Bioacoustics of Saccolaimus mixtus

Habitat . Open eucalypt woodlands, sclerophyll forests, and along riparian systems. The Papuan Sheath-tailed Bat is common in larger tracts of Eucalyptus tetrodonta ( Myrt aceae) on Cape York . Food and Feeding . The Papuan Sheath-tailed Bat forages for insects over and underneath tree canopies. Breeding . No information. Activity patterns. The Papuan Sheath-tailed Bat is crepuscular. It will roost in limestone caves in Papua New Guinea but more frequently shelters in tree hollows. In Australia, it often roosts in dead snags of E. tetrodonta . It emerges at dusk to forage on aerial insects above sclerophyll forest canopies or high over rivers and canyons. Low-frequency, long-duration echolocation calls of the Papuan Sheath-tailed Bat are very similar to those of the Bare-rumped Sheath-tailed Bat ( S . saccolaimus ), but they lack sharp downward frequency sweep near ends of calls of the latter. Multiharmonic call pulses of the Papuan Sheath-tailed Bat have characteristic frequency of 21 kHz. Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Papuan Sheath-tailed Bat roosts in groups of 2—7 individuals.

Status and Conservation . Classified as Near Threatened on 77 ze IUCNRed List. Numbers ofreproductively mature Papuan Sheath-tailed Bats have declined in some regional populations. Threats include large-scale removal of tall forests for bauxite mining on Cape York , habitat modification in southern New Guinea, and frequent hot burning regimes in parts of Cape York affecting succession and longevity of large, old trees required for roost hollows. The Papuan Sheath-tailed Bat occurs in protected areas on Cape York Peninsula and Tonda Wildlife Management Area in Papua New Guinea. Research on basic biology, in particular habitat and roosting preferences, is needed. Acoustic surveys should be conducted to better define distribution especially in Papua New Guinea.