Yellow-bellied Sheathtail Bat
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© Australian Museum
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Saccolaimus
- Species
- flaviventris
- Family
- Emballonuridae
- Order
- Chiroptera
- Subclass
- Eutheria
- Subphylum
- Vertebrata
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Kingdom
- Animalia
Introduction
Yellow-bellied Sheathtail Bats usually eat their prey as they are flying.
Habitat
Yellow-bellied Sheathtail Bats roost in hollows in old trees, and sometimes in the abandoned nests of sugar gliders. They usually form small colonies of up to 30.
Distribution
Seasonality
Yellow-bellied Sheathtail Bats seem to migrate in winter from cooler areas in southern Australia to warmer northern areas.
Feeding and diet
Yellow-bellied Sheathtail Bats feed on flying insects, including beetles. They fly quickly but are not good at twisting and turning when chasing their prey. However they also feed on insects living in open forests and open grasslands.They usually eat their prey as they are flying.
Conservation status
Yellow-bellied Sheathtail Bats are vulnerable to loss of tree hollows and loss of feeding grounds by forestry activities, clearing for agriculture and housing.
