Backyard Buddies: No need to go Batty

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01 Sep 2011

Flying-foxes, also known as Bats, Fruit Bats, or Megabats, have been in the news a lot lately as the carriers of the Hendra virus. But Backyard Buddies wants you to know that Flying-foxes are very important buddies to have around.

Backyard Buddies is a free program run by Australia’s Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife. Each month, you get a Backyard Buddies email (B-mail) with tips to make your backyard inviting and safe for native animals. Flying-foxes featured in September B-mail. Sign up for B-mail and download a free factsheet about Flying-foxes at www.backyardbuddies.net.au.

“Australia needs its Flying-foxes,” said Mr Steve Corbett, CEO of the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife. “Though they are often called ‘Fruit Bats’, this is a bit of a misnomer as they usually eat nectar, pollen and some bush fruits. They only eat fruit grown by people when their usual diet is in short supply.”

“Flying-foxes play an amazing role in Australia’s forests by pollinating many plants and trees, including almost all of our hardwoods and many native plant species. Some rainforest plants can only be pollinated by Flying-foxes. And they even assist in the production of honey. We have a lot to thank Flying-foxes for.”

“Flying-foxes are highly nomadic in their search for food. They regularly travel long distances and can drop thousands of seeds during their nightly forays. Flying-foxes can even be thanked for linking up fragmented areas of forest that have become cut off from each other due to their dispersal of seeds during the journey between them,” said Mr Corbett.

“Enjoy the Flying-foxes around your area. They help ensure that many industries, as well as Australia’s eucalypt forests, Melaleucaforests and rainforests remain healthy.”

“More than anything, Flying-foxes need our help,” Mr Corbett said. “Two of Australia’s Flying-fox species are listed as vulnerable under Federal legislation—the Grey-headed Flying-fox, which lives on the east coast of Australia from southern Queensland to Victoria, and the Spectacled Flying-fox which lives in north-east Queensland.”

“Australia is also home to the Little Red Flying-fox, which is widespread in northern Australia including north-western coastal WA, northern NT, north-east Queensland, most of NSW, VIC and ACT. We also have the Black Flying-fox which also lives along the north coast of Australia from the north-east corner of NSW, QLD coast, NT north coast, and the WA north coast.”

There are a number of ways people can help Flying-foxes:

Plant native nectar giving trees such as Eucalypts, Lilly-Pillies, Melaleucas, Banksias, Tea-Trees, Wattles and Native Figs.
Avoid using black monofilament throwover netting as it is deadly to Flying-foxes and many other native animals includingbirds and possums, as it is difficult for these animals to see and they get tangled in the netting, and can die. Use only animal-safe netting to protect fruit trees.
Remove or replace barbed wire fences with animal friendly alternatives.
Keep cats indoors as much as possible and train dogs to ignore bats.
Call a local wildlife carer if you see a sick or injured Flying-fox.
Do not handle or touch Flying-foxes. If you leave them alone they are harmless.

“There is no evidence to suggest that culling bats would stop the spread of Hendra,” said Mr Corbett, “but it would certainly damage Australia’s forests and have a negative impact on the many industries and plant species which rely on Flying-foxes as pollinators.”

“Flying-foxes arenot like microbats,which use echolocation and sound to navigate. Flying-foxes use their great eyesight and their sense of smell. They can use lights and buildings in our cities as landmarks to navigate by during their travels in search of food,” said Mr Corbett. “They are really quite amazing animals.”

Share your Flying-fox and native animal photos on www.facebook.com/backyardbuddies.

Backyard Buddies: No need to go Batty

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