{{Short description|Species of bat}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}} {{speciesbox | name = Little Forest Bat | image = Vespadelus vulturnus thumb.jpg | status = LC | status_system = IUCN3.1 | status_ref = <ref name="iucn">{{cite iucn |author=Lumsden, L.F. |author2=Reardon, T.B. |author3=Armstrong, K.N. |year=2021 |amends=2020 |title=''Vespadelus vulturnus'' |volume=2021 |article-number=e.T7945A209533303 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T7945A209533303.en |access-date=20 December 2023}}</ref> | genus = Vespadelus | species = vulturnus | authority = (Thomas, 1914) | synonyms = * ''Eptesicus vulturnus'' <small>Thomas, 1914</small> * ''Eptesicus pumilus vulturnus'' <small>Thomas 1914</small> * ''Vespertilio pygmaeus'' <small>Becker 1858 (not Leach 1825)</small> }}
The '''little forest bat''' ('''''Vespadelus vulturnus''''') is a species of vesper bat in the family Vespertilionidae. It is found only in south-eastern Australia, including Tasmania. It is a tiny bat often weighing less than {{convert|4|g|oz|abbr=on}} (males in some areas weigh as little as {{convert|2.5|g|oz|abbr=on}}).<ref name="Dyck, S. 2008">{{Cite book|title=The mammals of Australia|date=2007|publisher=New Holland Publishers|editor-last1=Van Dyck| editor-first1= Steve| editor-last2= Strahan| editor-first2= Ronald|isbn=978-1-877069-25-3|edition=3rd|location=Sydney|oclc=225635210|page=572}}</ref> It is sometimes referred to as Australia's smallest mammal,<ref name=Campbell2005>{{Cite journal|doi=10.1071/WR04039 |title=Day roost selection by female little forest bats (Vespadelus vulturnus) within remnant woodland on Phillip Island, Victoria |year=2005 |last1=Campbell |first1=Susan |last2=Lumsden |first2=Linda F. |last3=Kirkwood |first3=Roger |last4=Coulson |first4=Graeme |journal=Wildlife Research |volume=32 |page=183|issue=2|bibcode=2005WildR..32..183C }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|vauthors=Willis CK, Turbill C, Geiser F |title=Torpor and thermal energetics in a tiny Australian vespertilionid, the little forest bat (Vespadelus vulturnus) |journal=Journal of Comparative Physiology B |volume=175 |issue=7 |pages=479–86 |date=October 2005 |pmid=16088391 |doi=10.1007/s00360-005-0008-0|s2cid=21710868 }}</ref> although the Northern or Koopmans Pipistrelle, ''Pipistrellus westralis'', is possibly smaller, weighing on average around {{convert|3|g|oz|abbr=on}}.<ref name="Dyck, S. 2008"/> It is the smallest bat in Tasmania<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/wildlife/mammals/bats.html |title=Tasmania PWS - Wildlife - Bats |access-date=11 March 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080721025124/http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/wildlife/mammals/bats.html |archive-date=21 July 2008 }}</ref>
==Biology and ecology== The little forest bat is one of the most commonly observed bats in south-eastern Australia, it is found in a variety of habitats including Eucalypt woodlands and forests as well as in rural, semi-rural and some urban areas. It is an insectivore and roosts in tree hollows.<ref name="Dyck, S. 2008"/><ref name=Campbell2005/>
Females become sexually mature in their first year and males in their second year. It is assumed the males wake from torpor and mate with the females during winter. A single pup is born in spring (October–November).<ref>{{Cite journal | doi=10.1071/zo9930021| title=Reproduction in the Bats Vespadelus-Vulturnus, V-Regulus and V-Darlingtoni (Microchiroptera, Vespertilionidae) in Coastal South-Eastern Australia| year=1993| last1=Tidemann| first1=CR| journal=Australian Journal of Zoology| volume=41| page=21}}</ref>
==Identification== The little forest bat is very small with pale grey or brownish fur. The tragus is usually white and the skin on the face, feet and forearm is usually pinkish. Adults usually weigh between {{convert|2.5|and|5|g|oz|abbr=on}} and the forearm is usually less than {{convert|30|mm|in|abbr=on}} (mean ={{convert|28.5|mm|in|abbr=on}}). The wingspan can range up to {{convert|15|cm|in|abbr=on}} and the body length is up to {{convert|5|cm|in|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |title=Little Forest Bat |url=http://www.biodiversitysnapshots.net.au/BDRS/public/speciesInfo.htm?spid=462&mode=fieldguide |website=Biodiversity Snapshots |publisher=Museum of Victoria |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110227075310/http://www.biodiversitysnapshots.net.au/BDRS/public/speciesInfo.htm?spid=462&mode=fieldguide |archive-date=27 February 2011}}</ref> Females are slightly larger than males.<ref name="Dyck, S. 2008"/>
The little forest bat is very similar in appearance and often confused with a number of other bats that it co-occurs with ( sympatric) including Vespadelus regulus, Vespadelus darlingtoni, Vespadelus baverstocki, Vespadelus troughtoni, Vespadelus pumilus and Scotorepens greyii. Live bats can be differentiated from these species using a combination of size, relative finger bone lengths and, in males, penis shape.<ref>Sue Churchill (2008) Australian bats (Reed New Holland, Frenchs Forest) p. 177.</ref> Males have a distinctly shaped baculum. There is some variation in the morphology of this species across its range, with some taxonomists suggesting there may be cryptic species that have not yet been identified within the species.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/action/bats/6.html |title=The Action Plan for Australian Bats - Taxonomy and Selection of Taxa for This Action Plan<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=12 March 2008 |archive-date=20 February 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080220002239/http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/action/bats/6.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Echolocation call== The echolocation call of the little forest bat is regionally variable, in New South Wales the characteristic frequency of search phase calls is between 42.5 and 53 kilohertz depending on the region where it is found.<ref>{{Cite web | url=http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/surveys/Batcalls.htm | title=Bat calls of NSW - region-based guide to the echolocation calls of Microchiropteran bats | access-date=11 March 2008 | archive-date=2 March 2008 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302131153/http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/surveys/Batcalls.htm | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|vauthors=Law BS, Reinhold L, Pennay M |year=2002 |title=Geographic variation in the echolocation calls of Vespadelus spp. (Vespertilionidae) from New South Wales and Queensland, Australia |journal=Acta Chiropterologica |volume=4 |issue=2 |pages=201–215 |doi=10.3161/001.004.0208|doi-access=free }}</ref> This is more than double the maximum frequency of the human hearing range and cannot be heard without the assistance of a bat detector.
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Vespertilionidae|V.|V.}} {{Taxonbar|from=Q305691}}
Category:Bats of Australia Category:Vespadelus Category:Mammals of Tasmania Category:Mammals of South Australia Category:Mammals of New South Wales Category:Mammals of Victoria (state) Category:Mammals described in 1914 Category:Taxa named by Oldfield Thomas Category:Taxonomy articles created by Polbot