The Need For Microbats In Our World - A Talk By John Parsons, Fraser Coast MicroBat Group, SE QLD

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There are over 1400 bat species in the world, with more than 80 in Australia, of which Fraser Coast and Southern Queensland has 22 species. These include megabats including black, grey headed, little red flying foxes, tube nosed and blossom bats, the others are the small but mighty microbats.

Microbats differ from megabats by having a tail, with or without an attached membrane, as well as a tragus in their ears. They also use echolocation to find their food in the dark by emitting a high frequency sound through their nose and or mouth, that is inaudible to humans.

Australian megabats assist in seeding and regeneration of rainforests and eucalypt forests. But their smaller cousins are responsible for keeping down insect populations, eliminating the need for toxic chemical pesticides.

Whilst Australian microbats are generally quite tiny, often resembling the size of a small mouse, they can consume almost 100% of their body weight in insects. This can amount to 1000 mozzies in a night!

They roost in caves, live tree hollows or discarded bird nests, but may move into suburbia where they can inhabit warm moist areas such as under bridges, in culverts, drains, in the walls and roofs of buildings, in folded up garden umbrellas, etc.

Due to loss of their natural homes, artificial ‘bat homes’ or microbat boxes or pipes are becoming increasingly important.

ABOUT JOHN PARSONS:

John Parsons is the President of the Fraser Coast Microbat Group in Southern Queensland. He has worked tirelessly for the conservation of bats, principally microbats in the Fraser Coast and Burnett Mary region for many years.

John has studied, researched and built artificial microbat habitats for over 20 years, and is actively involved in monitoring microbats and their movements around the Fraser Coast.

His commitment and dedication to working with local environmental groups and research institutions to provide alternative roosting sites for micro-bats has been admirable.

His microbat boxes are made out of wooden pallets and can be erected on trees, the sides of buildings or on specially constructed wooden poles.

These can provide shelter for these tiny mammals, and their presence can provide pest controlling benefits to humans living in their proximity.

Through his field work, John found a need to have a pocket-sized quick reference book on the various bat species in the region. The "Pocket Guide to the Bats of the Burnett Mary" is a result of his vision and is a great everyday guide for anyone interested in megabats and microbats.

Download a free pdf version here from www.allaboutbats.org.au:
https://www.allaboutbats.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/BBM-A6-PocketBook-RGB-ONLINE.pdf

For a great free poster of Australian mega- and microbats:
https://www.allaboutbats.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/BBM-A0-Poster-RGB-ONLINE.pdf

For a great educational resource about microbats, download this free kit:
https://www.allaboutbats.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/AAB-MicroBatEducationKit-RGB-ONLINE.pdf

ABOUT IRENE ISAACSON:

Irene Isaacson (ex-iFotoTravel) is a passionate travel and wildlife photographer. Whilst traveling over 1 million miles and across many continents over the last 10-15 years, she has honed her photography, videography, and photojournalism skills.

With a particular love of experiencing all manner of wildlife interactions, Irene is an active volunteer and member of many global wildlife organizations.

These include Not-For-Profit organizations, many of which benefit from regular donations from her photography business profits.

She shares her adventures in the hope to raise awareness of conservation and environmental issues, using her platform to inspire, support, and enact change.

Irene says: “We are all stewards of our planet. Between us all, we can help secure the future of our world and the plants and animals within it. It only needs to start with one person…”

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