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Inland Free-tailed Bat (Ozimops petersi)

The Inland Free-tailed Bat is a small, fast-flying microbat of arid and semi-arid Australia. It may roost in small colonies in tree hollows, crevices and buildings, so clearing, demolition and bridge or culvert works can disturb roosting bats and breeding places. It is listed as least concern in Australia, but in Queensland it is treated as a colonial breeder, and tampering with a breeding place requires the higher risk species management program process.

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

The Inland Free tailed Bat breeds in spring, with heavily pregnant females recorded in late November and a single young probably born in December. Timing can vary between regions and years, so treat spring to late summer as the broader maternity period for site planning.

Breeding mode: Live bearing. The species is a colonial breeder and may use shared maternity roosts.

Breeding timing: Breeding occurs in spring. Heavily pregnant females have been recorded in late November, with birth probably in December.

Litter size: One young.

Gestation: Not recorded.

Fledging and weaning: Not recorded. Young should be treated as dependent through the warmer months unless surveys confirm otherwise.

Roosts and colonies: Roosts include tree hollows, crevices, and spaces between roof beams and corrugated iron roofs. Colonies usually contain fewer than 10 bats, but may reach 100. Other microbat breeding places can include loose bark, fissures, caves, mines, culverts, bridges and buildings.

Breeding place management: A breeding place may be confirmed by pregnant or lactating females, pups, repeated emergence activity or acoustic detections. Use acoustic survey, emergence watches and, where safe, an endoscope or pole camera. Avoid disturbing a suspected maternity roost. For hollow trees, use two stage or soft felling, apply exclusions outside the maternity season, and treat bat boxes as supplementary habitat only.

The timing may shift between years and regions, so confirm local use with acoustic monitoring, emergence watches and targeted roost inspections before clearing or disturbance.

  • Breeding and pregnancy: Spring breeding is indicated by records of heavily pregnant females in late November and a probable December birth.
  • Births and dependent young: A single young is probably born in December, and young may remain dependent into late summer.
  • Maternity colonies and breeding places: Colonial breeding places need extra care because one roost can hold a substantial share of the local population and may be shared with other microbats.
  • Roost shifts and foraging activity: The species is active year round, but individuals may move between roosts and usually spend only a couple of days at each roost where trees are sparse or habitat is agricultural.
  • Highest clearing risk: Plan clearing and construction to avoid spring to late summer, when pregnant females, pups and maternity colonies may be present.

Identification: Appearance and measurements

The Inland Free-tailed Bat is a small, compact bat with a flattened head and body. Its shape allows it to enter very narrow crevices, including gaps that may be missed during a routine building or tree inspection.

The upper fur is short and charcoal grey. The underside is paler. Bare skin is grey or pink.

The ears are triangular and are not joined across the forehead. The upper lip overhangs the lower lip and has a stiff moustache along the edge.

The average head and body length is 47 mm. The average tail length is 26.5 mm. Weight is 7.9 to 14.8 g.

Identification: Calls and echolocation

As a microbat, it uses echolocation to navigate and find flying insects. Calls are generally ultrasonic and cannot be reliably assessed by ear alone.

Use Anabat or a similar detector to record activity. Acoustic records should be interpreted by a suitably experienced ecologist because several small free tailed bats can have overlapping call features.

  • Record the detector type, location, date, time and weather.
  • Use acoustic results with habitat inspection, emergence watches and, where authorised, trapping.

Identification: Similar species

The Inland Free-tailed Bat can be confused with other small free tailed bats. The south western free tailed bat has a longer penis, measuring 4 to 5.5 mm, compared with 2 to 3 mm in the Inland Free-tailed Bat. This feature is for trained personnel and should not be used as a reason to handle bats unnecessarily.

The species was formerly included under names such as Mormopterus petersi and Mormopterus planiceps. Confirm current identification with a qualified bat ecologist where records may affect approvals or work methods.

Identification: Field signs

Look for bats clustered in a hollow, crevice, roof gap or other sheltered cavity. Emergence at dusk is often the clearest sign of an occupied roost.

Droppings may accumulate below a roost entrance or on beams and ledges. Droppings alone do not confirm this species, because other microbats may share the site.

There is no nest or whitewash typical of birds. A bat roost may have a musky odour, dark staining or polished edges around a frequently used entrance, but these signs can be subtle.

Distribution: Australian range

The Inland Free-tailed Bat occurs across much of inland Australia, particularly in arid and semi-arid country. It is recorded in New South Wales, the Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia.

The species is associated with the drier parts of southern and inland Australia. Records extend through desert and semi-desert areas, with occurrences in woodland, mallee and agricultural landscapes.

On project sites, a lack of recent records should not be treated as proof that the species is absent. Small bats can be difficult to detect, and individuals may use several roosts.

  • New South Wales
  • Northern Territory
  • Queensland
  • South Australia
  • Victoria
  • Western Australia

Distribution: Landscape context

Look for the species in landscapes containing remnant trees, tree lined drainage lines, ephemeral creeks, waterholes, mallee and open woodland. It can also occur in sparsely treed agricultural areas where suitable roosts remain.

Individuals may move between roosts where trees are scattered or vegetation has been cleared. A single inspection may therefore miss a roost used at another time.

Distribution: Pre works checks

Search the project footprint and nearby retained vegetation for hollow bearing trees, loose bark, crevices, bridges, culverts and buildings with small gaps. Map connected habitat and potential flight paths along creeks and tree lines.

Use a regional records search and consult a local bat ecologist when the project includes tree removal, demolition or work near a suspected roost.

Habitat: Vegetation and landforms

The Inland Free-tailed Bat uses a broad range of dry Australian habitats. Retained trees and sheltered structures can be valuable even where the surrounding site is highly modified.

Potential habitat includes desert, Acacia woodland, eucalypt woodland, mallee, chenopod shrubland and grassland. The species is often associated with tree lined ephemeral creeks.

Prioritise inspections in mature woodland remnants, riparian strips, scattered paddock trees and areas with old trees containing hollows or cracks.

Habitat: Features to retain

Retain hollow bearing trees, dead standing trees where safe, large limbs, loose bark and connected patches of native vegetation. These features may provide roosts even when no bats are visible during daylight.

Maintain access to waterholes, creek lines and tree lined tracks where practicable. These areas may also support insect prey and regular flight activity.

Habitat: Modified sites

The species can use agricultural areas and buildings. Inspect roof spaces, gaps between roof beams and corrugated iron, bridge joints, culverts and other dry cavities before sealing, demolishing or modifying them.

Avoid assuming that a small entrance is insignificant. The flattened body allows this bat to use very narrow openings.

Foraging habitat: Foraging areas

The Inland Free-tailed Bat eats insects and other invertebrates. It forages both in the air and close to vegetation or the ground, so activity may extend beyond the obvious tree canopy.

Look for likely foraging habitat over tree tops, waterholes, tree lined creeks and open woodland. The species also forages along tree lined tracks and over cleared areas adjoining vegetation.

It may land and scurry along tree trunks, branches and the ground while pursuing prey.

  • Ephemeral creek lines and waterholes
  • Edges of woodland and mallee
  • Open areas beside mature trees
  • Tree trunks, branches and ground litter

Foraging habitat: Site observations

Fast, high flight over trees can indicate free tailed bat activity, but visual identification at dusk is difficult. Use repeated detector activity to identify regular use of the site.

Record insect rich features, artificial lighting, water sources and retained vegetation that may influence bat movements.

Foraging habitat: Construction considerations

Limit unnecessary removal of creek line vegetation and mature scattered trees. Manage lighting near retained vegetation, roosts and water sources where practicable.

Schedule noisy or disruptive work away from confirmed roost entrances and avoid blocking regular flight routes during emergence.

Breeding habitat: Breeding season

The species breeds in spring, with heavily pregnant females recorded in late November and a single young probably born in December. As with other microbats, young are raised in a maternity roost, which is a breeding place requiring extra care.

Most microbats give birth to one pup a year during the warmer months, usually from spring to late summer. For this species, available records indicate spring breeding and a likely December birth.

Treat the warmer months as a period when roost disturbance may affect dependent young, unless a suitably qualified ecologist confirms that a site is not being used for breeding.

Breeding habitat: Maternity habitat

Potential maternity roosts include tree hollows, narrow fissures, loose bark, caves, mines, culverts, bridges and building cavities. The species may share a roost with other microbats.

A maternity roost is confirmed by pregnant or lactating females, pups, dependent juveniles or consistent emergence and re entry activity involving adults and young.

Breeding habitat: How to confirm use

Use a combination of acoustic monitoring, emergence watches and careful inspection. Anabat or similar detectors can identify repeated activity, while harp traps or mist nets may assist when approved and supervised by experienced personnel.

Inspect accessible tree hollows with an endoscope or pole camera where this can be done safely and without blocking the entrance. Do not insert equipment into a cavity if it may injure bats or disturb dependent young.

  • Survey before clearing or demolition.
  • Watch entrances from before sunset until emergence has finished.
  • Check for return flights and activity at dawn when required.
  • Use a conservative work method if breeding status cannot be resolved.

Breeding habitat: Managing breeding risk

Avoid disturbing a confirmed maternity roost while young are dependent. Where a hollow bearing tree must be removed, use a staged or soft felling approach prepared by a qualified fauna ecologist and fauna spotter catcher.

Exclusion devices should only be installed outside the maternity season and after confirming that no bats or dependent young remain inside. Do not seal an occupied roost.

Sheltering habitat: Natural roosts

The Inland Free-tailed Bat uses small, sheltered cavities and may change roosts regularly. Individuals in sparse woodland or agricultural areas may spend only a couple of days in each roost site.

Inspect tree hollows, fissures, loose bark, dead limbs and narrow cracks in trunks. The species can enter small cavities because its head and body are flattened.

Caves and abandoned mines may provide roosting habitat for microbats generally, although species use should be confirmed before works.

Sheltering habitat: Built structures

Potential roosts include spaces between roof beams and corrugated iron, building cavities, bridge joints and culverts. Small gaps around cladding, flashing and roof edges should be checked before removal or sealing.

Inspect structures at a time and in a way that avoids trapping bats inside. Keep an escape route available until occupancy has been assessed.

Sheltering habitat: Roost inspection

Look for droppings, staining, odour, fur, audible movement and bats clustered in cracks. These signs may be faint, especially where a roost is used intermittently.

Combine daytime inspection with acoustic monitoring and emergence observation. A clear cavity does not prove that it is unused.

Sheltering habitat: Roost replacement

Bat boxes can provide supplementary shelter where suitable natural roosts are retained or lost. They should not be used as the sole replacement for a confirmed maternity roost.

Install and monitor boxes under advice from a bat ecologist, with attention to orientation, heat exposure, access and protection from predators.

Colonies and breeding places: What a colony looks like

The Inland Free-tailed Bat is a colonial breeder. Colonies are usually small, often fewer than 10 bats, but may contain up to 100 individuals, so one maternity roost can represent a substantial part of the local population.

A colony may be a group of bats packed into a hollow, crack, roof cavity, bridge joint, culvert or other sheltered space. Several microbat species may share the same roost.

A maternity roost may show repeated evening emergence, return flights at dawn, squeaking or movement in the cavity, droppings below the entrance, and adults carrying on normal roost traffic.

  • Tree hollows and fissures
  • Loose bark and dead limbs
  • Caves and mines
  • Culverts, bridges and buildings
  • Gaps between roof beams and corrugated iron

Colonies and breeding places: Site fidelity and roost switching

Individuals may use several roosts and, in sparse or cleared landscapes, may spend only a couple of days at each site. This does not make an apparently empty roost safe to remove.

Colony use can vary with season, weather, breeding condition and disturbance. Survey more than one night where the project risk is high.

Colonies and breeding places: Active breeding places

A breeding place is any roost where young are raised. Confirmed indicators include pregnant or lactating females, pups, dependent juveniles, or repeated emergence from a maternity cavity.

Use acoustic monitoring, emergence watches, endoscope or pole camera inspections, and approved harp trapping or mist netting where necessary. Trapping must be led by appropriately experienced personnel and conducted under the relevant permits and animal welfare requirements.

Colonies and breeding places: Protection during works

Avoid felling, demolition, sealing or heavy disturbance at an active maternity roost. If removal is unavoidable, use a documented two stage or soft felling method, retain suitable nearby habitat and monitor for displaced bats.

In Queensland, colonial breeders receive specific management treatment. Tampering with a breeding place of a least concern colonial breeder requires the higher risk species management program process under the Nature Conservation Animals Regulation 2020, rather than the low risk process used for other least concern animals.

Threats: Loss of hollow bearing trees

The main development risks are loss of roost trees, removal of native vegetation and disturbance of occupied colonies. Risks can be reduced by locating roosts early and retaining connected habitat wherever practicable.

Clearing mature trees, dead trees and large limbs can remove roosts that take many years to form. Retain hollow bearing trees where safe, and inspect every tree proposed for removal.

Use staged or soft felling where a hollow tree contains bats or where occupancy cannot be resolved before works.

Threats: Disturbance and exclusion

Noise, vibration, lighting, demolition and sealing can cause bats to abandon a roost or trap them inside. Disturbance during the maternity season can separate females from dependent young.

Install exclusion devices only outside the maternity season and only after confirming that the roost is empty. Never exclude bats from a cavity containing pups.

Threats: Vegetation clearing and habitat fragmentation

Extensive clearing for agriculture, roads, utilities and construction removes roosts and feeding habitat. It can also break up movement routes along creeks, woodland edges and tree lined tracks.

Retain native vegetation in reserves, road verges, creek lines and farms. Protect waterholes and mature scattered trees where project design allows.

Threats: Poor detection and cumulative loss

A small, mobile bat may be missed during a single daytime inspection. A roost can also appear empty when the colony is using another nearby site.

Combine records searches, habitat assessment, acoustic monitoring and emergence watches. Treat repeated activity or shared roost use as a reason to seek specialist advice before changing the work method.

Survey methodology: 1. Desktop assessment

Survey for the Inland Free-tailed Bat should combine habitat inspection, acoustic detection and targeted roost searches. The species can use very small entrances and may move between roosts, so one negative survey should not be treated as proof that a tree, structure or work area is unused.

Map hollow-bearing trees, dead trees, standing stags, tree-lined creeks, waterholes, woodland remnants, mallee, buildings, bridges, culverts, mines, caves and other structures that could provide roosts.

Review recent records, aerial imagery, previous clearing surveys and local information. Give particular attention to isolated trees and small vegetation remnants in agricultural or cleared areas, where roost options may be limited.

Plan surveys around the likely breeding period. Microbats generally raise young in the warmer months, usually spring to late summer. The Inland Free-tailed Bat has been recorded breeding in spring, with heavily pregnant females in late November and a single young probably born in December.

  • Record habitat condition, hollow availability, access constraints, nearby water and likely flight paths.
  • Treat buildings, bridges, culverts and other structures as potential roosts even where no bats are visible during the day.

Survey methodology: 2. Acoustic and activity surveys

Use Anabat or a similar full-spectrum or zero-crossing detector at likely flyways, water points, tree lines, creek lines and around suspected roosts.

Conduct several evening surveys where practicable. Start before sunset, continue through the main emergence and for enough of the evening to cover activity around the site. Avoid strong wind, heavy rain and other conditions that reduce bat activity or detector performance.

Have a suitably experienced ecologist review call files. Acoustic records can confirm bat activity, but they may not confirm a roost or reliably separate closely related species without supporting evidence.

  • Record detector type, settings, location, date, start and finish times, weather, wind, rainfall, habitat, call files and the person who reviewed the data.
  • Use acoustic results to target emergence watches and daytime roost inspections.

Survey methodology: 3. Roost and breeding-place searches

Inspect suitable trees and structures during the day. Look for entrances, staining, droppings, urine marks, scratching, audible movement, bats in crevices and fresh guano below hollows or roof spaces.

Use an endoscope or pole camera only where it can be done safely and without harming bats. Do not block entrances or insert equipment into a suspected maternity roost.

Watch likely roosts from before sunset until emergence has finished. Use harp traps or mist nets only under an approved method and by appropriately trained and authorised personnel.

  • Confirm a maternity roost by recording pregnant or lactating females, pups, dependent young, or other direct evidence that young are being raised.
  • Record the roost type, entrance location, tree or structure condition, estimated number of bats, species evidence, photographs, observations and any signs of disturbance.
  • A colony may be fewer than 10 bats, but colonies of up to 100 have been recorded. The species may share roosts with other microbats.

Survey methodology: 4. Define the colony and breeding place

Treat a tree hollow, fissure, loose bark, cave, mine, culvert, bridge, building or similar place as a potential breeding place if microbats use it to raise young. A breeding place is more than a place where a single adult happens to shelter.

Map the full site used by the colony where possible. Include access routes, nearby alternative roosts and adjoining trees or structures that could be affected by vibration, noise, lighting or falling material.

Colonies can be difficult to locate because the species has a flattened body and can use tiny entrances. Individuals may also use several roosts and may spend only a couple of days at one roost.

  • Do not rely on a single daytime inspection where the consequences of disturbance are high.
  • Use a conservative site management approach when evidence indicates regular use but the breeding status cannot yet be resolved.

Before habitat disturbance: 1. Confirm approvals and responsibilities

Plan clearing and construction to avoid roosts and breeding places wherever practicable. Because the Inland Free-tailed Bat is a colonial breeder in Queensland, a breeding place can support many bats and may require a higher level of approval and management than an isolated shelter.

Check whether the action requires an EPBC Act referral or approval. The Inland Free-tailed Bat is not listed as endangered, vulnerable or near threatened in Australia, but other listed species, places or impacts may trigger referral obligations.

In Queensland, obtain advice from the relevant department before tampering with a breeding place of this least concern colonial breeder. A high risk species management program may be required under the Nature Conservation framework. Do not use the low risk pathway for other least concern animals unless the department confirms that it applies.

Check state and territory wildlife permits, scientific permits, animal ethics requirements, tree clearing rules, local planning conditions and project environmental approvals before work starts.

  • Nominate the project ecologist, fauna spotter catcher, site supervisor and person authorised to stop work.
  • Keep approval conditions, permits, the species management program and contact details at the work front.

Before habitat disturbance: 2. Avoid roosts and breeding places

Redesign the work area to retain occupied or suitable hollow-bearing trees, buildings, bridges, culverts and other roost structures. Retain nearby native vegetation and tree-lined creek habitat where practicable.

Set a site-specific no-go area around each confirmed or suspected roost. The ecologist should determine the area needed to prevent damage, vibration, collapse, excessive noise, lighting and loss of access.

Do not remove a maternity roost during the period when pups are dependent. For this species, plan around spring breeding and the warmer months unless surveys and the relevant authority support another timing.

  • Mark retained trees and roost structures clearly before machinery arrives.
  • Keep lighting away from entrances and flight paths. Use the lowest practical intensity, shield fittings and avoid shining lights into hollows, crevices or roof spaces.
  • Do not seal, prune, fumigate or otherwise alter a suspected roost until its use and the required approvals have been assessed.

Before habitat disturbance: 3. Prepare the pre-clearance survey

Complete a pre-clearance inspection shortly before disturbance. Recheck all hollow-bearing trees, likely structures and any place identified during acoustic or emergence surveys.

Use an endoscope or pole camera where appropriate, followed by an emergence watch if occupancy remains uncertain. Consider a harp trap or mist net survey only where necessary, lawful and safe.

Where a tree contains a hollow that may be occupied, use a two-stage or soft-felling method. The first stage should lower limbs or sections carefully, with the hollow section retained and checked before final handling.

  • Schedule the survey at a time when bats can be detected and released safely. Avoid disturbing a suspected maternity roost during the breeding period.
  • Document the tree or structure number, inspection method, findings, photographs, weather, personnel and clearance decision.
  • Stop and obtain ecological advice if pups, lactating females, a colony or repeated roost use is found.

Before habitat disturbance: 4. Plan exclusion and crew induction

Use exclusion devices only when the roost is not a maternity roost and no dependent young are present. Fit one-way devices outside the maternity season and monitor them to confirm that bats can leave and are not trapped inside.

Do not exclude bats from a structure without a replacement roost plan where the roost is regularly used or suitable alternatives are scarce.

Induct every worker and machine operator before work. Show photographs and maps of retained trees, roosts, exclusion devices, no-go areas and the stop-work process.

  • Tell crews never to handle a bat unless authorised and trained to do so.
  • Require workers to report bats, pups, droppings, unusual noise, a blocked hollow or any damaged roost immediately.
  • Include emergency contacts for the fauna spotter catcher, ecologist, wildlife carer and project supervisor.

During habitat disturbance: 1. Clear in stages

Use a staged, supervised approach to clearing. The fauna spotter catcher must have clear authority to stop work whenever a bat, colony, roost or breeding place is found or conditions differ from the approved method.

Mark the approved clearing limits and retain all nominated roost trees and structures. Clear ground cover and non-hollow vegetation first where this is consistent with the approval and safe work method.

Use sequential clearing that allows animals to move towards retained habitat. Fell hollow-bearing trees only under the approved two-stage or soft-felling procedure and with the fauna spotter catcher present.

Pause between stages so animals can leave before the next area is disturbed. Do not force bats from a maternity roost or seal an occupied entrance.

  • Keep machinery outside exclusion areas until the spotter catcher releases the area.
  • Check felled material, hollow sections, bark slabs and debris before they are moved, chipped or burned.
  • Retain hollow sections where directed and place them safely in suitable retained habitat.

During habitat disturbance: 2. Respond to a colony or breeding place

Stop work immediately if a colony, active roost, pup, pregnant or lactating female, or a place where young are being raised is found.

Move people and machinery back from the site. Prevent further vibration, lighting, noise and handling until the ecologist has assessed the situation.

Contact the project ecologist and the relevant authority where required. Follow the approved species management program, permit condition or incident direction before work resumes.

  • Do not remove, relocate or exclude a maternity colony without specific approval and a written method.
  • Do not separate pups from adults or move a hollow containing bats unless the approved fauna procedure requires it.
  • Record the location, evidence, species identification, number of bats, life stage, disturbance, photographs and all instructions received.

During habitat disturbance: 3. Handle bats safely and lawfully

Allow bats to leave naturally whenever possible. Handling must be done only by authorised, trained personnel using the approved equipment and hygiene procedures.

Keep any captured bat in a secure, dark, quiet container appropriate for short-term holding. Do not expose it to heat, cold, rain, pets, machinery or unnecessary examination.

Release or transfer the bat only under the direction of the fauna spotter catcher, ecologist, wildlife carer or permit holder.

  • Never pick up a bat with bare hands.
  • If a bat bites or scratches a person, wash the wound and follow workplace health procedures, including urgent medical advice about Australian bat lyssavirus exposure.
  • Record species, sex if known, condition, capture location, time, method, temporary holding and release or transfer details.

During habitat disturbance: 4. Manage injured or trapped animals

Stop nearby work and protect the animal from people, vehicles, machinery, heat and predators.

Call the authorised fauna handler or wildlife carer. Do not provide food, water or medication unless directed by a qualified carer or veterinarian.

If the animal is trapped in a hollow, roof space or structure, do not cut into the refuge until the ecologist has selected a safe retrieval method.

  • Photograph the situation where this can be done without delaying care.
  • Record the injury, likely cause, treatment direction, destination and outcome.
  • Report deaths, injuries, unauthorised disturbance and damage to a breeding place under the project approval and permit conditions.

After habitat disturbance: 1. Complete post-clearance checks

Post-clearance checks confirm that the approved method was followed and that no animals or roost features were left at risk. Review the result promptly, especially where clearing occurred near a colony or suspected maternity roost.

Inspect the cleared area, retained trees, hollow sections, structures and exclusion devices after each clearing stage and at the end of the activity.

Check for injured or trapped bats, exposed pups, damaged hollows, blocked entrances, fallen roost material and signs that bats are still using a disturbed area.

Keep machinery out of retained habitat until the fauna spotter catcher confirms that the area is safe and compliant.

  • Use a daytime inspection and, where required, an emergence watch or acoustic check.
  • Confirm that retained roosts remain accessible and that lighting, sediment, dust and construction material have not affected them.
  • Remove temporary exclusion devices only under the approved method.

After habitat disturbance: 2. Monitor retained and replacement roosts

Monitor confirmed roosts and any replacement bat boxes or artificial roost structures at a frequency set by the approval or management plan.

Use emergence watches, acoustic detectors, endoscope inspections or other suitable methods. Avoid repeated intrusive inspections during the breeding period.

Compare results with the pre-clearance record and investigate any decline in use, dead bats, abandoned young or new disturbance.

  • Record date, weather, observer, structure condition, bat activity, estimated numbers, evidence of breeding and any maintenance required.
  • Inspect replacement structures for heat stress, water entry, predators, damage and obstruction.
  • Keep monitoring records with the project environmental file.

After habitat disturbance: 3. Report and review incidents

Prepare a close-out report covering survey results, clearing stages, animals encountered, roosts retained or affected, handling, injuries, deaths, approvals and corrective actions.

Notify the relevant authority, approval holder and landholder of any incident within the required timeframe. Escalate any unauthorised disturbance of a breeding place immediately.

Hold a short review with the supervisor, spotter catcher and ecologist before the next similar work stage.

  • Update the site map with confirmed roosts, colony locations, replacement structures and no-go areas.
  • Record what worked, what failed and what must change in the clearing method, induction or supervision.
  • Retain call files, photographs, field sheets, permits, release records and correspondence.

Rehabilitation actions: 1. Restore native roost habitat

Rehabilitation should restore roosting, foraging and movement habitat rather than replace one isolated feature only. The Inland Free-tailed Bat uses tree hollows, crevices and roof spaces, forages over trees and water, and may share roosts with other microbats.

Retain living hollow-bearing trees, standing dead trees, fallen hollow sections and mature trees wherever safe and compatible with the site design.

Replant locally appropriate native trees along creeks, around waterholes, through woodland remnants and between retained vegetation patches.

Protect retained trees from soil compaction, root damage, changed drainage, firewood collection and later maintenance clearing.

  • Use natural hollows and retained structures as the first option for roost conservation.
  • Keep movement routes between roosting and foraging areas open where practicable.
  • Replace lost habitat progressively rather than waiting until the end of the project.

Rehabilitation actions: 2. Install supplementary roost structures

Use bat boxes, roost boxes or artificial roost structures only where their design, placement and maintenance suit local microbats and the project approval.

Place structures in suitable retained habitat and protect them from excessive heat, flooding, vandalism, predators and artificial light. Use an experienced bat ecologist to select the design and location.

Treat boxes as supplementary habitat. They do not replace a confirmed maternity roost unless the relevant authority approves that approach and monitoring shows that they function.

  • Inspect boxes after installation and during the monitoring period.
  • Record occupancy, species evidence, temperature or condition concerns where relevant, and any maintenance action.
  • Retain natural hollows and crevices even when boxes are installed.

Rehabilitation actions: 3. Restore foraging and water habitat

Re-establish native vegetation around tree-lined creeks, ephemeral drainage lines, waterholes and other areas used by flying insects and foraging bats.

Control weeds without contaminating roosts, water or retained vegetation. Stage weed treatment so that shelter and insect resources are not removed across the whole site at once.

Manage erosion, sediment and altered drainage. Maintain clean, functioning water features where they form part of the local habitat.

  • Avoid broad-spectrum insecticide use near retained roosts, waterways and important foraging areas unless specifically assessed and approved.
  • Use locally suitable native species and protect new plantings from grazing and browsing.
  • Maintain ground and canopy structure that supports insect prey and safe bat movement.

Rehabilitation actions: 4. Manage lighting and long-term monitoring

Design lighting to keep roost entrances, creek lines, vegetation corridors and water points dark. Use shielded fittings, low spill and controls that limit lighting to where and when it is needed.

Monitor restored habitat, retained roosts and replacement structures for several seasons where required by the approval or where a colony was affected.

Review monitoring results with the landholder and adjust weed control, lighting, structure placement or maintenance if bats do not use the available habitat.

  • Inspect after storms, fires, floods and major maintenance works.
  • Keep a permanent register of roost structures, inspection dates, repairs and bat observations.
  • Use monitoring results to guide future clearing and construction decisions on the site.

Sources