East Coast Freetail Bat
Scientific name: Mormopterus norfolkensis
Alternative name/s:
East Coast Mastiff Bat, Norfolk Island Mastiff Bat
East Coast Mastiff Bat, Norfolk Island Mastiff Bat
Click to enlarge image
East Coast Freetail Bats roost in hollows or under the loose bark of trees in open forests. They roost together in small colonies.
Image: G B Baker
© Australian Museum
© Australian Museum
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Mormopterus
- Species
- norfolkensis
- Family
- Molossidae
- Order
- Chiroptera
- Subclass
- Eutheria
- Subphylum
- Vertebrata
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Kingdom
- Animalia
Introduction
East Coast Freetail or Mastiff Bats used to be called Norfolk Island Mastiff bats, but in fact they have never been found on that island.
Habitat
East Coast Freetail Bats roost in hollows or under the loose bark of trees in open forests. They roost together in small colonies.
Feeding and diet
East Coast Freetail Bats eat flying insects. They fly quickly over the tops of trees in forests or along the edges of forests to hunt their prey.
Conservation status
East Coast Freetail Bats are vulnerable to loss of tree hollows and loss of feeding grounds by forestry activities, clearing for agriculture and housing.
