffroyi) and Gould's wattled bat (Chalinolobus gouldii) in south-eastern Australia. Journal of Zoology, 257(02), 207-218.

Parnaby, H. (1999). An Interitn Guide to Identification of Insectivorous Bats of South-eastern Australia, available from the Australian Museum.