The Goulburn Broken Catchment Management Authority is highlighting the importance of tree hollows for wildlife in its 2025 Year of the Tree Hollow community awareness campaign.
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This month features the tiny micro-bats of the catchment, which includes Gould’s wattle bat, Gould’s long-eared bat and the lesser long-eared bat.
Goulburn Broken CMA project officer Janice Mentiplay-Smith described micro-bats as amazing mammals of the air.
“Fast and feisty little micro-bats dart through the night sky, leaving their roosts at dusk to pursue their insect-based dinner,” Ms Mentiplay-Smith said.
“In a single night, micro-bats can eat at least one third of their body weight, with mosquitoes featuring strongly on the menu.
“Multiply this by many, many thousands of micro-bats, and it’s not difficult to see how these tiny flying mammals provide a valuable ‘pest control’ service.”
Gould’s long-eared bat. Photo: William Terry.
Ms Mentiplay-Smith said micro-bats roost in tree hollows, behind pieces of bark and in caves.
“Dead trees are vitally important for micro-bats as they contain plenty of hollow spaces for roosting,” she said.
“Even small dead trees with trunks of just 20 centimetres in diameter are extremely valuable as they have small hollows and cracks where micro-bats can squeeze into.
“So, it’s important we do everything we can to preserve these precious resources.”
The lack of tree hollows in the landscape means micro-bats must find alternative roosts such as cracks in fence posts, storm water pipes, culverts and within house and shed roofs and walls, none of which are ideal.
Micro-bats are placental mammals and not marsupials — they do not have a pouch and give birth to fully developed young.
Including those inhabiting the Goulburn Broken catchment, there are more than 60 species of micro-bat in Australia.
Read more about micro-bats in the Goulburn Broken CMA’s The Mammal Book, a 58-page booklet featuring beautiful photographs and informative text at tinyurl.com/5hcwhv3x
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