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Chocolate Wattled Bat (Chalinolobus morio)

The Chocolate Wattled Bat is a small, insect-eating microbat found widely across eastern and southern Australia, including Tasmania and parts of central Australia. Hollow-bearing trees, buildings and other roosts can support daytime colonies and maternity groups, so clearing or demolition can affect several bats at once. It is generally listed as least concern, but all wildlife is protected in Victoria, and Queensland treats it as a colonial breeder for breeding-place management.

Conservation status

Queensland, Nature Conservation Act 1992: Colonial breeder. Least concern in Queensland, but it breeds in colonies, so tampering with a breeding place needs a high risk species management program rather than the low risk program.

Breeding season

Chocolate Wattled Bats mate in April to May, with pregnancy recorded from August to November. Births and lactation extend from late spring into summer, while young remain dependent through January to March. Southern populations hibernate in winter, and timing may shift with local climate and conditions.

Breeding mode: Colonial breeder. Females gather in larger maternity colonies and use a crèche system, with some adults remaining with the young while others forage.

Litter size: Usually one young, sometimes two, per female each year.

Gestation: Not recorded.

Young development: Mothers suckle young for 6 to 8 weeks. Young are almost adult size and ready to fly at about 6 to 8 weeks, with independence recorded at 2 to 3 months.

Age at maturity: About 1 year.

Breeding places and colony sizes: Maternity roosts may occur in tree hollows, buildings, caves, under bark, disused birds' nests and other structures. Day roosts are usually about 10 to 20 bats. Other reported colonies range from 6 to 70 females, or 20 to a few hundred bats.

Recognising and protecting an active breeding place: Look for repeated bat use, dusk emergence, fresh droppings, pregnant or lactating females, pups and adults remaining in a crèche. Use acoustic detection, emergence watches, harp traps or mist nets, and inspect hollows with an endoscope or pole camera where safe. Retain the roost and hollow-bearing tree. If removal cannot be avoided, use staged or soft felling, exclude bats outside the maternity season, and treat bat boxes as supplementary habitat only. Regular roosts may be reused, so colonies need special care because disturbance can affect many bats and dependent young at one site.

Breeding and hibernation timing can vary between years and regions, with warmer areas likely to differ from cooler southern populations.

  • Mating: Mating is recorded in April to May, before the winter pregnancy period.
  • Pregnancy: Pregnancy has been recorded from August to November.
  • Births and lactation: Births occur in late spring or early summer, and lactating females are recorded from November to January.
  • Dependent young: Young are dependent from January to March and may remain in a crèche while mothers forage.
  • Nocturnal foraging and roost activity: Adults are nocturnal and forage outside the roost, but activity is reduced during winter hibernation in southern Australia.
  • Winter hibernation in southern Australia: Southern populations hibernate during winter, although the exact timing varies with local temperatures and food availability.
  • Highest clearing risk: The highest risk is November to March, when maternity colonies, pups and dependent young may be present, and works should avoid active breeding places.

Identification: Appearance and measurements

The Chocolate Wattled Bat is a small, brown microbat with distinctive fleshy wattles around the mouth and ears. It is usually active at night and may be difficult to identify confidently without close examination, photographs or an experienced bat ecologist.

Fur is usually uniform chocolate brown on the back and belly. The head is distinctly domed, with a pug like profile. Small fleshy lobes hang from the lower lip and from the bases of the ears.

The ears are short and rounded. Adult measurements can overlap with other small vespertilionid bats, so measurements should be combined with facial features and call information.

  • Body length about 60 mm.
  • Adult forearm length 34 to 42 mm.
  • Tail length 45 to 50 mm.
  • Weight usually 8 to 11 g in non-pregnant adults.

Identification: Calls and similar species

The species uses high frequency echolocation, with calls recorded at about 50 kHz. This is above the usual human hearing range, which extends to about 15 kHz.

An Anabat or similar detector can help locate activity and identify likely bat groups. Call analysis should be treated as supporting evidence, not as the only basis for a species identification, particularly where several small microbats occur together.

  • No particular similar species is identified in the available species profiles.
  • Use a combination of call analysis, habitat, roost evidence and, where authorised, close examination.

Identification: Field signs

Look below hollow trees, building roof spaces, bridges and other possible roosts for small dark pellets. Droppings may accumulate on ledges, walls, beams or the ground below an entrance, but their absence does not rule out a roost.

Dark staining, worn entry edges, urine marks, a musky odour and bat squeaks can help identify a regularly used roost. These signs are not always present and should be interpreted with emergence observations or internal inspection.

Disused birds' nests, including Fairy Martin nests, may provide shelter. Do not disturb a suspected roost while searching for signs.

  • Small dark droppings below an entrance.
  • Bat squeaks or movement during a daytime inspection.
  • A concentrated emergence of bats at dusk.
  • Repeated use of the same hollow or building opening.

Distribution: Australian range

The Chocolate Wattled Bat is widespread and common in eastern and southern Australia. Records extend across all Australian states and territories listed for the species, although local abundance depends on suitable roosts, hollow-bearing trees and nearby insect habitat.

The species occurs in New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. It is widespread in eastern and southern mainland Australia, occurs in Tasmania, and has scattered populations in central Australia.

It is extremely common in Victoria and has been recorded in Melbourne suburbs. Local records should still be checked before works because a broad distribution does not show whether a particular site contains a colony or maternity roost.

  • Eastern and southern mainland Australia.
  • Tasmania.
  • Scattered parts of central Australia.
  • Urban, rural and forested landscapes.

Distribution: Local distribution on works sites

On a project site, focus on connected patches of mature trees, creek lines, remnant woodland, older rural trees and buildings with roof or wall cavities. A small site can still be used if it contains a suitable hollow or provides access to a nearby roost.

The species can forage across a broad area. A recorded foraging home range is up to 10 km, so impacts may extend beyond the clearing footprint where a roost is removed or access is blocked.

  • Map all hollow-bearing trees and potential building roosts before design and clearing.
  • Check adjacent retained vegetation and structures, not only the area to be cleared.
  • Consider nearby records and habitat connectivity when assessing likely use.

Habitat: Vegetation types

Chocolate Wattled Bats use a range of modified and natural landscapes. The strongest site clues are mature trees with hollows, older dead trees, buildings and other structures that provide sheltered cavities close to insect-rich habitat.

The species has been recorded in wet and dry sclerophyll forest, woodland, mallee, farmland and suburban areas. Forests, rural remnants and urban trees can all provide suitable habitat.

Retain large old trees wherever practicable, including living trees, standing dead trees and trees with broken limbs or loose bark. These features may take many decades to develop.

  • Wet sclerophyll forest.
  • Dry sclerophyll forest.
  • Woodland and mallee.
  • Farmland with mature scattered trees.
  • Urban parks, streets and backyards with old trees.

Habitat: Features to map before works

During pre clearing inspections, map hollow-bearing trees, loose bark, dead limbs, tree cavities, old bird nests and structures with roof or wall spaces. Record whether openings are low, high, exposed, sheltered, vertical or covered by bark.

Creek lines, forest edges and retained vegetation may provide sheltered flight paths between roosts and feeding areas. Avoid isolating retained hollow-bearing trees where the project layout can be adjusted.

  • Trees with visible hollows or cracks.
  • Large dead or partly dead trees.
  • Loose bark and broken branches.
  • Buildings, sheds, bridges, culverts and roof spaces.
  • Vegetated links between roosting and feeding areas.

Foraging habitat: Food and hunting areas

The Chocolate Wattled Bat feeds at night on flying insects. It is a fast, agile flyer that twists and turns below or around the tree canopy, often close to its roost.

Moths are a major food item. Other recorded prey includes beetles, bugs, ants, flies, lacewings, wasps and termites.

The species has been recorded flying below the tree canopy and foraging in forests, woodlands, farmland and suburbs. Areas with mature vegetation, edge habitat and insect activity may be used even when no roost is visible.

  • Tree canopies and lower canopy spaces.
  • Forest and woodland edges.
  • Open areas near mature trees.
  • Farmland and suburban vegetation.
  • Areas with night-flying insects and low levels of artificial disturbance.

Foraging habitat: Project considerations

A roost may remain in use while bats forage over land that is partly cleared or developed. Protect retained vegetation around known or suspected roosts and avoid unnecessary lighting directed at tree lines, building entrances and flight paths.

Insecticide use can reduce prey and may directly affect insectivorous bats. Consider whether lighting, dust, noise, vegetation removal or chemical use will reduce the value of retained habitat.

  • Keep links between roost trees and retained vegetation where feasible.
  • Use sensitive lighting near roost entrances and likely flight paths.
  • Limit broad insecticide use near known roosts.
  • Schedule noisy or bright work away from active roost entrances where practicable.

Breeding habitat: Breeding period

Females gather during the warmer months and form larger maternity groups than ordinary day roosts. A roost where young are raised is a breeding place, even if the colony is inside a tree, building or other structure.

Mating is recorded in April to May. Pregnancy occurs from August to November, lactation from November to January, and dependent young from January to March. Other Victorian guidance describes births as occurring in late spring or early summer.

Females usually give birth to one young, sometimes two. Young are left in the roost while mothers feed and become close to adult size and ready to fly after about 6 to 8 weeks. Dependent young may remain associated with the roost into January to March.

  • Pregnant females: August to November.
  • Lactating females: November to January.
  • Young dependent: January to March.
  • Births: generally late spring to early summer.

Breeding habitat: Breeding-place features

Known or reported shelter types include tree hollows, buildings, caves, loose bark, disused birds' nests and other man-made structures. The species profile specifically identifies tree hollows and buildings, while records also include caves in the Nullarbor area.

On a works site, treat any suitable cavity with evidence of female use, pups or repeated activity as a potential maternity roost until assessed by a suitably experienced ecologist.

  • Large old trees with enclosed hollows.
  • Roof and wall cavities in buildings.
  • Loose bark and disused bird nests.
  • Caves or other enclosed structures where present.
  • Bridges, culverts or similar structures as broader microbat possibilities.

Breeding habitat: Confirming a maternity roost

Confirmation is strongest when pregnant or lactating females, pups or dependent young are recorded. An emergence watch at dusk can show the number and timing of bats leaving a cavity, but it does not by itself confirm breeding.

Use acoustic detectors, such as Anabat or similar equipment, to locate activity and assess repeated use. Harp traps or mist nets may assist with identification when legally authorised and supervised by experienced personnel. Inspect tree cavities with an endoscope or pole camera only where this can be done safely and without harming bats.

  • Look for pregnant or lactating females.
  • Look for pups or dependent young.
  • Carry out dusk emergence watches.
  • Use acoustic detection to identify repeated activity.
  • Use harp traps or mist nets only under an approved, competent survey program.

Sheltering habitat: Natural roosts

During the day, Chocolate Wattled Bats shelter in enclosed spaces that provide darkness, stable conditions and protection from weather. Roosts may be natural or built, and a site can contain several roost options used at different times.

Tree hollows are a major shelter type, especially in large old trees. Both living and dead hollow-bearing trees can be used. Other reported natural or semi-natural sites include loose bark, disused birds' nests and caves.

Do not assume that a small opening is unused. A cavity may be occupied even when bats are not visible during a daytime inspection.

  • Tree hollows and broken limbs.
  • Loose bark.
  • Disused birds' nests, including Fairy Martin nests.
  • Caves, including recorded cave roosts in the Nullarbor area.
  • Dead and living hollow-bearing trees.

Sheltering habitat: Built structures

Buildings, roof spaces and wall cavities can provide roosts in rural, industrial and suburban settings. Bridges, culverts and other enclosed structures should also be assessed as potential microbat habitat where access and conditions are suitable.

Before demolition, roofing work or cavity sealing, inspect entry points and internal spaces. A building that appears empty in daylight may still support bats at night.

  • Sheds and houses.
  • Roof and wall spaces.
  • Bridges and culverts.
  • Other enclosed man-made structures with small access gaps.

Sheltering habitat: Managing a suspected roost

Retain the roost where possible. If work must occur, use a staged approach led by a suitably experienced fauna ecologist. For hollow-bearing trees, two-stage or soft felling can reduce the chance of crushing or trapping bats, but it does not replace a pre clearing assessment or an approved management plan.

Exclusion devices may be appropriate for building roosts outside the maternity season. They should not be used while flightless young may be present, and all access points must be assessed so that bats are not sealed inside. Bat boxes can provide supplementary habitat, but they are not an automatic replacement for a mature hollow or maternity roost.

  • Inspect before clearing, demolition or cavity sealing.
  • Use two-stage or soft felling for suitable hollow-bearing trees where required.
  • Use exclusion devices only outside the maternity period and under an approved method.
  • Install bat boxes as supplementary habitat, not as the sole replacement for a lost roost.

Colonies and breeding places: What a colony looks like

Chocolate Wattled Bats are colonial breeders. A colony or maternity roost may be a small group in one hollow or a larger group spread through a building, tree or other structure, so one breeding place can represent a substantial part of the local population.

Ordinary daytime colonies are commonly about 10 to 20 bats. Other records describe colonies of 20 to a few hundred, while female groups of 6 to 70 have also been recorded. Maternity colonies are generally larger than routine day roosts, but their size can vary between sites and seasons.

Females may gather during the breeding season while males often roost alone. The young remain together in the roost while most mothers leave to feed, creating a crèche with a few adults remaining behind.

  • Bats clustered in a tree hollow or building cavity.
  • Repeated emergence from one entrance at dusk.
  • Females gathered together during the breeding season.
  • Pups or dependent young visible inside a cavity.
  • Droppings beneath an entrance or on an internal ledge.

Colonies and breeding places: Recognising an active breeding place

Use more than one observation. A maternity roost is best supported by evidence of pregnant or lactating females, pups or dependent young, repeated emergence, and use of the same cavity over more than one observation period.

Acoustic activity can locate a likely roost, but detector records alone do not prove that young are present. Where safe and authorised, an endoscope or pole camera can help confirm occupation without opening or damaging the cavity.

  • Pregnant or lactating females.
  • Pups or young that cannot fly.
  • A crèche of young with a few adults remaining.
  • Repeated emergence at dusk from the same opening.
  • Fresh droppings or other concentrated roost signs.

Colonies and breeding places: Site fidelity and special care

Microbats have regular roosting sites and may return to them. A roost can be used seasonally, intermittently or by different groups, so a quiet inspection does not prove that it has been abandoned.

Queensland transport guidance treats microbats as colonial breeders because they form colonies during the breeding season. In Queensland, tampering with the breeding place of a least concern colonial breeder requires the higher risk species management program pathway under the Nature Conservation (Animals) Regulation 2020, rather than the low risk pathway used for other least concern animals.

  • Avoid removing or sealing a suspected roost until its status is assessed.
  • Keep machinery, bright lighting and personnel away from entrances where practicable.
  • Plan work outside the maternity period where feasible.
  • Obtain the required Queensland species management approval before tampering with a breeding place.

Threats: Clearing and loss of hollow-bearing trees

The main development risks are loss of hollow-bearing trees, disturbance or removal of roosts, and loss of feeding habitat. Even where the species is common, a maternity roost can support many bats and deserves site-specific controls.

Land clearing removes both roosts and nearby feeding habitat. Large old trees, including dead trees, are especially valuable because suitable hollows are limited and take a long time to form.

Map and retain hollow-bearing trees during design. Where removal cannot be avoided, use a competent fauna spotter catcher and ecologist, inspect cavities, and apply an approved staged felling method.

  • Avoid removing large old trees where practicable.
  • Retain dead and living hollow-bearing trees.
  • Protect retained trees from root damage, fill, compaction and limb removal.
  • Inspect all cavities before felling.

Threats: Demolition, construction and disturbance

Roofing, demolition, bridge works, culvert works and cavity sealing can trap or injure bats. Noise, vibration, dust and lighting can also cause bats to abandon a roost or alter access.

Do not block an entrance or start demolition until a roost assessment is complete. If exclusion is needed, schedule it outside the maternity season and confirm that bats and young have left.

  • Check buildings and structures before demolition or refurbishment.
  • Avoid sealing access points while bats may be inside.
  • Use staged works and exclusion devices only under an approved method.
  • Keep bright lighting away from roost entrances and likely flight paths.

Threats: Loss of feeding habitat and insect prey

Clearing for agriculture, forestry, housing and infrastructure can reduce insect-rich vegetation around roosts. Insecticides may affect bats directly or reduce their food supply.

Retain connected vegetation, canopy cover and edge habitat where feasible. Manage chemicals carefully near known or suspected roosts and follow the project environmental management plan.

  • Retain vegetation around roosts and along flight paths.
  • Limit unnecessary night lighting near retained habitat.
  • Avoid broad insecticide use near known roosts.
  • Maintain suitable vegetation around waterways, forest edges and remnant trees.

Threats: Handling, disease and compliance

Members of the public and untrained workers should not handle bats. Some Australian bats can carry Australian Bat Lyssavirus, although the chance of disease transmission is very low. Any person who is bitten or scratched should seek urgent medical advice.

All wildlife is protected in Victoria. The species is not listed as threatened nationally or under the conservation listings summarised for Australia, but local approvals, wildlife permits and Queensland colonial breeder requirements still apply where relevant.

  • Use trained personnel for capture, inspection and release.
  • Keep workers away from grounded or injured bats.
  • Record and report incidents through the project fauna and environmental management procedures.
  • Confirm state and territory approval requirements before works begin.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Survey for Chocolate Wattled Bats should combine habitat inspection, acoustic detection and targeted roost searches. Use a qualified ecologist and fauna spotter catcher where works may affect hollow-bearing trees, buildings, bridges, culverts or other potential roosts.

Map hollow-bearing trees, dead trees, buildings, bridges, culverts, caves, disused mines, loose bark and other structures that could provide shelter.

Review previous records and nearby habitat, including forests, woodlands, farmland, mallee and urban areas.

Treat connected hollow-bearing habitat as potentially important even where no bats are recorded during a single survey.

  • Check whether the project may affect matters protected under the EPBC Act, and seek a referral decision where required.
  • Check state and territory wildlife requirements before survey, capture, handling, exclusion or tree removal.
  • In Queensland, determine whether the work affects a breeding place of a least concern colonial breeder and whether a high risk species management program is required.

Survey methodology: 2. Acoustic and activity surveys

Use Anabat or a similar full spectrum or zero crossing detector to record echolocation activity around potential roosts and flight paths.

The species has been reported with calls around 50 kHz, but call frequency alone is not sufficient for a confident identification.

Place detectors near hollow-bearing trees, buildings, bridges, culverts, cave entrances and likely flyways. Use more than one detector where the site contains separate habitat areas.

Survey from before sunset through the main evening activity period. Repeat surveys across suitable nights where the risk to roosts or colonies is high.

Avoid strong wind, heavy rain and unusually cold conditions. Record the weather and any conditions that may reduce bat activity.

  • Record detector type, location, date, start and finish time, weather, habitat, call files and the method used for species identification.
  • Record passes, feeding buzzes, emergence activity and repeated use of a location.
  • Use an experienced call analyst where calls cannot be separated confidently from other microbats.

Survey methodology: 3. Roost and breeding place assessment

Inspect accessible tree hollows, loose bark, buildings, roof spaces, bridges, culverts, caves and mines during daylight, without blocking entrances or disturbing bats.

Use an endoscope or pole camera only where this can be done safely and without damaging the roost. Do not insert equipment into a cavity containing bats, pups or a maternity group.

Complete emergence watches from a position that does not obstruct the entrance. Record the number of bats, emergence time, direction of travel and any return activity.

A maternity roost is confirmed by pregnant or lactating females, dependent pups, or repeated observations of adults provisioning or returning to a roost where young are present.

  • Treat a tree or structure as an active breeding place until a suitably qualified person confirms otherwise.
  • Record roost entrance height, tree or structure type, hollow characteristics, signs of use, bat numbers, photographs and GPS location.
  • Do not rely on a daytime inspection alone. Bats may remain deep in hollows or roof spaces.

Survey methodology: 4. Timing and survey interpretation

Schedule the highest level of breeding place assessment from late winter through summer. Pregnancy has been recorded from August to November, lactation from November to January, and dependent young from January to March.

Females give birth in spring or early summer, usually to one young and sometimes two. Southern populations may hibernate during winter.

Reported daytime colonies are commonly about 10 to 20 bats. Other records describe colonies of 20 to a few hundred and female groups of 6 to 70. Treat these figures as indicative, not as a site threshold.

  • Use repeat visits when results are negative but suitable roost habitat is present.
  • Do not interpret low detector activity as proof that a hollow or building is unused.
  • Escalate any suspected colony, maternity roost or breeding place to the project ecologist before works continue.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Avoidance and design

Plan the work around the roost, not just around the tree or structure being removed. Retain suitable habitat wherever possible and resolve approvals, exclusion and contingency arrangements before clearing begins.

Retain large old trees with hollows, including living and dead trees, wherever practicable.

Redesign access tracks, building footprints, service routes and crane areas to avoid hollow-bearing trees and occupied buildings or structures.

Retain a connected group of roost trees where possible. Do not isolate a single hollow tree if surrounding clearing will remove safe flight paths or nearby habitat.

Keep potential roost entrances open and avoid lighting them during the active period.

  • Mark all retained trees and structures on site plans and in the field.
  • Use a site-specific buffer around each confirmed or suspected roost. Set the buffer with the ecologist after considering the roost, colony, machinery and disturbance type.
  • Do not apply an arbitrary clearance distance where the roost risk has not been assessed.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Approvals, permits and work controls

Check EPBC Act requirements before works start. The Chocolate Wattled Bat is not listed under the EPBC Act, but a project may still require assessment for other protected matters or actions.

Obtain applicable state or territory approvals for native wildlife, tree removal, cave or mine access, capture, handling, exclusion and relocation.

In Queensland, assess whether tampering with a breeding place of this least concern colonial breeder requires a high risk species management program under the Nature Conservation (Animals) Regulation 2020. Do not substitute the low risk program used for other least concern animals.

Use only authorised and appropriately qualified people for fauna spotting, capture, handling, exclusion and relocation.

  • Place approval conditions, the fauna management plan, contact details and stop work procedures in the site office and crew vehicles.
  • Nominate the project ecologist and the spotter catcher who can stop work.
  • Confirm an injured animal pathway before clearing, including a wildlife carer or veterinarian with bat experience.
  • Include Australian Bat Lyssavirus safety procedures in the project risk assessment.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Pre-clearance survey and exclusion

Complete a pre-clearance inspection shortly before works. Recheck hollows and structures that were previously occupied or could conceal bats.

Do not exclude bats from a maternity roost while pregnant females, lactating females or dependent young may be present.

Where exclusion is approved, use a one-way device or another humane method designed by the ecologist. Install and monitor it outside the maternity period and confirm that no bats or young remain before removal or sealing.

Do not seal, foam, fell or cover a roost entrance without an approved method and confirmation that the structure is vacant.

  • Inspect adjacent trees and structures because bats may move between roosts.
  • Provide suitable alternative roosts before exclusion where the ecologist considers them appropriate.
  • Use soft felling or staged removal for hollow-bearing trees. Plan the final removal only after the hollow has been assessed and the tree is confirmed suitable for the next step.
  • Stop and reassess if bats emerge, return, call from inside the structure or show signs of distress.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Crew induction and timing

Induct every worker in the appearance of the Chocolate Wattled Bat, likely roosts, colony signs and the stop work process.

Schedule the most disruptive work outside the maternity period wherever practicable. Allow for the local climate and the breeding information for the site.

There is no established migration period requiring a separate passage restriction. Southern bats may hibernate in winter, so avoid disturbing torpid bats and seek ecological advice before entering winter roosts.

  • Tell operators not to start machinery near a marked roost until the spotter catcher gives clearance.
  • Keep noise, vibration, dust and lighting away from retained roost entrances.
  • Brief workers never to touch or pick up a bat, even if it appears calm or unable to fly.
  • Provide clean gloves, a secure container and a bat carrier only for use by authorised personnel.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Sequential clearing

Clear in a controlled sequence and keep the fauna spotter catcher close enough to stop the operation immediately. A colony or breeding place can contain many more bats than are visible from the ground.

Remove non habitat vegetation first, then work towards retained and occupied roost habitat under the direction of the spotter catcher.

Use staged or soft felling for hollow-bearing trees. Lower sections slowly where practicable and allow time for bats to leave before further cutting.

Do not fell a tree directly onto another hollow-bearing tree, building, bridge or known flight path.

Keep machinery outside the agreed buffer until the ecologist confirms that the next stage can proceed.

  • Use a pause between cuts and inspect each section for bats before moving it.
  • Keep a safe escape route for flying bats and workers.
  • Stop work if a hollow collapses, a roof space opens, or a previously unknown cavity is exposed.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Stop work and active breeding places

The spotter catcher must have authority to stop work without delay.

If a colony, maternity roost, active breeding place, pup or roosting bat is found, stop the affected activity and establish a temporary exclusion zone.

Do not move the tree, structure, debris or bat until the ecologist has assessed the situation and confirmed the lawful response.

Assume that a roost containing pups is active even if only adult bats are seen leaving at dusk.

  • Protect the entrance from machinery, people, smoke, dust and artificial light.
  • Record the location, bat numbers, life stage, behaviour, photographs and the activity that caused the discovery.
  • Contact the project ecologist and relevant regulator where the approval or Queensland SMP requires notification.
  • Change the work method, timing or design if the active breeding place cannot be safely avoided.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Handling and injured animals

Only authorised people may capture, handle, examine or relocate a bat.

Do not handle bats with bare hands. Use the approved equipment and personal protective equipment, and follow Australian Bat Lyssavirus procedures.

Keep a captured bat quiet, dark and secure. Do not give food or water unless directed by a qualified wildlife carer or veterinarian.

Use a bat experienced wildlife carer or veterinarian for injured, grounded, entangled or apparently sick animals.

  • Do not release an injured bat without veterinary or wildlife carer advice.
  • Record the capture location, time, condition, photographs, identification, handler and destination.
  • If a person is bitten or scratched, wash the wound thoroughly and seek urgent medical advice.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Records and daily sign off

Maintain a daily fauna log for all searches, clearances, roost checks, sightings, captures, injuries, exclusions and releases.

Record the tree or structure number, GPS location, habitat, colony or roost evidence, weather, machinery, work stage and decision maker.

Keep acoustic files, photographs, inspection sheets, permits, inductions and stop work records with the project environmental records.

  • Have the spotter catcher sign off each cleared area before machinery enters.
  • Record every stop work event and the action taken before work resumes.
  • Report any death, injury, unauthorised handling, damaged roost or breach of approval conditions through the project incident system.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Immediate post clearance checks

Post clearance checks confirm that no bats have been trapped, injured or left in a damaged roost. They also provide evidence that the work controls were effective and identify changes needed for later stages.

Inspect felled hollow sections, removed roof materials, bridge cavities, culverts and debris before they are chipped, buried or transported.

Check the ground, nearby trees and structures for grounded, trapped or injured bats.

Complete an evening emergence or activity check where the ecologist considers that bats may still be using retained habitat.

  • Keep any suspected occupied hollow section undisturbed until assessed.
  • Use an authorised person to collect and secure a bat requiring care.
  • Record the result of each inspection, including no find results.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Reporting and compliance

Prepare a clearance report that identifies the work area, dates, methods, personnel, survey results, roost findings, animals handled and any incidents.

Submit notifications and reports required by permits, approval conditions, the Queensland SMP or the relevant state authority.

Report suspected illegal disturbance of protected wildlife to the relevant wildlife authority.

  • Update the site map with retained trees, removed structures, confirmed roosts, exclusion devices and replacement roosts.
  • Provide the landholder and construction manager with the final fauna constraints map.
  • Retain records for the period required by the approval or management program.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Relocated and released animals

Confirm where each relocated or rehabilitated bat was taken and who accepted responsibility for it.

Release recovered bats only on advice from the wildlife carer or veterinarian and in accordance with the approval and site management plan.

Where a bat has been excluded from a building or other structure, check that it can leave and reach suitable nearby habitat.

  • Monitor the replacement or retained roost after release or exclusion where the risk warrants it.
  • Do not move bats to an unrelated site simply because it is convenient.
  • Record follow up observations, detector results and any evidence of return or renewed roost use.

After habitat disturbance: 4. Incident review

Review every injury, death, failed exclusion, unexpected colony or breeding place discovery before the next clearing stage.

Ask whether the survey, timing, exclusion method, induction or supervision needs to change.

Update the fauna management plan and brief the crew again before work resumes.

  • Use the review to improve later stages and similar projects.
  • Escalate repeated failures or unexpected impacts to the regulator and project ecologist.
  • Close the incident only after corrective actions are complete and recorded.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore roosting habitat

Rehabilitation should restore roosting habitat, insect prey habitat and safe movement through the site. Replacement structures can assist, but they do not replace mature hollow-bearing trees in the short term.

Retain living and dead hollow-bearing trees wherever safe and practicable.

Protect retained trees from soil compaction, root damage, pruning, fire, stored materials and construction lighting.

Allow retained logs and hollow sections to remain on site where safe and where the ecologist considers them suitable for continued use.

Restore a connected mix of trees, understorey and open flight space around retained roosts.

  • Use local native species suited to the site and future hollow development.
  • Protect regeneration so replacement hollow-bearing trees can mature.
  • Do not remove standing dead trees solely because they look untidy if they are safe to retain.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Replacement roost structures

Use bat boxes, artificial roost structures or retained hollow sections only where the ecologist considers them suitable for the species and site.

Place replacement roosts before exclusion or clearing where practicable, and keep entrances free from branches, fencing and artificial light.

Use several designs or locations where the site has lost different roost types, rather than assuming one box will replace a tree hollow, roof space or cave.

Treat boxes as supplementary habitat. They do not provide the same range of conditions as large old trees.

  • Obtain a design and installation plan from a person experienced with Australian microbats.
  • Secure structures so they will not fall, overheat, flood or be accessed unsafely by workers.
  • Inspect boxes and artificial roosts for occupancy, damage, predators and overheating.
  • Do not install a box in a location that creates a collision risk or exposes bats to persistent bright lighting.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Nest sites and structures

The Chocolate Wattled Bat has been recorded using tree hollows, buildings, caves, loose bark and disused bird nests. Select a replacement structure that matches the roost type lost.

Do not assume that a nest box designed for birds will provide suitable bat habitat. Modify or select it for bat access, internal roughness, shelter and temperature conditions.

Use artificial nest or roost sites only after checking that the structure will not encourage conflict with occupants or create a disease or maintenance hazard.

  • Keep access routes to replacement roosts open.
  • Do not paint or treat internal surfaces with products that may harm bats.
  • Record the design, location, installation date and inspection results for every replacement structure.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Vegetation, water and lighting

Replant native trees and understorey that support night flying insects and provide cover between roosts and feeding areas.

Control weeds without contaminating hollows, water points or bat boxes.

Retain or restore clean water sources where they form part of the local habitat, while avoiding stagnant water and structures that trap wildlife.

Use low spill, motion controlled lighting near retained roosts and flight paths. Keep lights directed away from entrances and vegetation.

  • Avoid broad scale insecticide use near retained roosts and foraging habitat.
  • Use shields, warm spectrum fittings and the lowest practical light level where lighting cannot be avoided.
  • Maintain safe access for monitoring without lighting the roost entrance during emergence.

Rehabilitation actions: 5. Long term monitoring

Monitor retained roost trees, replacement boxes and artificial structures during suitable weather and at appropriate times of year.

Use emergence watches, acoustic detectors and inspection methods that do not disturb bats.

Give additional attention to the breeding period from late winter through summer, including the period when young are dependent from January to March.

  • Record occupancy, colony size estimates, evidence of pups, roost condition, surrounding vegetation and lighting.
  • Compare results with the baseline survey and investigate a sudden loss of activity.
  • Set the monitoring period and frequency in the approval or management plan, with extra checks after storms, fire, tree failure or construction changes.

Sources