The Greater Broad-nosed Bat, Scoteanax rueppellii, is a large for an insect eating microbat, with a head & body length of up to 95mm.

They have dark reddish-brown to mid-brown fur above, and slightly paler beneath. A distinguishing feature is 1 upper incisor each side, which abuts the canine, while other species have 2. Their ears easily meet when pressed together over the head, overlapping by 5mm or more, where as other species ears don’t meet (Parnaby, 1999). Their forearm length is 50 – 56mm.

The Greater Broad-nosed Bat typically inhabits coastal gullies, and was caught in a Harp trap in the tea-tree scrub at Mandeni. The forest there provides excellent food sources and habitat for bat species. They roost in tree hollows during the day, and flight out at dusk to follow creek lines at 3 to 6m above ground. While they mostly eat large, slow-flying insects, they may also eat other bat species (DECCW, 2005).

The Greater Broad-nosed Bat is listed as Vulnerable to extinction in NSW, due to loss of tree hollows, and loss of feeding grounds.

Photo by B. Law;