Gould's Wattled Bat

Adventure step • Meet the species

Overview

Gould's Wattled Bat is a medium-sized bat species endemic to Australia and one of the continent's most common and adaptable bats. The species is named for the distinctive fleshy lobes or 'wattles' located at the corners of its mouth. These wattles are a unique characteristic that distinguish the genus Chalinolobus from other bats. The fur is thick and soft, with a chocolate-brown to dark brown coloration on the upper side and somewhat lighter underneath. The species has relatively large ears and a robust body compared to many other insectivorous bats. This bat is remarkable for its ability to adapt to diverse environments, from rainforests and eucalyptus woodlands to urban parks and gardens. It has successfully colonized cities and suburbs across Australia, where it is often found roosting in buildings, tree hollows, and under loose bark. Gould's Wattled Bat is a skilled hunter that uses echolocation to capture flying insects in the air. Its echolocation calls are relatively low-frequency, allowing the species to detect larger insects at greater distances than many other bats. The species' hunting behavior is fascinating to observe. It typically flies 3-10 meters above ground in a fast and powerful flight pattern, often along forest tracks, over open grasslands, or around street lighting where insects congregate. Gould's Wattled Bat is known to be an opportunistic hunter that quickly exploits temporary food resources. During warm summer evenings, several individuals can be seen hunting together around the same light source, each catching beetles, moths, and other flying insects. Socially, this is a colonial species, particularly during the breeding season. Females gather in maternity colonies that can contain from a few to over one hundred individuals, while males often roost alone or in small groups. Young are typically born in December-January (Australian summer), and females usually give birth to one pup per year, occasionally twins. The young are capable of flight after approximately five weeks and become independent after a few more weeks. Gould's Wattled Bat can live surprisingly long for its size, with documented lifespans exceeding 16 years in the wild.