75.

Fijian Free-tailed Bat

Chaerephon bregullae

French: Tadaride du Pacifique / German: Fidschi-Bulldogfledermaus / Spanish: Caerepon del Pacifico

Other common names: Fiji Free-tailed Bat, Fijian Mastiff Bat, Fiji Mastiff Bat

Taxonomy. Tadarida jobensis bregullae Felten, 1964,

“ Malo [Island], Neue Hebri-den [= New Hebrides].”

Chaerephon bregullae was initially treated as a subspecies of C.jobensis of New Guinea and Australia, but it was elevated to species level by T. F. Flannery in 1995 and F. J. Bonaccorso in 1998; this action was strongly supported by genetic analysis by S. Ingleby and D. Colgan in 2003. Monotypic.

Distribution. Known only from a few Is in Vanuatu (Espiritu Santo and Malo) and Fiji (Vanua Levu and Taveuni).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 65:5-67-5 mm, tail 42-45 mm, ear 16-20 mm, forearm 51-54 mm; weight 16-22 g. The Fijian Free-tailed Bat is similar in appearance to the Solomons Free-tailed Bat (C. solomonis) and the Greater Northern Free-tailed Bat (C. jobensis) but lacks papillae on ear margins.

Habitat. The Fijian Free-tailed Bat has been recorded foraging over beaches, coconut groves and village gardens, the ocean, tropical rainforest, and cloud forest, at elevations from sea level up to 850 m.

Food and Feeding. No information.

Breeding. Fijian Free-tailed Bats congregate in a few caves to form very large maternity colonies. It is believed most females in Fiji congregate at Nakanacagi Cave (Vanua Levu) to give birth. Large colonies are also reported from Nanumbu Cave (Espiritu Santo), and Tan Lensigo and Abounatori caves (Malo) in Vanuatu. The timing of births appears synchronized across the species’ range, with young being born in December, and females lactating throughout the rainy season (December—April); young are presumably weaned around the end of April.

Activity patterns. The Fijian Free-tailed Bat has mostly been captured roosting in caves. It has a loud and distinctive echolocation call between 35 kHz and 20 kHz.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. Both males and females have been captured at roost caves. Cave colonies have been described as being very large and containing “thousands” of bats. In 2014, A. T. Scanlon and colleagues estimated the total number of bats in Nakanacagi Cave at 2000 individuals.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Endangered on The IUCN Red List, because the number of individuals is low and decreasing, the range is also decreasing, and the number of breeding locations is very low. Key threats appear to be habitat loss due to increasing human population, and hunting and direct exploitation. In 2014, Scanlon and colleagues noted the presence of nets and poles for harvesting bats at the only known maternity site in Fiji. Cave deposits show it was once more widely distributed in Fiji (Viti Levu) and Tonga (‘ Eua) but has become extinct since human arrival. Surveys in Fiji suggest its range is quite limited, and it is absent from many apparently suitable areas.

Bibliography. Bonaccorso (1998), Felten (1964a), Flannery (1995a), Ingleby & Colgan (2003), Koopman & Steadman (1995), Palmeirim et al. (2007), Scanlon et al. (2014), Worthy & Anderson (2009).