Golden-tipped Bat
Phoniscus papuensis
Australia's Threatened Species Category
Not Listed
Listed since: 0/01/1900
IUCN's Threatened Species Category
Vulnerable
Listed since: 10/12/2020
Population trend: Unknown
Other names: None
Priority Species? No
The Australian government's Threatened Species Action Plan 2022-2032 selected over 100 priority species derive from consultation with threatened species experts and the wider community. While all species are important, focusing on a limited number of species can help target effort and resources so that outcomes can be achieved, measured and shared.
Description
Until 1981 it was thought that Golden-tipped Bats were extinct in Australia and only living in Papua New Guinea. However they have since been widely found in eastern Australia but are uncommon. Golden-tipped Bats roost in abandoned hanging birds nests in rainforest, and in tree hollows in rainforest and feed almost entirely on orb-weaving spiders. They can hover and fly slowly, which helps them to get through the thick vegetation where they hunt for prey.
Threats
Golden-tipped Bats are vulnerable to loss of feeding habitat by forestry operations, and clearing and land degradation from agriculture. Much of its preferred rainforest habitat has already been destroyed.
Quollity Conservation Hub's Vulnerability Score:
38
To help compare the relative vulnerability of different species, we have developed a scoring system based on biological and ecological characteristics that influence a species' ability to survive and recover from environmental change and natural disasters.
The framework is adapted from assessment methods used by conservation experts following the Black Summer bushfires to help identify species most in need of conservation action, research, and recovery funding.
Each species is assessed using a range of factors, including its conservation status, lifespan, reproductive rate, habitat and dietary requirements, ability to disperse or recover after fire, and the number and severity of threats it faces.
In general, the higher a species' score, the greater its overall vulnerability and risk of decline or extinction.
Like all conservation assessments, this scoring system is limited by the information currently available. Many threatened species remain poorly studied and receive limited research funding, meaning some assessments rely on the best available scientific knowledge or information from closely related species. As new research becomes available, scores may be updated to reflect our improved understanding.