Flying-foxes or bats? Well, both.
Flying-foxes are bats, in fact, they are the mega-bats in the bat family. Unlike the micro-bats which feed on insects, flying-foxes feed on rainforest tree fruit and Eucalyptus tree blossoms. Microbats use echolocation to track and catch insects whereas flying-foxes use their excellent night vision.
There are 4 mainland species of flying-fox: Black, Grey-headed, Spectacled and Little Red. Tragically flying-foxes across Queensland, NSW & Victoria are in decline. Some scientists believe they could be functionally extinct by 2050.
They're nomadic, intelligent & social
Flying-foxes are nomadic mammals and follow the flowering and fruiting of native trees along the Australian coast. Flying-foxes, like bees, are important pollinators and seed dispersers for many native trees. Their role has become increasingly important due to the highly fragmented nature of vegetation along Australia’s coastline, as a result of land clearing and other human-caused ecological pressures.
Flying-foxes are intelligent, social animals that live in large colonies or camps made up of family groups and individuals. Safety in numbers is vital for breeding and raising young. These camps act as stopover sites for migrating flying-foxes.
A "keystone" species
A keystone species is one that performs an essential ecological role that cannot be replaced by any other species or a combination of species.
Here are some of the reasons why we can't replace flying-foxes, they're custom-made for our ecosystems.
- Native hardwoods & Eucalypts produce fresh pollen at night specifically to attract flying-foxes. The pollen clings to the flying-foxes furry body & face and is transferred to other flowering trees during their nightly foraging. Only fresh pollen pollinates plants & trees.
- The trees have co-evolved with flying-foxes over 40 million years, so that pollen is only spread significant distances by nocturnal pollinators, flying-foxes, which are able to cover 50 kms each night while foraging.
- Wide dispersal of pollen ensures robust, genetic health of forests. Without genetic diversity, forests are susceptible to pests, disease & climatic change.
- Native hardwoods are a large, robust pioneer species that provide the scaffolding for our native forests by altering the microclimate of an area and allowing more delicate species to establish in an area that would be otherwise totally inhospitable.
- If we lose the native hardwood species, then we will lose our native forests and the plants and animals that rely on them. There would also be significant economic impact on the timber industry and agriculture industry as a result of the consequential changes to soil moisture, erosion and rainfall patterns.
